Albe Burge Whiting
Date: Between 1890 and 1900
This cabinet card shows Albe Burge Whiting,(1835-1928). Whiting a native of Johnson, Vermont migrated to the Kansas territory, in 1856, and settled near Fort Riley. He founded the town of Milford and was instrumental in operating a saw mill, general store, and flour mill before moving, in 1877, to Topeka, Kansas. In the capital city, Whiting engaged in a number of business ventures from a partnership in a drug store to owning and operating a paint and glass business. His company also held the contract to supply the windows for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company building at Ninth and Jackson Streets in Topeka. Whiting's success in business gave him the means to give back to the community. In 1907, Whiting and his wife Kate purchased 160 acres of land which established the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Topeka, as a 1,000 year endowment trust for Washburn University, and the Topeka Y.W.C.A. and Y. M. C. A. In addition to the endowment, Whiting served fifty-one years as a Washburn trustee and was a member of the executive committee. To honor his years of service to the college, the field house at Washburn was named the Whiting Field House in June of 1930. The dedication came two years after the building's completion in December of 1928 and the passing of Albe Burge Whiting.

Albe Burge Whiting
Creator: Leonard, J. H.
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
This cabinet card shows Albe Burge Whiting, (1835-1928). Whiting a native of Johnson, Vermont migrated to the Kansas territory in 1856 and settled near Fort Riley. He founded the town of Milford and was instrumental in operating a saw mill, general store, and flour mill before moving, in 1877, to Topeka, Kansas. In the capital city, Whiting engaged in a number of business ventures from a partnership in a drug store to owning and operating a paint and glass business. His company also held the contract to supply the windows for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company building at Ninth and Jackson Streets in Topeka. Whiting's success in business gave him the means to give back to the community. In 1907, Whiting and his wife Kate purchased 160 acres of land which established the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Topeka as a 1,000 year endowment trust for Washburn University, the Topeka Y.W.C.A. and the Topeka Y. M. C. A. In addition to the endowment, Whiting served fifty-one years as a Washburn trustee and was a member of the executive committee. To honor his years of service to the college, in June of 1930, the field house at Washburn was named the Whiting Field House. The dedication came two years after the building's completion in December of 1928 and the passing of Albe Burge Whiting.

Almeda Harrison
Creator: Marquise, Enid Oklahoma
Date: 1938
This photograph shows Almeda Harrison's graduation from Riley Rural High School in Riley County, Kansas. Almeda was involved through her high school in the Girl Reserves of the YWCA. She attended the YMCA's Camp Wood near Elmdale, Kansas where the organization sought to enrich the lives of young girls through "healthy living and social responsibilities."

Blanche Cecile Parks photograph collection
Date: 1967-2017
This is a collection of photographs showing Blanche Parks and her family. Blanche, the daughter of Nile Eugene, Sr. and Fern (Dickinson) Williams, grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas and graduated from Leavenworth High School. After high school, she attended Washburn University and graduated with Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Also, she earned the Kansas Certified Public Manager designation from Kansas University. After graduation, Blanche taught in the Topeka Public Schools and later worked as a manager and director in various Kansas State agencies. She developed, implemented and directed the Kansas 529 College Savings Program in the Kansas State Treasurer's office. While director, the program held $40 million in assets and ranked in the top five college savings programs in the nation. Also, she was employed in the Kansas Department of Human Resources as a Special Assistant to the Secretary, she oversaw the Job Corps Program for the State of Kansas, the Governor's Council on Employment and Training. Also, she served as a Senior Manager in the Division of Information and Community Resources at the Department on Aging. Blanche served on the Job Service Employers' Committee and the Summer Youth Program under the Job Training Partnership Act, National Advisory Committee on Special Minimum Wages under the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, Elizabeth Dole. Blanche is active in many community organizations, which includes President of the YWCA Board of Directors, the Kansas Children's Service League Topeka Advisory Council, Washburn University Board of Regents, Downtown Topeka Rotary, Topeka Human Relations Commission, Melody Brown Board of Directors, established the YWCA East Blanche Parks Girls to Girl Program, Who's Who in American Women, and the National Board of Directors for the YWCA. She received many awards including Who's Who in American Women. Blanche married Topeka attorney Sherman A. Parks, Jr. and they have two children Michael and Stacey. In 2000, Sherman and Blanche were named to Topeka's 2000 Profiles in Power by The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Kansas Woman's Christian Temperance Union permanent records
Date: 1910-1939
These permanent records of the Kansas Woman's Christian Temperance Union include the records of the treasurer, contracts concerning publications, sworn statements of elected trustees, correspondence with potential speakers, candidate information relating to prohibition laws in Kansas, and meeting minutes. There is also correspondence concerning the Kellogg-Briand Pact, an international peace agreement signed in 1928. One letter clearly disapproves of Maude Royden, an English suffragist, from fulfilling her presentation for the Y.W.C.A on account of her tobacco use. A copy of the charter of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Kansas, signed by Secretary of State Frank J. Ryan is also included. There are several other groups of official Kansas WCTU records on Kansas Memory. They can be found by selecting Collections - Manuscript - KWCTU/Mary Evelyn Dobbs.

Katherine Amelia Whitney Whiting
Creator: Leonard, J. H.
Date: Between 1890 and 1900
This cabinet card shows Katherine Amelia Whitney Whiting (1838-1907). Whiting a native of Waterbury, Vermont received her formal education at the Fairfax and Barrer Academies. She taught school in the Vermont area before marring Albe Burge Whiting on November 15, 1858. Within a year of their marriage the couple were moving to the Kansas territory. In August of 1859, the Whiting's settled near Fort Riley, and founded the town of Milford. For nearly twenty years the couple operated a number of business in the Milford area before moving, in 1877, to Topeka, Kansas. In the capitol city, Mr. Whiting engaged in a number of business ventures which gave him and his wife the means to give back to the community. As philanthropists the Whitings purchased in 1907 160 acres of land that established the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Topeka, as 1,000 year endowments for Washburn College, the Topeka Y.W.C.A. and the Topeka Y.M.C.A. Katherine Whitney Whiting died August 11, 1908 at her Topeka home at the age of 69. Burial was at Mt. Hope Cemetery.

William "Bill" Preston Graves, Kansas Governor
Date: April 20, 1998
Three photographs showing Governor William "Bill" Preston Graves signing SB 424 at the Topeka YWCA day-care center. The bill created a new health insurance program for low income children. Standing behind and beside Graves are: Cimone and Jory, children from the day-care center; Representative Nancy Kirk; Kathleen Sebelius, Insurance Commissioner; Janet Schalansky, Social Rehabilitation Services Deputy Secretary; and Senator Marge Petty.