Bell Grade School in Atchison County, Kansas
Date: Between 1895 and 1896
This is a photograph showing students and teacher at Bell Grade School #59 in Lancaster Township, Atchison County. The school was two miles north of Lancaster. Students in the photo are front row (left to right): Jocy Buckles, Susie Hegland, Anna Hegland, Julie Gigstad, Annie Gigstad & Louis Buttron. Back row (left to right): Harry Gigstad, Lee Rule, Guy Rule, Jum Flatter, Jess Trion (orphan boy) and George Reinhardt, teacher.

Bell View School, Seward County, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1920
This is a photograph showing the Bell View School, District 71, in Seward County, Kansas. Students, parents, and teachers are pictured in front of the building.

Benjamin S. Paulen, Kansas Governor
Creator: Hill, F.W.
Date: March 17, 1927
This black and white photograph shows Kansas Governor Benjamin S. Paulen sitting at his desk in the governor's office to commemorate his signing of the Kindergarten bill. Individuals in the photograph are identified on the back of the photograph from left to right.

Blanche Ketene Bruce for auditor
Creator: Topeka Daily Capital
Date: October 26, 1892
According to this article from the Topeka Daily Capital, B. K. (Blanche Ketene) Bruce Jr. was given a place on the Republican ticket and ran for state auditor in 1892. Bruce, a black man from Leavenworth, became the first African American to graduate from Kansas State University in 1885. One important reason Bruce was considered to be such a good candidate for the position of state auditor, was because he was a black Republican in every sense of the word. Between the years of 1880-1900 blacks felt their political interests did not differ too greatly from white political interest or well being. African American males were placed on political party tickets and ran successfully for elective offices in Kansas during this time.

Charles I. Baston interview
Creator: Baston, Charles I.
Date: May 14, 1992
Charles Baston was born in Lee's Summit, Missouri, on April 24, 1917. He attended grade school and junior high school while still living in Lee's Summit, and after junior high he moved to Topeka to attend the Kansas Vocational Technical School. He moved to Topeka permanently after his World War II discharge. Baston was a member of the executive committee of the local chapter of the NAACP during the Brown v. Board hearings. Much of his interview deals with the NAACPs role in finding plaintiffs in the Brown case, the problem with busing students to segregated schools, and other individuals who were instrumental to the success of this suit. Towards the end of the interview he also talks about how the Brown decision has not reached its full potential because of the racial prejudices that still exist today. Jean VanDelinder conducted the interview. The Brown v. Board oral history project was funded by Hallmark Cards Inc., the Shawnee County Historical Society, the Brown Foundation for Educational Excellence, Equity, and Research, the National Park Service, and the Kansas Humanities Council. Parts of the interview may be difficult to hear due to the quality of the original recording.

Children at a local fair, Marshall County, Kansas
Creator: Hawkins, Omar F. (Omar Finlay), 1890-1967
Date: 1931
This photograph shows a woman and children from Harbaugh School, District 44, at the Marshall County Fair in Marshall County, Kansas. The children, each wearing "sunflower" headbands, are holding field crops and vegetables. Two girls are holding a sign which reads "What Kansas Grows." Also visible in the background are buildings and parked cars. All of the rural school districts had a float or entry in a parade at the Marshall County Fair every year.

Children in Sheldon's Tennesseetown kindergarten, Topeka, Kansas
Date: Between 1893 and 1899
This photograph shows children in Sheldon's Tennesseetown kindergarten picking cotton in their school garden. The school was started by Rev. Charles Sheldon for Topeka's poor, especially those living in Tennesseetown located north of Central Congregational church in Topeka, Kansas.

Clay School panoramic
Creator: Schutte & Spicer
Date: 1912
This is a panoramic photograph showing students and teachers at Clay School in Topeka, Kansas.

Dunlap Academy and Mission School, Dunlap, Kansas
Date: Between 1880 and 1899
This photograph portrays the students and teachers of the African American school in Dunlap, Morris County, Kansas. Dunlap was located in eastern Morris County and was established in May 1878. The colony was founded by Benjamin Singleton and the Tennessee Real Estate and Homestead Association. This was the last colony Singleton founded in Kansas.

Dust storm's sweep awe-inspiring, fearful, yet beautiful, says Mrs. Doane
Creator: Topeka Capital
Date: February 28, 1935
This brief article includes excerpts from a letter written by Gertrude Fay Doane, a grade-school teacher in Winona, Kansas. She vividly describes a dust storm that hit her schoolhouse, writing that "clouds, rolling like smoke from the horizon high into the heavens, interspersed by sheets of dark blue, were being driven by some horrible force onward toward us." Doane also recounts the next day's rabbit drive and applauds the optimism of western Kansans in the midst of the Dust Bowl.

Elementary and secondary school teachers in Chase, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1925
This is a photograph showing elementary and secondary school teachers in Chase, Kansas. The man on the right is Robert Esdon, school superintendent.

Elementary school class picture, Neodesha Grade School, Wilson County, Kansas
Date: Between 1882 and 1885
These are two copies of a photograph of a Neodesha Grade School class in Neodesha, Wilson County, Kansas.

Elementary school students in Smith Center, Kansas
Date: 1956-1960
Four photographs showing elementary school students and teachers in Smith Center, Kansas.

Ensign Grade School, Ensign, Kansas
Date: 1915
This is a photograph of students and teachers at the Ensign grade school, Ensign, Kansas.

Eskridge Public School in Eskridge, Kansas
Creator: Farrow, W. F.
Date: 1890-1900
Four photographs showing groups of students and teachers in front of the public school in Eskridge, Kansas.

Fairview School, Nicodemus, Kansas
Date: 1915
This black and white photograph shows a group of African-American students with their teacher from Fairview School near Nicodemus, Kansas. The school was located 2 miles north of Nicodemus. A few names are visible but it is not clear to what child they apply.

Fall Leaf School, Leavenworth, Kansas
Date: Around 1900
This black and white photograph shows a view of schoolchildren and their families assembled on and in front of the Fall Leaf School's porch in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Fifth grade class at Lincoln School, Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Schrock, John Edward
Date: December 10-11, 1959
This is a photograph of Mrs. Clara Kliewer's 1959-60 fifth grade glass at Lincoln School in Topeka, Kansas. Ronnie Escobar is second row on the left. Mr. Allen E. Ecord is noted as the principal.

Fifth grade students at Belvoir Grade School in Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1959
This is a photograph showing fifth grade students at Belvoir Grade School in Topeka, Kansas. The children are identified on the back of the photograph. The teacher was Mrs. Boaz. It was an integrated classroom.

First and second grade students at Chase, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1925
This is a photograph showing first and second grade students at a school in Chase, Kansas. The man at the left is Robert Esdon, superintendent, and the woman on the right is Mary Esdon, teacher.

First and second grade students at Sumner Grade School in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Schrock, John Edward
Date: April 13, 1950
This is a photograph showing first and second grade students at Sumner Grade School in Topeka, Kansas. The teacher is Bernice Avery.

First grade at Lincoln School, Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Schrock, John Edward
Date: March 3-4, 1959
A photograph of Mrs. Driver's 1958-9 first grade class at Lincoln School in Topeka, Kansas. Marilyn Lopez is pictured in the third row on the right.

First grade at Randolph School in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Schrock, John Edward
Date: May 08, 1946
This is a photograph showing first grade students and their teacher Louise Walter at Randolph School in Topeka, Kansas.

First grade class, Quincy School, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1886
A photograph showing a group of first grade students and their teacher posed outside of Quincy School, Topeka, Kansas.

First grade class at State Street School, Topeka
Creator: Schrock, John Edward
Date: January 27, 1955-January 28, 1955
This photograph shows the first grade class at State Street Elementary School, taught by Miss Hunt. It was taken shortly after Topeka elementary schools were racially integrated in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Prior to this decision, which made segregated schools unconstitutional, State Street had been a school for white children only.