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These two photographs show William L. Sayers, an attorney, in his office in Hill City, Kansas. Sayers was born around 1872 in Nebraska and moved to Hill City, Kansas, with his family in 1888. There at the age of 15 he earned a teaching certificate, however, he had to wait until he turned 16 to teach. After teaching school for several years, he became clerk of the court for Graham County. Sayers used his spare time to read law books. In 1893, he was admitted to the bar and took classes at the University of Kansas. Although he never graduated from law school, he was elected county attorney for Graham county in 1900, 1912, and 1914. His younger brother John followed him in this position in 1918. He was the second African American to be elected Graham County Attorney; the first was G. W. Jones who was elected in 1896. The Sayers brothers practiced law in Graham County for their entire careers.
Date: Between 1915 and 1920
Item Number: 225582
Call Number: FK2.G4 H.73 P.Say *1-2
Holding Institution: Graham County Historical Society
Business and Industry - Occupations/Professions - Lawyers
Collections - Photograph
Date - 1910s
Government and Politics - Local Government - County - Attorney
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Photograph
People - African Americans
Places - Cities and towns - Hill City
Places - Counties - Graham
Type of Material - Photographs
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/225582