About twenty-five people loaded a bus at noon on Saturday to attend the dedication of William Allen White's home in Emporia.
White lived a tremendous life, he and his wife traveled around the world, something you begin to understand as quite a feat when you see the large trunk in the master bedroom.
The home was filled with interesting 'knick knacks,' like a soldier's helmet from Russia, ornate glasses from Katherine the Great, and old photos of White and Teddy Roosevelt, White and Albert Einstein. So much history in those red bricks, if only we could've have spent more time analyzing the books and the photos.
After our tour of the house, White's great grandson, Christopher White Walker, led us over to the Emporia Gazette for a sneak peek at White's old stomping grounds. Walker is currently Editor and Publisher of the Gazette. The building was really quite amazing. You could almost feel White's presence in the newsroom, a quiet, and mostly abandoned room. And, it smelled like journalism. You know the smell, a mixture of newsprint and wood polish.
All-in-all it was a beautiful day and a wonderful reminder, once again, of how cool the history of journalism really is. See the photo slideshow (courtesy KU grad, Ross Martin).
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