Kansas Attorneys General

Andrew Jackson Isacks served as the first territorial attorney general. Isacks was born on December 29, 1825, in Winchester, Tennessee. Isacks was appointed by President Franklin Pierce as United States Attorney for the District of Kansas on June 30, 1854. At the time of his appointment, Isacks was living in Louisiana, where he had served as district attorney for the 13th Judicial District. Isacks was a signer of the 1852 Constitution of Louisiana. Isacks served as U. S. Attorney for Kansas until March, 1857, when he resigned. Isacks set out to secure confirmation of a sale of Native American lands that he had previously negotiated with the tribe involved. After much controversy, Isacks finalized the sale. This became the first instance of the transfer of an important tract of Native American land directly to an individual or group. Isacks died on June 16, 1865, in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

William Weer served as the second territorial attorney general (United States Attorney for the District of Kansas). He was appointed after Andrew Jackson Isaaks resigned. Weer had previously served as legal counsel for the Wyandotte Reserve. He was active in the Kansas State Militia, and earned the rank of brigadier general. Weer served during the Civil War for the Union Army with some successes and significant failures. His main accomplishments involved the recruitment of Native Americans who served in the Union Army, and leading his forces to victories over Confederate forces in what was then known as Indian Territory and west of the Mississippi River. His problems with command decisions and alcohol led to his removal from command on more than one occasion, and eventually, a court martial.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Alson C. Davis served as the third territorial attorney general. Alson was appointed by President James Buchanan to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Kansas, and took the oath of office on June 5, 1858. Davis served in such capacity until Kansas attained statehood. Acting within his capacity as U. S. Attorney, Davis brought numerous actions against individuals who, without legal authority, were settling on lands belonging to Native American tribes such as the Miami tribe. During the Civil War, Davis was instrumental in forming the Second Kansas Cavalry which later became the Ninth Kansas Volunteers, and served as a colonel with that unit.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Benjamin Franklin Simpson served as the first attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born in 1836 in Belmont County, Ohio. He came to Kansas in 1857. Simpson lived in Paola and was elected county attorney. At 23 years of age, Simpson was the youngest delegate to the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention which led to Kansas' statehood. Simpson was elected as the attorney general under the Wyandotte Constitution and served until he resigned his position to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. He served throughout the war with the 15th Kansas Calvary as a captain, and was promoted to major in 1865. After the war, Simpson was elected to several terms in the Kansas Legislature and served in both the Senate in 1867-1868 and 1877, and the House of Representatives in 1871. He served as speaker of the House of Representatives during the 1871 legislative session. Simpson was appointed by President Rutherford B. Hayes as United States Marshal for the District of Kansas from 1878 to 1886. Simpson was appointed as a Kansas Supreme Court Commissioner from 1887 to 1893. Pursuant to law, three commissioners were appointed to help the three-member Supreme Court with the vast number of pending cases before the court. The commissioners prepared about the same number of opinions as did the members of the Supreme Court. Simpson died on August 10, 1916, in Paola, Kansas.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Charles Chadwick served as the second attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on March 8, 1820, in Tompkins County, New York. Chadwick studied law with his uncle, the Honorable Austin Smith. In 1851, Chadwick was admitted to the New York bar, and became a partner in his uncle's law firm. Chadwick relocated to Kansas in 1857 and opened a law office in Quindaro and was elected justice of the peace. He was appointed private secretary to Governor Charles Robinson. Chadwick was appointed attorney general of Kansas by Governor Robinson to fill the expired term of Attorney General Benjamin Simpson after Simpson resigned to join the Union Army during the Civil War. Governor Robinson appointed Chadwick as the fourth adjutant general of Kansas with the rank of brigadier general and he served from March 22, 1862, to February 26, 1863. In 1863, Governor Thomas Carney appointed Chadwick as paymaster general. Chadwick established a legal practice in Lawrence, and was elected justice of the peace and served in such position for many years. In 1881, he was elected to serve as police judge. He died in Lawrence on April 23, 1900.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Samuel Adams Stinson served as the third attorney general of the State of Kansas. Stinson was born November 24, 1831, in Wiscasset, Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Stinson moved to Kansas from Wisconsin in 1857. Stinson had an outstanding reputation as an orator and attorney. According to Attorney General Benjamin Simpson, "His [Stinson] voice was clear and flute-like, with the most persuasive accents, and his wit sparkling and contagious." Stinson was a delegate from Leavenworth to the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention in June 1859. Stinson was especially active for the Democratic minority at the convention from the outset on July 5, commencing with issues having to do with organization, and served on the judicial department, county and township organization, ordinance and public debt, finance and taxation, and federal relations committees. After Charles Chadwick resigned, Stinson was elected attorney general at a special election held on November 5, 1861. After his service as attorney general, he served on the board of directors of the Union Pacific Railroad. Eventually, Stinson returned to Maine, and died on February 20, 1866, in his birthplace hometown of Wiscasset.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Warren William Guthrie served as the fourth attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on June 9, 1834, in New Haven, Connecticut. Guthrie studied law in Litchfield and was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1855. He headed west and served in the Civil War where he attained the rank of general. At the end of the war, Guthrie and his family moved to Atchison where he established and developed a large law practice. He was elected as attorney general and served one term. While attorney general, Guthrie launched a grand jury to look into the allotment of land on the Kickapoo reservation. He returned to the practice of law after his term of office. Guthrie was elected in 1877 and 1879 to serve in the Kansas Senate. Guthrie died on April 23, 1903.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Jerome D. Brumbaugh served as the fifth attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on August 18, 1832, in Maryland. Brumbaugh made his way to Ohio where he practiced law. In 1858, He moved to Kansas and settled in Marysville where he continued his practice of law. Brumbaugh represented Wild Bill Hickok who had been accused of the killing of a man in a shooting during the famous Rock Creek affair in Nebraska. He served one term in the Kansas House of Representatives commencing in 1864. Brumbaugh served one term as attorney general. He was again elected to serve one term in the Kansas House commencing in 1876. Brumbaugh died on March 1, 1878, in Marysville.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

George Henry Hoyt served as the sixth attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born in Athol, Massachusetts, on November 25, 1837, the son of a prominent abolitionist. Hoyt studied law in Boston. Hoyt had an uncompromising commitment to abolition. In 1859, Hoyt was sent by Boston abolitionists to serve as one of John Brown's attorneys after the raid on the federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, Va., in 1859. When the Civil War began, Hoyt joined John Brown, Jr.'s company of sharpshooters being raised in Ohio. The company transferred to Kansas where he enlisted in Company K of the 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry under command of Col. Charles R. Jennison. Hoyt also served as a leader of scouts known as the Red Leg Scouts. After the Lawrence massacre, he served as a lieutenant colonel of the 15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, and fought in many battles along the Kansas-Missouri border. During the Second Battle of Independence, Mo., Hoyt killed George Todd, an infamous Confederate raider who rode with William Quantrill's Raiders. After the war, Hoyt practiced law in Kansas, served as a U.S. postal agent and was the editor of the Leavenworth Daily Conservative. Hoyt was elected attorney general, and served one term. In 1871, Hoyt returned to Massachusetts, where he was a newspaper editor, and served in the state legislature. He was an advocate for the temperance movement. Hoyt died on February 2, 1877, in Athol, Massachusetts.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Addison Danford served as the seventh attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on July 4, 1829, in Laconia, New Hampshire. Danford came to Kansas in 1857, and first settled in Linn County. He was a free state supporter and served as a delegate to the Leavenworth Constitutional Convention. Danford was part of an 11-   member committee that drafted a document that was presented to the convention, and an accompanying statement that essentially laid out the philosophical foundations and rationale for the new document. It argued that the facts showed the overwhelming majority of Kansans desired admission to the Union as a free state. The document was adopted by the convention. He later moved to Fort Scott in Bourbon County. Danford served in the Kansas Senate during the term commencing in 1865. Danford was elected to serve as attorney general of Kansas in 1868, and served one term. Danford moved to Colorado due to his wife's illness, and he died on September 29, 1901, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Archibald Llewellyn Williams served as the eighth attorney general of the State of Kansas for two terms commencing in 1871. Williams was born in Adams County, Illinois, on September 2, 1840. Williams came to Topeka, Kansas, in 1860 to practice law. He served at various times as city and county attorney. As attorney general, Williams was instrumental in curtailing the fraudulent organization of western counties and ensuring fairness. He worked as a consulting attorney for the Kansas Pacific and later Union Pacific Railroad Company. He also served as general attorney for the Union Pacific in Kansas for most of the rest of his life. He died on August 28, 1907, in Mountain View, Colorado.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Asa Maxson Fitz Randolph served as the ninth attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born in Allegheny County, New York, on January 19, 1829. He attended Alfred Academy, New York, and Allegheny College at Meadville, Pennsylvania. After graduation, he taught school and was an assistant principal in Covington, Kentucky. In 1856, Allegheny College conferred upon him the degree of master of arts. During this time, he studied law in a private law office, and was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1859. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army with the 41st Kentucky Regiment. In 1868, Randolph moved to Lawrence and later that year in November located at Burlington where he practiced law. He served two terms as county attorney of Coffey County. He was elected attorney general in 1874 and served one term. After serving as attorney general, Randolph was elected to serve one term in the Kansas House of Representatives. Randolph served 18 years as the Kansas Supreme Court reporter. He had a "fine literary taste" and Shakespeare was his favorite author whom he loved to read and quote. He wrote a number of articles for magazines and edited an edition of the "Trial of Sir John Falstaff". He died at Topeka in September 1, 1898.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

William Willard Davis served as the 10th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born January 26, 1837, in Madison County, Kentucky. Davis attended the University of Missouri. He returned to Kentucky to study law at Lexington Law School which was then part of Transylvania University. After graduation, Davis was admitted to practice law and setup a practice in Lexington. He also served as Fayette County attorney. When the war began, he was commissioned into the Union Army as a lieutenant in the 31st Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, but his military career, after fighting in the battles of Richmond, Kentucky and Perryville, was brief due to his health. On March 14, 1863, Davis was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as collector of internal revenues in the Second Collection District of Kentucky. He held the position until September 1, 1866, when he was dismissed for failure to sign a pledge of support for certain policies of President Andrew Johnson. Davis resumed his law career and advocated for civil rights for freed slaves. Davis made a significant speech which had impact in the national debate for voting rights of freedmen during a Fourth of July Celebration in Lexington before an audience largely made up of African-Americans. He purchased land in an area of Lexington named Davis Bottom, and sold much of the land to African-American buyers. In 1870, Davis moved to Neosho Falls, Kansas, and became the attorney for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company. The following year he settled in Parsons, where he served as the town's first mayor and as attorney for Labette County. In 1876, Davis was elected attorney general and served for two terms. In 1881, he returned to his private law practice. After suffering from poor health much of his life, Davis died on December 6, 1885, in Topeka.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

William Agnew Johnston served as the 11th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Johnston was born July 24, 1848, in Patterson Corners, Ontario, Canada. He moved to Ottawa County, Kansas, in 1872 and practiced law. He was elected to serve in both the Kansas House of Representatives and the Senate from 1875 to 1880. Johnston was elected to serve as attorney general for two terms commencing in 1881. Johnston resigned as attorney general in 1884 to become an associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. He served on the Supreme Court for more than 50 years, including serving as chief justice from 1903 until his retirement in 1935. Johnston and his wife, Lucy Browne Johnston, were influential advocates in the woman’s suffrage movement. A primary reason for the success in the passage of the Woman's Suffrage Amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1912 was the efficient organization and leadership provided throughout the campaign by the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association and the Men's Equal Suffrage League of Kansas. Lucy Johnston was elected president of the association and ran the ratification campaign. Johnston was one of the earliest members of the league, and his position of respect as chief justice brought legitimacy to the campaign. He died January 23, 1937, in Topeka, Kansas.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

George Price Smith served as the 12th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on August 14, 1826, in Wooster, Ohio. He was educated in the local schools and Mt. Pleasant College in Iowa. He also attended medical school at Eclectic College of Cincinnati, Ohio. During the Civil War Smith served as a revenue collector and later enlisted and served with the 69th and 129th Illinois regiments and was commissioned as a colonel. After his service he owned and edited a newspaper in Illinois. Smith then moved to Kansas and opened a law office in Humboldt where he practiced law for 20 years. He was appointed by Governor George Glick to serve the remainder of the term of Attorney General William Johnston after Johnston had resigned to take a position on the Kansas Supreme Court. Smith’s term of office was the shortest service of any attorney general. Smith had run for attorney general as a Democrat during the election in the fall of 1884 but was defeated by Simeon Bradford. Smith was appointed a pension examiner for the federal government by President Grover Cleveland and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Smith returned to Ohio where he practiced law in Steubenville until his death on August 23, 1889.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Simeon Briggs Bradford was born on July 19, 1847, in Starr, Ohio. Bradford was elected the 13th attorney general of the State of Kansas, and served two terms. After moving to Kansas, he had established a law practice in Franklin and Osage counties. Bradford was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1875. He was elected county attorney of Osage County in 1880. While serving as attorney general, Bradford became involved in the often-violent county seat designation battles in southwest Kansas. He traveled to southwest Kansas investigate the controversies and submitted a report to the governor on the Haymeadow Massacre which involved some killings by factions vying for their community to become the eventual county seat of Stevens County. After serving his terms as attorney general, Bradford was retained by the defense in a criminal case related to the events surrounding the massacre, and the defendants were never convicted. In 1898, he was appointed a commissioner with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and served in such position in Indian Territory, Ardmore, Oklahoma. He died on April 2, 1902, in Oklahoma.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Lyman Beecher Kellogg served as the 14^th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born September 28, 1841, in Lorain County, Ohio. His parents moved to Illinois and he grew up there. He graduated from the State Normal University in Bloomington, Illinois, in June 1865. Kellogg came to Emporia, Kansas, in January 1866. The following month he was appointed the first president of the Kansas State Normal School (later Emporia State University). From 1867 to 1870 he published the Kansas Educational Journal, a newspaper for teachers established in 1864, with H. B. Norton. Kellogg retired from the State Normal School presidency in 1872 and moved to Arkansas City in Cowley County. While there he was the U. S. commissioner, a member of the local school board and a practicing attorney. Returning to Emporia in 1875, he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, serving from 1877 to 1879. In 1878 he married Jennie Mitchell, his second marriage after his first wife Abbigail died from tuberculosis.  Jennie was the first woman admitted to the bar in Kansas, and the two of them ran a successful private practice in Emporia. After Lyman's time in the Kansas House he served as a Lyon County probate judge from 1879 to 1885. He returned to the Legislature as a state senator from 1885 to 1889. Kellogg was elected attorney general in 1888. His wife Jennie served as his chief clerk or assistant attorney general, the first woman to do so in Kansas.  After his term, he continued his legal practice in Emporia until 1911. Lyman Beecher Kellogg died October 9, 1918, in Emporia.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

John Nutt Ives served as the 15th attorney general of Kansas. He was born May 9, 1837, in Topsham Four Corners, Vermont. After Ives finished his education in public schools, he taught school in Ohio and Iowa. While in Iowa he was involved in the manufacture of woolen goods. During this time Ives studied law. After being admitted to the Iowa bar, he practiced law in Iowa and then Minnesota for nearly 30 years. He was the attorney for the Crookston and St. Hilaire Railroad. Ives was nominated for attorney general of Minnesota, but lost the election. On January 17, 1888, Ives opened a law office in Sterling, Kansas. Ives was elected attorney general in 1890. In 1897, he moved to Boulder, Colorado and established a law practice there. He was appointed Boulder County attorney. Ives died June 25, 1926 in Boulder, Colorado.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

John Thomas Little served as 16th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Little was born November 18, 1841, in Circleville, Ohio. Little received his education at McConnelsville, Ohio. During the Civil War, Little served in a Union Army regiment from Ohio. After the war, he began the study of law. Little was admitted to the bar by the Ohio Supreme Court in March 1868. That same year he came to Kansas and opened a practice in Olathe. Little was a resident of Olathe for the remainder of his life. He served as city attorney in 1876 and Johnson County attorney from 1882 to 1886. Little became the first Populist Party attorney general when he won the 1892 election. Although there was not a controversy regarding his election, he did serve at the time of the Legislative War of 1893, where both the Republican and Populist parties claimed control of the Kansas House of Representatives. The controversy was ultimately decided not by guns but by the Kansas Supreme Court. Little later served a term as mayor of Olathe and as president of the Olathe Board of Education. He died December 10, 1926, in Olathe.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Fernando Brenton Dawes served as the 17th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Dawes was born November 14, 1855, in Allen County, Indiana. He studied law in Fort Wayne and was admitted to the bar in Indiana. In 1878, Dawes came to Clay Center and established a law practice. After the Populists swept statewide offices in 1892, Dawes was elected as Kansas attorney general in 1895 and served one term. In 1896, Dawes was again nominated for the office, but was defeated by Louis C. Boyle, a Populist. After his term of office, he moved to Leavenworth. Dawes was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1899, representing Leavenworth County. Dawes was considered an accomplished orator and poet. He often quoted poetry and wrote poems himself. Dawes died on October 17, 1916, in Clay Center.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Louis C. Boyle was elected as the 18th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Boyle was born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, on February 26, 1866. Boyle immigrated to Colorado where he worked in the mines. He saved enough money to attend law school in Michigan. He graduated from the Ann Arbor School of Law, and was admitted to practice law. Boyle moved to Fort Scott where he practiced law and served as the Bourbon County prosecuting attorney. He was selected by the Populist Party as their successful candidate for attorney general in 1896, and served one term in such capacity. After his term as attorney general concluded, Boyle relocated in Kansas City, Missouri, and conducted an extensive legal practice including several well-publicized criminal cases. He died July 15, 1925, in Rochester, Minnesota.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Aretas Allen Godard served as the 19th attorney general of the State of Kansas at the turn of the 20th century. Godard was born December 18. 1855, in Granville, Pennsylvania. He attended high school in Pennsylvania and New York. Godard attended Syracuse University. In 1878, he came to Kansas with money he earned through farm work. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and set up a law practice in Holton in Jackson County and Clay Center in Clay County. Godard then moved to Topeka in 1893, where he practiced law with Daniel M. Valentine who had been a Justice on the Kansas Supreme Court. Godard was elected to serve two terms as attorney general. He was the first president of the State Saving Bank of Topeka and had ownership in the Kansas Independent Telephone Company. He served as President of an organization devoted to the study and prevention of tuberculosis. Godard authored a book titled "Kansas Laws Made Plain." Godard moved to Florida in 1925, and continued to practice law there until his death, in Miami, on September 9, 1948.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Chiles Crittendon Coleman served as the 20th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Coleman was born December 29, 1854, in Burlington, Kentucky, where he graduated from Morgan Academy. At age 19, he settled in Clay Center, Kansas. Coleman studied law under Col. M. M. Miller and was admitted to the bar in 1878. For two years he served as the deputy register of deeds of Clay County. He also engaged in the real estate business for a time before practicing law. During his term as attorney general he conducted a concerted plan to enforce the liquor laws in Kansas. Coleman appointed assistant attorneys general in counties where liquor law enforcement was lax. In one county, the attorney general’s office obtained writs of abatement and closed all drinking establishments. Coleman curtailed the local practice of de facto licensing of saloons by initiating ouster and contempt proceedings with the Kansas Supreme Court against local officials that participated in such practice. Coleman died March 4, 1911, in Clay Center, Kansas.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Fred Schuyler Jackson served as the 21st attorney general of the State of Kansas. Jackson was born April 19, 1868, in Stanton, Kansas. Jackson has the distinction of being the first attorney general to be born in Kansas. Jackson and his family moved to Greenwood County in 1881 where he attended public schools. After graduation, he served a school teacher in his home county public schools from 1885 through 1890. In 1892, Jackson earned his law degree from the University of Kansas, and after admission to the bar, practiced in Eureka. He served as prosecuting attorney of Greenwood County from 1893 to 1897. Jackson was appointed as an assistant attorney general in 1906, and won the election for attorney general that fall. “Fighting Fred,” as he was known for his law enforcement efforts, continued the enforcement of state liquor laws begun by previous attorneys general. Many of Jackson’s legal actions were directed at liquor breweries that were illegally operating in Kansas. Court orders were obtained by the attorney general that resulted in the seizure of property that was destroyed or sold. Following his term, he was elected to represent Fourth Congressional District of Kansas in the 62nd U. S. Congress. After his congressional service, he returned to his private law practice. In 1915, Jackson was appointed attorney for the Public Utilities Commission by Governor Arthur Capper. Jackson returned to the practice of law in Topeka. Throughout his career was a farmer-rancher. Jackson died November 22, 1931.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

John Shaw Dawson served as the 22nd attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born June 10, 1869, in Grantown-On-Spey, Scotland. He immigrated to the United States in 1884. He attended Robert Gordon College in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Salina Normal University and Washburn University in Kansas. From 1904 to 1908, he served as assistant attorney general. Dawson served as private secretary to Governor Walter Stubbs, and became the attorney for the State Railroad Commission. He was elected attorney general in 1910. During his tenure, Dawson continued the active enforcement of the state's liquor laws with much of his attention on rural areas of the state where violations had become commonplace. Dawson was appointed a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, and served from 1915 until 1944. He served as chief justice from 1937 to 1944. After his retirement, Dawson served 10 years as the state pardons clerk after appointment to the position by Governor Arthur Schoeppel. He retired in 1955. Dawson died February 19, 1960, in Topeka.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Sardius Mason Brewster served as the 23rd attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born June 19, 1870, in Brown County, Kansas. At age 4, he moved with his family to White Cloud in Doniphan County. Brewster attended Highland College, and received his bachelor of arts and doctor of laws degrees from Washburn College. He was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1897. In 1898, Brewster was elected Doniphan County attorney and served five consecutive terms. Brewster was elected to the Kansas Senate, and served from 1908 to 1912. He served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1913 to 1915. In 1911, Attorney General John S. Dawson appointed Brewster as an assistant attorney general. Brewster was elected to serve two terms as attorney general. After his tenure as attorney general, he returned to private practice. Brewster was appointed a United States district attorney in 1930, and served in such capacity until 1934. Brewster was the first native born Kansan to be appointed U.S. district attorney. Brewster died March 5, 1936, in Topeka.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Richard Joseph Hopkins served as the 24th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on April 4, 1873, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Hopkins attended law school at Kent College of Law and Northwestern University Law School in Evanston, Illinois. He was admitted to practice law in Illinois, and practiced in Chicago until 1906. He moved to Garden City to practice law with his father. During that time, he served as city attorney of Garden City. In 1908, Hopkins was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives and served as speaker pro tem for one term. Hopkins was elected lieutenant governor of Kansas and served from 1911 to 1913. Hopkins was elected attorney general and served two terms from 1919-1923. Hopkins served as a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from January 8, 1923 to December 27, 1929. On December 19, 1929, President Herbert Hoover appointed Hopkins as a United States district judge for the District of Kansas. He served as a U.S. district judge until he died on August 28, 1943, in Kansas City.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Charles Benjamin Griffith was the 25th attorney general of the State Kansas. Griffith was born August 28, 1872, in Bourbon County, Kansas. His early education was obtained in the local public schools. In 1896, he graduated from the Fort Scott Normal College and studied law under the guidance of W. P. Dillard. He was admitted to the bar in 1898, and established a law practice in Fort Scott. During the 1899 session of the Kansas House of Representatives, he served as the reading clerk. From 1900 to 1904, he was the Bourbon County attorney. In 1921, Griffith served in the Kansas House of Representatives representing Bourbon County. During this time he served as an assistant attorney general. Griffith was elected as attorney general in 1922 and served two terms. After his service as attorney general, he practiced law in Topeka. Griffith died June 8, 1928, in Topeka.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

William Amos Smith served as the 26th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Smith was born December 31, 1888, in Valley Falls. He attended public schools in Jefferson County. He attended Washburn University in Topeka, where he graduated from the law school in 1914. He served as Jefferson County attorney. Smith served in the armed forces as a member of the Kansas National Guard where he was called to service during the Mexican border action in 1916, and later returned to military service during World War I. After returning from the war, he was appointed assistant attorney for the Public Utilities Commission. He was a commissioner for the Court of Industrial Relations and he became an assistant attorney general in 1922. Smith was elected attorney general in 1926 and 1928, and served in such capacity until he resigned in 1930 to become a justice on the Kansas Supreme Court. Smith served 27 years on the Kansas Supreme Court. On March 1, 1956, he became chief justice. He retired from the court in 1957. Smith renewed his connection with Washburn University by assisting young athletes with their continuing education by facilitating job opportunities in the private and public sectors. Smith died July 21, 1968, in Topeka, Kansas.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Roland Elmer Boynton was the 27th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Boynton was born May 29, 1891, in Manitou, Colorado. He attended the University of Kansas, and received a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of laws degree. He served in World War I with the American Expeditionary Forces. After the war, he served two terms as Lyon County attorney. From 1928 to 1930, Boynton served as assistant attorney general. When William A. Smith resigned to become a Kansas Supreme Court justice in 1930, Boynton was appointed to fill the vacancy in the attorney general position. He was subsequently elected as attorney general in 1930 and 1932. In 1933, Boynton was impeached by the Kansas House of Representatives for his association with Ronald Finney in the midst of the Great Kansas Bond Scandal. Boynton refused to resign and vigorously claimed his innocence. He claimed politics was behind the actions taken against him. On January 25, 1934, the Kansas Senate acquitted Boynton of all charges under the articles of impeachment. He served out his term as attorney general in relative harmony. Boynton then formed a law partnership in Topeka and became the attorney for the Cities Service Gas Company. He died February 7, 1942, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Clarence Victor Beck served as the 28th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Beck was born March 2, 1896, in Smolan, Kansas, a son of Swedish immigrants. He graduated from high school in Americus and attended the College of Emporia and Washington University. Beck obtained a bachelor of laws from the University of Kansas. He served in the U.S. Army as a corporal in the 334th Field Artillery during World War I. Beck began the private practice of law in 1926. During the period from 1931 to 1935, he served as Lyon County attorney. Beck rose from an unknown county attorney to a well-known successful prosecutor for his role in the prosecution of W.W. Finney for forgery and fraud involving bank transactions which occurred in the midst of the greatest public scandal in Kansas history, The Great Kansas Bond scandal. His candidacy was propelled by his prominent role in that case. He had to suspend his campaign for attorney general at one point in order to prepare a response brief submitted to the Kansas Supreme Court regarding Finney’s appeal. Beck was elected attorney general in 1934 and 1936. To enforce the liquor laws of Kansas, Beck used assistance from agents of the federal Alcohol Control Administration to check alcohol shipments entering Kansas. He died on January 14, 1984 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Jay S. Parker served two terms as the 29th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born July 1, 1895, in Morland, Kansas. Parker attended grade school in Morland and graduated from Hill City High School in 1913. Parker graduated from the University of Kansas Law School in 1918. After law school, he established his law office in Hill City. Parker was elected county attorney of Graham County in 1922, and served multiple terms. After establishing an extensive law practice, he accepted a position as assistant attorney general. Parker was elected as attorney general in 1938 and re-elected in 1940. During his tenure as attorney general, the Kansas Legislature established the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and placed the KBI under the supervision of the attorney general. During Parker’s tenure, he established the KBI’s record for efficiency and integrity. Commencing on January 11, 1943, Parker served as an associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court until January 1957, when he became chief justice. He served in such capacity until his retirement in 1966. Parker was active throughout his life is supporting causes related to providing services for children with disabilities. He died on April 28, 1969.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Alexander Baldwin Mitchell served two terms as the 30th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born October 21, 1893. Mitchell served as a first lieutenant in the 42nd Infantry unit of the U.S. Army during World War I. Mitchell was an attorney in Lawrence and was elected to his first term as attorney general in 1942 and re-elected in 1944.  During his term, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a boundary dispute between Kansas and Missouri regarding placement of the state line. A special master issued a degree setting forth the boundary and the court dismissed the Kansas suit against Missouri. Mitchell died on November 27, 1954, in Lawrence.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Edward Ferdinand Arn served two terms as the 31st attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on May 19, 1906, in Kansas City, Kansas. Arn attended the Kansas City Junior College, University of Kansas, and Kansas City School of Law. During World War II, Arn served in the Navy as a lieutenant on an aircraft carrier and fought in the battle for Iwo Jima. After the war, Arn continued to practice law in Wichita. Arn was involved in Republican Party politics while serving as Wyandotte County Republican Party chairman, and was the campaign chairman for two successful Republican governor candidates, Payne Ratner and Andrew Schoeppel. He was elected as attorney general of Kansas, and served from 1947 to 1949. Arn was appointed an associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court and served in such capacity from February 21, 1949, until March 1, 1950, when he resigned to run for governor. In November of 1950, Arn was elected the 32nd governor of Kansas and served two terms, from 1951 to 1955. During his administration several government agencies were established including the Kansas Turnpike Authority, the State Grain Commission, and the Kansas Veterans Commission. After serving as governor, Arn returned to the practice of law in Wichita. He served as the chairman of the Judicial Study Advisory Committee. Arn died on January 22, 1998, in Wichita.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Harold Ralph Fatzer served three terms as the 32nd attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on August 3, 1910, at the family homestead near Fellsburg. Fatzer and his twin brother, Hubert, attended a one-room school near their home. The brothers attended the Kansas State College in Manhattan and Washburn School of Law. After graduation, Fatzer was admitted to the bar and set up practice in Kinsley. He served as Edwards County attorney. In 1941, he was appointed chief counsel for the State Board of Social Welfare. In 1943, Fatzer was appointed as an assistant attorney general. Fatzer served in the Army during World War II. At the end of his military service, he returned to the attorney general's office. In 1949, he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Attorney General Edward Arn. Fatzer won elections in 1950, 1952 and 1954 as attorney general. Fatzer was directly involved in the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education case. During his tenure as attorney general, Fatzer was aggressive in his prosecution of crimes involving gambling and illegal lending practices. He resigned as attorney general in 1956 to accept an appointment as a Kansas Supreme Court justice. In 1971, Fatzer became chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, and served until his retirement in 1977. Harold Fatzer died in Topeka on September 30, 1989.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

John Anderson, Jr. served as the 33rd attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on May 8, 1917, near Olathe, Kansas. Anderson graduated from Olathe High School in 1935. He attended Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science and the University of Kansas for undergraduate studies. After graduation from the University of Kansas School of Law, he served on the staff of federal Judge Walter A. Huxman from 1944 to 1946. Anderson then practiced law in Olathe. Anderson was elected Johnson County district attorney and served for three terms from 1947 to 1953. Anderson was elected to the Kansas Senate holding this office from 1953 until March 1, 1956. At that time, he was appointed attorney general to fill the unexpired term of Harold Fatzer, who was appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court. Anderson was elected attorney general in his own right for two terms. In 1960, Anderson was elected governor and served two terms after his reelection in 1962. During his term as governor he was instrumental in restructuring of the state's schools into unified districts and endorsement of vocational- technical schools. Anderson became the first governor of Kansas to occupy Cedar Crest. In 1964, Anderson chose not to seek re- election, but instead, went back to his law practice in Olathe. He remained active in public service after leaving the governor's office, serving as an attorney for the Board of Healing Arts and the Kansas Turnpike Authority. In addition, he served as the director of the Citizens' Conference on State Legislatures from 1965 to 1972. Throughout his legal career, Anderson remained a farmer who spent many hours on a tractor on his family farmland in Johnson County. Anderson died September 15, 2014, in Olathe, at the age of 97.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

William M. Ferguson served as the 34th attorney general of the State of Kansas. Ferguson was born on December 2, 1917. Ferguson received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, and his LL.B from Harvard Law School in 1941. Ferguson served as a Navy officer in World War II from 1942 to 1945. He opened a law practice in Wellington after the war, and served as city attorney from 1948 to 1957. He was a rancher, cattleman and business owner. He owned and operated The Ferguson Ranch in Cowley and Elk counties which had been started by the Ferguson Family in the 1890s. Ferguson was elected to serve four terms in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1949 to 1956. While a legislator, he brought forth health and mental health reform legislation. In 1960 and 1962, he was elected to serve as attorney general. During his tenure, Ferguson established a juvenile department    and a consumer protection unit within the attorney general’s office. Ferguson practiced law throughout his career in Wellington. Ferguson died on June 5, 2005, in Wichita.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Robert C. Londerholm served two terms as the 35th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on July 5, 1931. Londerholm graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law. Londerholm served in the United States Air Force and retired as a colonel. He taught classes at the law schools at the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Londerholm served as director of the Kansas Corporation Commission and general counsel of the Kansas Department of Revenue. He was appointed to serve as an assistant attorney general. Londerholm was elected in 1964 and 1966 as attorney general. After leaving the attorney general's office, Londerholm returned to the private practice of law specializing in elder law and served as chairman of the Kansas Racing Commission. He died on December 18, 2015, in Redwood City, California.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Kent Frizzell was the 36th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on February 11, 1929. He grew up in the same Wichita neighborhood as Attorneys General Vern Miller and Robert Stephen. All three were boyhood friends. Frizzell earned an economics degree from Friends University and received his law degree from Washburn University. He then served four years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. After his military service, Frizzell commenced the practice of law in Wichita. He was elected to serve as a Kansas State Senator from 1965 to 1968. In 1968, Frizzell was elected attorney general of Kansas. After his tenure, Frizzell was appointed as the U. S. assistant attorney of the Land and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. During this assignment, he attained national prominence when he entered the barricaded and armed encampment at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, and negotiated with the Oglala Sioux an end to a lengthy and violent confrontation. Frizzell served as solicitor and undersecretary of the Department of the Interior. Upon completion of his federal government service, he taught energy law at the University of Tulsa School of Law and was director of the National Energy Law and Policy Institute at the school. He died on October 26, 2016, in Tulsa.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Vern Miller served as the 37th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born December 22, 1928, in Wichita, Kansas. He received a business degree from Friends University. Miller enlisted in the U. S. Army out of high school and served in Korea. He served as a law enforcement officer for 20 years with time as a Sedgwick County deputy sheriff, Sedgwick County marshal, and Sedgwick County sheriff from 1964 to 1969. As sheriff, he enforced the law in an aggressive hands-on manner by putting himself in the same dangers that patrol officers faced. During his tenure as sheriff, he graduated from Oklahoma City University Law School. Miller’s reputation as a strong advocate of law enforcement was instrumental in both his elections to attorney general. During his tenure as attorney general, Miller prioritized the enforcement of the drug, alcohol, and gambling laws in the state. At the end of his second term, Miller ran unsuccessfully for governor. He returned to Wichita to practice law. Miller served as Sedgwick County prosecuting attorney from 1976 to 1980. Miller continued his practice of law with emphasis as a criminal defense lawyer.  Miller died on June 11, 2021, in Mesa, Arizona.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Curt T. Schneider served as the 38th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born October 12, 1943, in Coffeyville, Kansas. Schneider completed his undergraduate work at Pittsburg State University and received his law degree from the University of Kansas. Schneider practiced law in Coffeyville. He was appointed an assistant attorney general under Attorney General Vern Miller. In 1974, when Miller announced his candidacy for Kansas governor, Schneider filed as the Democratic candidate for attorney general. Schneider was elected attorney general and served one term. Schneider returned to the private practice of law in Coffeyville after his service as attorney general.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Robert T. Stephan served four terms as the 39th attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on January 16, 1933, in Wichita. Stephan graduated in 1954 from the University of Kansas for his undergraduate studies, and Washburn University School of Law in 1957. After graduation, he practiced law in Wichita. He was appointed a municipal court judge, and served as a district court judge in Sedgwick County for 13 years. In 1979, he was elected Kansas attorney general and he served in that office for a longer period than any other attorney general when his term ended in 1995. Stephan emphasized victims’ rights during his tenure and was instrumental in passage of the 1992 Victims' Rights Amendment. This led to the establishment of the victims’ compensation fund, crime victims' board, and community grants. He was awarded the President’s Award from the national president of the National Association of Attorneys General. Stephan worked as a corporate legal consultant in Lenexa after his service as attorney general ended. Stephan died on January 3, 2023.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Carla Stovall served as the 40th attorney general of the State of Kansas. She is the first woman to serve as attorney general. Stovall was born March 18, 1957, in Hardtner, Kansas. She received her undergraduate degree from Pittsburg State University. Stovall earned her master of business administration and juris doctor from the University of Kansas. She served as Crawford County attorney. Stovall was appointed and served on the Kansas Parole Board. Stovall was elected to serve two terms as attorney general. During her term, Kansas entered the Master Settlement Agreement, a landmark multistate settlement with the tobacco industry that regulates the sale and advertisement of tobacco products. Stovall's office also successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court as to the constitutionality of the Kansas sexually violent predator act, reversing a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that had struck down the act. 

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Phillip D. Kline served as the 41st attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on December 31, 1959, in Kansas City, Kansas. Kline attended University of Central Missouri where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business communications. Kline attended University of Kansas School of Law, where he was associate editor for the Kansas Law Review. While still in law school, Kline ran for United States Congress in 1986, but was defeated by the incumbent. He has hosted numerous radio programs. Kline was elected to four terms in the Kansas House of Representatives and served from 1993 to 2000. He was elected attorney general in the fall of 2002 and served one term. Kline was then appointed Johnson County district attorney. Kline is currently an assistant professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Paul Morrison served as the 42nd attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born on June 1, 1954, in Dodge City. Morrison attended Washburn University and Washburn School of Law. Morrison served as Johnson County district attorney for 18 years until his election as attorney general in 2006. As district attorney he successfully prosecuted cases against serial killers Richard Grissom and John E. Robinson. Morrison served as attorney general until his resignation on January 31, 2008. During his brief tenure he focused efforts on cyber crime, victim services and and domestic violence. Following his time as attorney general, Morrison established a law firm in Olathe that primarily does criminal defense work.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Stephen N. Six served as the 43rd attorney general of the State of Kansas. He was born December 11, 1965, in Lawrence, Kansas. Six attended Carleton College and law school at the University of Kansas. After graduation, Six was a law clerk for a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Subsequently he practiced with a firm in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2005, Six was appointed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius to the Douglas County Circuit Court as a judge. Six was appointed the 43rd attorney general of Kansas by Sebelius to finish the term of Attorney General Paul J. Morrison. Six currently is a partner in a law firm based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Photo and biography courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

Derek L. Schmidt served three terms as the 44^th attorney general of the State of Kansas. From Independence, Kansas, he graduated from the University of Kansas, the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, Georgetown University Law Center, and the University of Kansas School of Law. He served in the Kansas Senate from 2001-2011, the last six years as majority leader. As attorney general, Schmidt prioritized investigating and prosecuting child abuse and elder abuse. The office collected record litigation recoveries of more than $1.5 billion during his administration, including obtaining $340 million in recoveries from judgments against companies that fueled addiction through their marketing of opioids. The office argued and won eight cases before the U.S. Supreme Court during his tenure including three Schmidt argued himself; helped the legislature and three governors bring the state’s school-funding system into compliance with the Kansas constitution; built the KBI Forensic Science Center on campus at Washburn University; and joined with other states to pioneer the role of state attorneys general in successfully challenging numerous federal regulatory actions. Schmidt served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General, and that organization named him the nation’s Outstanding Attorney General for 2019.