America for Americans
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
This pamphlet published by the Ku Klux Klan lists the reasons for joining the Klan and contains The Ku Klux Kreed. In 1924, prominent Emporia newspaper publisher William Allen White entered the Kansas gubernatorial race to campaign against the Ku Klux Klan's growing influence in the state and the nation after World War I. White lost but helped reelect anti-Klan Republican Charles B. Griffith as Kansas attorney general. In office, Griffith acted as plaintiff in the Kansas Supreme Court case, State of Kansas vs. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. As a result, the state denied the Klan a charter to legally operate, which led to the Klan's decline in Kansas by 1926.

Can't stop the Ku Klux Klan
Creator: Emporia Gazette
Date: July 25, 1921
A newspaper article published in the Emporia Gazette reporting that Governor Allen says there is no law against joining the Ku Klux Klan.

Corporation Charter Files for Minute Men and Minute Women of America
Date: 1860-1929
These packets contain correspondences between the State of Kansas' Office of the Secretary of State and the State of Colorado's Minute Men of America and the Minute Women of America for corporation charters into the State of Kansas.

James Malone clippings
Date: 1922-1924
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. Factual accounts of these situations are given in the newspaper clippings. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone clippings, undated
Date: Between 1922 and 1926
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. Factual accounts of these situations are given in the newspaper clippings. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1922
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: 1922
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1923
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: July 01, 1923-September 30, 1923
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1923
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: October 01, 1923-December 31, 1923
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1923
Date: January 01, 1923-March 31, 1923
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1923
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: April 01, 1923-June 30, 1923
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1924
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: 1924
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1925
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: 1925
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, 1926
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: 1926
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

James Malone correspondence, undated
Creator: Malone, James, 1874-1963
Date: Bulk 1922-1926
This series consists of letters written and received by James Malone. The main correspondents were Luke Hart and William J. McGinley, who were, respectively, the supreme advocate and supreme secretary of the national organization of the Knights of Columbus. Malone would write for advice on how to deal with certain events in Kansas that were supposedly either conceived or sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan. Also, in the series are letters, by these same people, reacting to anti-Ku Klux Klan speeches given by Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen and his attempts to block the organization from receiving a state charter. The response to this was generally favorable among the letter writers. James Malone was born on November 22, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska. His family were among the first homesteaders in Rawlins County, Kansas. In 1906 Malone was elected as a state representative from Rawlins County. He served until 1911, at which time he was elected to the state Senate, where he remained until 1921. In the 1913 session he was the first Democrat in the history of Kansas to serve as majority floor leader. For over forty years he was a member of the Kansas State Historical Society's Board of Directors and the state deputy of the Kansas Knights of Columbus. Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler, in 1954, bestowed upon him the title of Knight of St. Gregory, which is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to a layman. He retired that same year and returned to live on his farm in Rawlins County. James Malone died on November 3, 1963, at the age of eighty-eight.

Klan cross on main street
Creator: Topeka Daily Capital
Date: September 23, 1924
An article in the Topeka Daily Capital reporting that a Klan cross was placed on main street in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, following a speech by William Allen White.

Ku Klux Klan
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
This photograph shows members of the De Soto Ku Klux Klan No. 76 inside a chartered U.S Stage Lines bus decorated with Klan flags and banners.

Ku Klux Klan
Date: 1924
Topeka Ku Klux Klan members posed by an automobile at a rally in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Ku Klux Klan bill
Creator: Johnson, Douglas
Date: 1925
Kansas state senator Douglas Johnson introduced Senate Bill No. 269 which was known as the Ku Klux Klan bill. By amending sections 17-501 and 17-503 of a 1923 revised Kansas statute, the bill would have allowed any foreign, charitable, or religious group to operate in Kansas without a state charter. Many Kansans opposed the bill on the grounds that it would have made it easier for the KKK to operate in the state. Governor Paulen opposed the bill and the house defeated its passing with 57 yes and 65 no. During the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan grew in numbers nationwide and enjoyed immense popularity.

Ku Klux Klan ceremony
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
Members of the Ku Klux Klan carrying a flag at a gathering.

Ku Klux Klan cross burning
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
Members of the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross

Ku Klux Klan enters Kansas
Creator: Emporia Gazette
Date: July 23, 1921
These newspaper articles were published in the Emporia Gazette. It is about a warning from Governor Allen concerning violations of the law by the Ku Klux Klan.

Ku Klux Klan float, Kaffir Corn Carnival parade, El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas
Date: 1924
This photograph shows the Ku Klux Klan float for the Kaffir Corn Carnival Parade in El Dorado, pulled by two horses in white hoods and shrouds.

Ku Klux Klan float, Kaffir Corn Carnival parade, El Dorado, Kansas
Date: 1920
This photograph shows several Ku Klux Klan members in white robes and peaked hats posing with their float for the Kaffir Corn Carnival Parade in El Dorado. This publication was funded in part by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Ku Klux Klan Leavenworth, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
This photograph shows members of the Ku Klux Klan leaving a funeral at the Mount Muncie cemetery in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Ku Klux Klan, Leavenworth, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
This photograph shows a Ku Klux Klan funeral at the Baptist Church located on the southwest corner of Sixth and Seneca Streets, in Leavenworth, Kansas.