Kenneth McFarland

Infobox Celebrity
name = Dr. Kenneth McFarland.
birth_date = birth date|1906|10|12
birth_place = Caney, Kansas
death_date = death date and age|1985|03|6|1906|10|12|mf=y
death_place = Topeka, Kansas
occupation = Public Speaker Commentator Educator - Superintendent of Topeka Schools during Brown v. Board of Education
nationality = American
spouse = Margaret E. Thrall McFarland (m. 1927)
children = James W. McFarland, Chief Justice of Kansas, the Honorable Kay McFarland

Dr. Kenneth W. McFarland (October 12 1906 – March 6 1985)born in Caney, Kansas was a Superintendent of schools, a American Public Speaker author and conservative commentator. An early conservative, Kenneth McFarland moved from being the public school superintendent for Coffeyville, Kansas where he founded the McFarland Trade School and later the racially segregated Topeka school system, [ See OLIVER BROWN, MRS. RICHARD. LAWTON, MRS. SADIE EMMANUEL, ET AL., APPELLANTS, vs. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF TOPEKA, SHAWNEE.COUNTY, KANSAS, ET AL. at Supreme Court of the United States OUTOBER TERM, 1952 NO. 8 .http://clearinghouse.wustl.edu/chDocs/public/SD-KS-0001-0002.pdf < ef> the school system in landmark case, Brown vs. The Board of Education 347 U.S. 483 (1954), [cite web | url = http://laws.findlaw.com/us/347/483.html | title = Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) | publisher = FindLaw | accessdate = 2008-02-04] . McFarland was reportedly a stanch supporter of the political status quo of the time. [ cite web | url=http://brownvboard.org/video/blackwhitebrown |title = Black, White & Brown|accessdate=2008-04–06]

Education

Born in the small South Eastern Kansas town of Caney, Kenneth McFarland received a bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State College of Kansas in 1927. He received his Master’s degree at Columbia University in 1931 and a doctorate from Stanford University in 1940.

McFarland served as principal in Cherryvale, and then superintendent of schools in Coffeyville and Anthony, Kansas. He designed and built a trade school in Coffeyville, Kansas named in his honor, The McFarland Trade School (changed in 1965 to the Southeast Kansas Area Vocational-Technical School.)

Public Speaker

Since the 1950s McFarland was engaged as a public speaker and lecturer for the General Motors Corporation, and "Readers Digest". He received numerous awards from politically conservative civic and business-oriented organizations for his support of free enterprise and salesmanship.

Author

McFarland authored the speaking guide, “Eloquence in Public Speaking, How to Set Your Words on Fire” (1963). He also published over 26 addresses recorded live. His speeches consistently used humor, as well as engaging speaking techniques of alliteration (“Take me to your ladder lady, I’ll see your leader later”) and vocal techniques to make for remarkable speeches such as his, “Ropes of Gold,” “The Lamplighters,” “America’s Opportunity,” “Wake the Town and Tell the People,” “Selling America to Americans, “The Eagle Has Landed,” and “America’s Opportunity.”

Along with Frank Emerson Harris, he produced a series of booklets on the preservation of “basic Americanism,” regarded as an expression of modern political conservatism.

Recorded Speeches

* America's Opportunity (Bicentennial - 1976-1989)
* Are We Raising the Red Flag Over Ourselves?
* Guarding America Tonight
* Horse Sense
* How is America Doing?
* Ladder To Success
* Leadership that Leads
* Let's Sell Success
* Liberty Under Law
* Public Speaking - Part One
* Public Speaking - Part Two
* Ropes of Gold
* Salesman Power
* Selling America to Americans
* Speak Up For America!
* Sure-Fire Selling
* The Best of McFarland's Humor, Vol I
* The Best of McFarland's Humor, Vol II
* The Best of McFarland on Insurance
* The Best of McFarland for Salesmen
* The Lamplighters
* The PERSON in SalesPERSON
* Wake The Town and Tell the People
* Who Bites the Bountiful Hand
* Who Will Succeed...?
* You Better Believe It

Awards

According to his published obituary McFarland received many prestigious speaking awards:

*Freedom Foundation’s National Leadership Award and Free Enterprise Exemplar Medal

*American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award

*Honorary Member: America’s Number One Rotary Club, Chicago

*America’s Number One Air Passenger (for flying more than any other passenger on American Airlines)

*Sales and Marketing Executives International’s Outstanding Salesman of America

*Honorary Member, Fraternal Order of Police

*Optimist International’s Highest Honor: The International President’s Award

*Toastmaster International’s Golden Gavel Award for Excellence in Communications and Leadership

*Named Quote Magazine’s list of 10 Most Quotable Public Speakers

References

External links

* [http://clearinghouse.wustl.edu/chDocs/public/SD-KS-0001-0002.pdf Brown v. Board of Education testimony]
* [http://www.squaresail.com/mcfarlandspeaks.html Dr. Charles Jarvis’ McFarland Project Home page]

Persondata
NAME=McFarland, Kenneth W.
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Public Speaker and Superintendent of Schools involved in Brown v. Board of Education
DATE OF BIRTH= October 12, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH=Caney, Kansas
DATE OF DEATH=March 6, 1985
PLACE OF DEATH= Topeka, Kansas