Introduction

The papers of Arthur W. Hershberger (1908-1975) were donated to Kansas State University by Hershberger in 1975. Hershberger was a prominent Wichita attorney and member of the Kansas Board of Regents from 1951-1957.

The collection, containing approximately 300 items, is arranged in 15 folders and housed in one box. It is divided into seven series: 1) correspondence, 1928-1975; 2) legal documents, 1928-1965; 3) financial documents, 1909-1957; 4) speeches, minutes and reports, 1955-1971; 5) awards and certificates, 1908-1968; 6) literary productions, 1941; and 7) printed material, 1918-1972. A file of wills is restricted for privacy reasons and a group of photographs have been transferred to the photograph collection.

Items are arranged chronologically within each folder and they deal primarily with Hershberger's work as a Regent and as an attorney. The collection contains personal correspondence with other Regents and attorneys.

Related collections in the University Archives are the papers of William F Danenbarger and Harold R. Fatzer.

The collection was processed by Natalie Hazelton in 1984. It is designated as PC 73 in the University Archives, (revised number, PC 1988.09). It has been cataloged under MS 3.

Biographical Sketch

1897        Born in Greensburg, Kansas on October 9

1914        Graduated from Kiowa High School

1918        LL.B. from the University of Kansas

1918        Admitted to the Kansas Bar

1919        Married Nadyne Myers

1919-1924   Kiowa County Attorney

1924-1937   Practiced law in Wichita with Slick, Pryor and Lockhart

1937        Formed partnership with J.B. Patterson and Enos E. Hook

1951        Member of the Kansas Board Of Regents

1954        Chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents

1957        Chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents

1976        Died

Scope and Content Note

Arthur W. Hershberger was a prominent Wichita attorney and member of the Kansas Board of Regents from 1951-1957. The Hershberger papers (1909-1975) pertain to his legal activities and his work as a Regent. The papers are organized in 15 folders and housed in one box. The papers were donated to Kansas State University by Hershberger in 1975.

The collection is arranged in seven series according to form of material. These series are correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, speeches, minutes and reports, awards and certificates, literary productions, and printed material. The material is arranged chronologically within each series. A file of wills is restricted for privacy reasons and a group of photographs have been transferred to the photograph collection.

Most of the correspondence deals with personal and business matters among the Board of Regents. The correspondence for the years 1951-1957 provides information about a number of issues including academic freedom, freedom of speech and press for university newspapers, and expansion of university facilities.

Notable correspondents in the series include Governor George Docking, publicist Oscar Stauffer, Kansas Supreme Court Justice Harold R. Fatzer, Kansas Attorney General William Ferguson and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

The legal series contains drafts of oil and gas leases and contracts, while the financial series contains an early bank book and income tax return. The speeches, minutes and reports series contains mostly commencement, reunion and bar association speeches. Awards and certificates given to Hershberger for admission to the Kansas Bar Association, Kansas Board of Regents, 50 years of participation in the Kansas Bar Association, and 50 years of participation in the Kappa Sigma fraternity are included in the awards and certificates series. The literary production series contains poetry and quotations. The authors are not included but it appears that some of the material may have been written by Hershberger.

The printed material series contains newspaper clippings of judgeship nominations, legal partnership notices, university and Regent business, and hospital donations. An ephemera folder is included in the printed material series.

Container list

Box  Folder

             Correspondence
1      01       1928, 1934, 1942, 1949, 1952
       02       1954-1955
       03       1956-1957
       04       1958-1959
       05       1960-1965
       06       1966-1970
       07       1971-1972, 1974-1975
             Legal Documents
       08       1928, 1930, 1946, 1962, 1965
             Financial Documents
       09       1909, 1929, 1954-1956
             Speeches, Minutes and Reports
       10       1953, 1955, 1957-1958, 1961, 1965, 1971
             Awards and Certificates
       11       1908, 1912, 1918, 1942, 1953, 1968
             Literary Productions
       12       1941
             Printed Material
                Magazine Articles
       13          1932, 1942, 1952, 1958, 1966
                Newspaper Clippings
       14          1924, 1937, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1964, 1970
                Programs
       15          1918, 1926, 1941-1943, 1951, 1963, 1972
                Ephemera
       16          no date