Velma Lenore Carson attended Kansas State Agricultural College from 1915 to 1919, but did not receive her degree because she refused to take a kitchen gardening class required for women, opting instead for a music appreciation class. Even without her journalism degree, she had little trouble succeeding in her chosen field. Although her writing has been published in many major publications, she often received little or no credit for her work. Because she was a woman working in a predominately male occupation, her byline seldom appeared with her stories. She reported for many of the nation's leading newspapers and her articles and poetry have been published in such magazines as the New Yorker, Harper's, and Scribner's. She also assisted Margaret Sanger on her international committee for the promotion of planned parenthood. In 1982, Velma Carson received an honorary degree from Kansas State University.

Sources of information:

Donor file.
Oral history interview

The Velma L. Carson Collection (1924-1983) contains 14 manuscripts written by Velma Carson about her life experiences, 15 poems, and 9 articles appearing in magazines about various topics. Also included in the collection are letters about her honorary degree and gift of a John Fulton painting to the University.

43 pieces. Acc. No. P 84.10