KU News Release

10th annual Wheat State Whirlwind Tour to breeze through 1,200 miles of Kansas

LAWRENCE — The 10th annual Wheat State Whirlwind Tour will take University of Kansas faculty and staff on a five-day, 1,200-mile trek through the heart of Kansas. The tour takes place May 21-25.

The tour, started in 1997 by Chancellor Robert Hemenway, is a way for faculty and staff, many new to Kansas, to experience the state and learn more about its history, economy and landscape. This year, nearly 50 participants will visit 26 communities in 25 counties throughout the wheat state.

“The tour is an outstanding opportunity for the faculty and staff of KU to experience firsthand the many treasures this great state has to offer,” Hemenway said. “Participants learn more about Kansas’ storied history and its beautiful landscapes and gain an understanding of where their students come from. At the same time, it is a chance for Kansas residents to meet some of the new faces at KU.”

Highlights of this year’s tour include stops at the Brown vs. Board of Education historical site in Topeka, the historic African-American pioneer community of Nicodemus, a wind farm in Montezuma and the Gypsum Hills in south-central Kansas. Popular attractions from previous years will also be part of this year’s tour, including roaming with buffalo at the Duff Ranch in Logan County and a visit to the Palco wheat farm of Don Steeples, vice provost for scholarly support and the McGee Distinguished Professor of Geophysics.

There will also be a few new ventures in this 10th edition of the tour, including lunch at Our Daily Bread Shop in Barnes and a tour of the brand new Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson.

Alumni dinners will be held in Concordia on May 21 and Colby on May 22. Hemenway will join the tour in Colby on May 22 and return to Lawrence from Dodge City on May 23.

Participants this year include professors, deans and staff members from the Lawrence campus and the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.

Margey Frederick, director of special events and visitor services, said the Wheat State Whirlwind Tour provides participants a chance to see the state and to visit the communities that are home to many of KU’s students.

“Not only do those on the tour get to see Kansas and all its natural beauty, but they get a chance to discuss timely, important issues with local residents, many of whom are KU alumni and supporters who count on the university to provide their sons and daughters with an education that will prepare them for careers in Kansas and in our global economy,” Frederick said.

Tour stops:

Monday, May 21: Topeka, Wamego, Barnes, Marysville and Concordia.
Tuesday, May 22: Lake Wilson, Lucas, Palco, Nicodemus and Colby.
Wednesday, May 23: Oakley, Scott City, Cimarron, Montezuma and Dodge City.
Thursday, May 24: Mullinville, Medicine Lodge, Arlington, Inman and Hutchinson.
Friday, May 25: Yoder, Lyon County, Cottonwood Falls and Council Grove.

To view daily itineraries, maps of this year’s route and photos of past tours, visit the Wheat State Whirlwind Tour Web site.

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