KU News Release

KU professor creates official state ornament for White House Christmas tree

LAWRENCE — The official Kansas ornament on the White House Christmas tree this year was designed by Greg Thomas, professor and chair of the design department at the University of Kansas.

Thomas, who also designed the state’s new pink Driven to Cure license plates that benefit the KU Cancer Center, was chosen by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., to design the state’s decoration.

The ornament, a 13-inch sphere, was designed to be viewable from either above or below because placement on the tree, a 20-foot Fraser fir grown in North Carolina, was not known in advance. The tree is displayed in the White House’s Blue Room and decorated with ornaments made by artists from across the United States.

The top of the ornament showcases a dynamic blue Kansas sky; the bottom features the beloved Kansas sunflower. At the equator, a white ribbon is accented by seven photographic icons of the state’s top industries, including agriculture, aerospace, biosciences and education.

Thomas attended the Holiday Open House on Dec. 2 at the White House.

The National Christmas Tree Association has presented the official White House tree since 1966.

For more information, visit www.christmastree.org.

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