Topeka, Kan. - The Washburn University Center for Kansas Studies (the Center) will honor Kansas Day 2026 with the annual Kansas Day Lecture 7 - 8 p.m. Jan. 29 in the Plass Learning Resources Center, Room 120, on the Washburn campus. This year the Center invites the public to an evening with author and journalist Max McCoy. He will present "A Promise of Stars: The Difficulty of Being Kansan," which will offer his perspective on what it means to be a Kansan today based on his experiences throughout the state.

• When: 7 - 8 p.m. Jan. 29, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Plass Learning Resources Center, Room 120 (lower floor), on the Washburn campus
• Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, hot chocolate or tea and Kansas Day cake in recognition of the 165^th anniversary of statehood

McCoy once declared, "let my obituary simply say that I was a Kansan. It was enough." He has stated that while there is much to be proud of in the Sunflower State, we have yet to fulfill the promise of our founding. Too many feel like outsiders in their home state. To be a Kansan today means celebrating our heritage while acknowledging the sometimes uncomfortable past to strive, through difficulties, for a better future.

His nonfiction book, "Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River," won the National Outdoor Book Award and was named a Kansas Notable Book. His forthcoming book, from the University Press of Kansas, is titled "God's Misfits: A True Story of Blood and Reckoning on the High Plains." He has written more than 20 novels and is a Sunday columnist for the Kansas Reflector.

The Washburn University Ichabod shop will be at the event with copies of "Elevations" for purchase.

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For further information, contact:
Joy Bailes
Director of Internal Communications & Brand Management
Office: 785-670-2153
Cell: 785-230-1648
Email: [email protected]