A father-daughter duo of Kansas elected officials are the latest additions to the Walk of Honor on the Statehouse grounds in Topeka. Former Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum and her father, former Kansas Governor Alf Landon, are being commemorated with bronze plaques outside the Capitol.
Kassebaum says her father initially urged her to participate in the political process. At an event Friday, she urged members of the public to get involved in civic causes.
“I think it’s our role, great or small, gray hair or young, it’s to participate. It’s that that gives us a sense of joy and interest and keeps us young,” says Kassebaum.
Kassebaum was the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate without her husband first serving in Congress. She served three terms and retired from the chamber in 1997. Her father, Alf Landon, was the Republican nominee for president in 1936.