Jones Grant

HISTORICAL SOCIETY AWARDED GRANT FROM JONES TRUST FOR WILLIAM ALLEN
WHITE HOUSE STATE HISTORIC SITE
______________________________________

TOPEKA, KS—The Kansas Historical Society announced it has been awarded a
$100,000 grant from the W.S. & E.C. Jones Trust, Bank of America,
Trustee, to be used at the William Allen White House State Historic Site
in Emporia. The grant will be paid in five annual $20,000 installments.

The Historical Society will use the funds to expand the site’s audience
base through school. Historical Society Executive Director Jennie Chinn
said, “We have a vision of sharing the story of William Allen White and
his legacy with Kansas students. This generous gift from the Jones Trust
helps us make that vision a reality.”

The Historical Society operates the site in cooperation with the
non-profit William Allen White Community Partnership. WAWCP President
Tom Eblen echoed Chinn’s excitement by saying, “This generous gift
ensures that future generations of Kansans will continue to discover and
appreciate the impact William Allen White had on Kansas and American
history.”

Walter and Evan Jones were raised on a farm near Lebo in Coffey County.
They formed a partnership, Jones, and Jones, which grew to three when
Walter married Olive Taylor in 1911. Walter managed the buying and
selling of cattle, Evan supervised the cowhands oversaw the ranch, and
Olive kept the books. Walter died in 1953, and Evan followed a few
months later. Olive died in 1957. The brothers’ wills provided that
their estate be left in a trust, the income from which would be used for
providing medical assistance for needy children in Lyon, Coffey, and
Osage counties. Education benefits were added in 1961 and in 1974, the
W.S. and E.C. Jones Foundation was established to manage the
administration of grant requests for medical and educational programs.

The William Allen White House State Historic Site is a National Historic
Landmark and is one of 16 state historic sites operated by the Kansas
Historical Society. The home is open for tours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday
– Saturday and 1 – 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for
seniors and groups of 10 or more, $2 for students; and free for KSHS,
Inc. members, active military, and children five and under.
Additional contributions to the Kansas Historical Society can be made
through the Kansas State Historical Society, Inc., the non-profit
organization which supports the Historical Society through fundraising
and retail operations. The Kansas Historical Society, organized in 1875,
was established at the outset as a public-private collaboration.

The Kansas Historical Society does not discriminate on the basis of
disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs. The
Historical Society requests prior notification to accommodate
individuals with special needs or disabilities.

—
Teresa Jenkins
Public Information Officer
Kansas Historical Society
6425 SW Sixth Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615-1099
785.272.8681 ext. 263

Real People. Real Stories.