Friday Jan. 28, Washburn will host former Kansas Governor John Carlin as he presents “Kansas at 150: What Looking at the Past Can Tell Us About Moving Forward”

On Jan. 29, 1861 Kansas was admitted as the 34th state of the Union and 2011 marks its 150th birthday. The celebration of this event at Washburn University’s Center for Kansas Studies welcomes Carlin to speak about Kansas and how its 150 year history can influence the future as part of the center’s annual Kansas Day event.

“Every year the fellows [members] of the Center for Kansas Studies, suggest names of people to give our annual Kansas Day presentation” said Tom Schmiedeler, assistant professor of geography at Washburn and fellow of the Center for Kansas Studies. “Former governor Carlin’s name was suggested and he received the most votes.”

Carlin, now executive-in-residence at Kansas State University in the political science department was elected as the 40th and youngest 20th century Kansas governor in 1979 as recorded by the Kansas Historical Society.

“He is a good choice because he is a former governor and knows the state well” said Schmiedeler.

Carlin also served as an archivist of the United States for the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. from 1995 to 2005.

Introducing Carlin for the presentation will be Bob Beatty, a professor of political science at Washburn and Fellow of the Center for Kansas Studies, whose particular focuses include Kansas governors and Kansas elections. Beatty even produced a documentary entitled “The Kansas Governor.”

The Presentation will begin at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in room 208 of the Henderson Learning Resources Center and admission is free to the pubilc.