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Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame

The Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB) was formed on May 20, 1951, to support broadcasters in the state so that they might better represent the public. In 1969 the organization established the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) to honor an individual for exemplary service to the community, state, and broadcast industry.  All DSAs prior to 2000 were automatically inducted into the KAB Hall of Fame when it was started that year. Each year after that one of the hall of fame inductees was also given the Distinguished Service Award, and they are noted with * next to their names.

George Gow Bob Wells Grover C. Cobb
1969 - George Gow
Topeka
1970 - Bob Wells
Garden City
1971 - Grover C. Cobb
Great Bend
Bob Schmidt Olaf Soward Alfred Landon
1972 - Bob Schmidt
Hays
1973 - Olaf Soward
Topeka
1974 - Alfred M.Landon
Topeka
Thad Sandstrom Arden Booth Fred L. Conger
1975 - Thad Sandstrom
Topeka
1976 - Arden Booth
Lawrence
1977 - Fred L. Conger
Hutchinson
Robert L. Pratt Sharwood R. Parks Martin Umansky
1978 - Robert L. Pratt
Coffeyville
1979 - Sherwood R. Parks
Salina
1980 - Martin Umansky
Wichita
Kay Melia Ed Mason Tony Jewell
1981 - Kay Melia
Goodland
1982 - Ed Mason
Colby
1983 - Tony Jewell
Garden City
Dale McCoy, Jr. Bob Hilgendorf Lowell Jack
1984 - Dale W. McCoy, Jr.
Chanute
1985 - Bob Hilgendorf
Great Bend
1986 - Lowell Jack
Manhattan
Jerry Holley Bob Fromme Ed Hundley
1987 - Jerry Holley
Topeka
1988 - Bob Fromme
Kansas City
1989 - Ed Hundley
Wellington
Hank Booth John Mileham Bill Bengtson
1990 - Hank Booth
Lawrence
1991 - John Mileham
Wichita
1992 - Bill Bengtson
Pittsburg
H. Pat Powers Mike Oatman Mike Lynch
1993 - H. Pat Powers
Topeka
1994 - Mike Oatman
Wichita
1994 - Mike Lynch
Wichita
Lynn Higbee Stu Melchert George Logan
1995 - Lynn Higbee
Topeka
1996 - Stu Melchert
Liberal
1997 - George Logan
Topeka
Bill Miller Merle Blair Max Falkenstien
1998 - Bill Miller
Coffeyville
1999 - Merle Blair
Topeka
2000 - Max Falkenstien
Lawrence
Harold Ensley Tom Hedrick Ken Jennison
2001 - Harold Ensley
Overland Park
2001 - Tom Hedrick
Lawrence
2001 - Ken Jennison *
Salina
Tom Leahy Dev Nelson Jack Sampson
2001 - Tom Leahy
Wichita
2001 - Dev Nelson
(posthumous) Manhattan
2002 - Jack Sampson *
Hutchinson
Frances and Wendell Elliott Tom Bashaw Bill Kurtis
2002 - Frances and Wendell
Elliott (posthumous)
Dodge City
2003 - Tom Bashaw
(posthumous) Wichita
2003 - Bill Kurtis
Chicago
Harriet Lange Ed O'Donnell Len Dawson
2003 - Harriet Lange
Topeka
2003 - Ed O’Donnell *
Topeka
2004 - Len Dawson
Kansas City
Joe Engel Elmer Gunderson Denny Matthews
2004 - Joe Engel *
Hays
2004 - Elmer Gunderson
Topeka
2004 - Denny Matthews
Kansas City
Fred White Roderick Cupp Dan Dillon
2004 - Fred White
Kansas City
2005 - Roderick Cupp
(posthumous) Ottawa
2005 - Dan Dillon
Wichita
Larry Hatteberg Mike Kennedy Richard Wartell
2005 - Larry Hatteberg
Wichita
2005 - Mike Kennedy
Wichita
2005 - Richard Wartell *
Manhattan
Bob Davis Noel Heckerson Jim Hollis
2006 - Bob Davis
Lawrence
2006 - Noel Heckerson
Kansas City
2006 - Jim Hollis
Topeka
Harriet Lange Michael Cooper Roger Cornish
2006 - Harriet Lange *
Topeka
2007 - Michael Cooper
Hays
2007 - Roger Cornish
Wichita
Ed McKernan, Jr. Cliff Shank Robert Hilton
2007 - Ed McKernan, Jr.
(posthumous) Emporia
2007 - Cliff Shank *
Hutchinson
2008 - Robert Hilton *
Hiawatha
Mitch Holthus Steve McIntosh Jim O'Donnell
2008 - Mitch Holthus
Kansas City
2008 - Steve McIntosh
Wichita
2008 - Jim O’Donnell
(posthumous) Wichita
Merril Teller Greg Gamer Jack Hartle
2008 - Merril Teller
Wichita
2009 - Greg Gamer
Wichita
2009 - Jack Hartle
Great Bend
Gary Shorman Tad Felts Charles Frodsham
2009 - Gary Shorman *
Hays
2010 - Tad Felts
Phillipsburg
2010 - Charles Frodsham *
Beloit
Henry Harvey John Froome Wayne Godsey
2010 - Henry Harvey
(posthumous) Wichita
2011 - John Froome
(posthumous) Wichita
2011 - Wayne Godsey *
Kansas City
James Seaver Gary Bender Marty Melia
2011 - James Seaver
(posthumous) Lawrence
2012 - Gary Bender
Kansas City
2012 - Marty Melia *
Goodland
Bob Newton Mark Vail Jerry Hinrikus
2013 - Bob Newton *
Lawrence
2013 - Mark Vail
Kansas City
2014 - Jerry Hinrikus*
Salina
Mike Kennedy Law Herb Hoeflicker Monte Miller
2014 - Mike Kennedy Law
Kansas City
2015 - Herb Hoeflicker
Marysville
2015 - Monte Miller *
Manhattan
Dave Freeman Kelly Lenz Steve Physioc
2016 - Dave Freeman *
Wichita
2016 - Kelly Lenz
Topeka
2016 - Steve Physioc
Kansas City
Marlena Adkison Sam Elliott Bill Rowson
2017 - Marlena Adkison
Topeka
2017 - Sam Elliott *
(posthumous) Lawrence
2017 - Bill "Ray" Rowson
Salina
     
     

Entry: Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: July 2016

Date Modified: November 2017

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.