From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Wichita |
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Flag |
Seal |
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| Nickname(s): The Air Capital Of The World |
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Location in the state of Kansas |
Coordinates:  37°41′20″N 97°20′10″W / 37.68889, -97.33611 |
| Country |
United States |
| State |
Kansas |
| County |
Sedgwick |
| Government |
| - Mayor |
Carl Brewer (D) |
| Area |
| - Total |
138.9 sq mi (359.8 km²) |
| - Land |
135.8 sq mi (351.6 km²) |
| - Water |
3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²) |
| Elevation |
1,299 ft (396 m) |
| Population (2006) |
| - Total |
357,698 |
| Time zone |
Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) |
CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP Codes |
67201-67221, 67223, 67226-67228, 67230, 67232, 67235, 67260, 67275-67278 |
| Area code(s) |
316 |
| FIPS code |
20-79000[1] |
| GNIS feature ID |
0473862[2] |
| Website: www.wichita.gov |
Wichita (pronounced /ˈwɪtʃɪtaː/), also known as the Air Capital of the World, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, as well as a major aircraft
manufacturing hub and cultural center. In July of 2006, CNN/Money and
Money magazine ranked Wichita ninth on its list of the 10 best big
cities to live in the United States. The city is home to six major
aircraft manufacturing companies and McConnell Air Force Base. Wichita is located in South Central Kansas on the Arkansas River, and is the county seat of Sedgwick County. It is also the home of a National Weather Service Forecast Office which serves portions of central, south-central, and southeast Kansas.
The city's population was 344,284 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated to be 357,698 in the year 2006,[3] making it the 50th largest city in the United States. The Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which encompasses Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Sumner
counties, has a 2007 estimated population of 596,452 persons residing
in 245,159 households, making it the 84th largest MSA in the United
States. The Wichita-Winfield Combined Statistical Area also includes Cowley County
and has an estimated population of 630,703. Nearby Reno County is not a
part of the Wichita MSA or CSA, but the Census reported a population
estimate of 63,832 in Reno County in 2003.
Geography
Wichita is located at 37°41′20″N, 97°20′10″W (37.688848, -97.336226).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 138.9 square miles (360 km²) and 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²), or 2.29%, is water.[1]
Climate
Wichita has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa)
with hot, humid summers and cool to cold, dry winters. Over the course
of a year, temperatures range from an average low of about 20°F (-8°C)
in January to an average high of nearly 93°F (34°C) in July. The
maximum temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) an average of 64 days per year
and reaches 100°F (38°C) an average of 14 days per year. The minimum
temperature falls below 32°F (0°C) an average of 108 days per year.
Typically the first fall freeze occurs between the second week of
October and mid-November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the
end of March and the final week of April.
The area receives over 30 inches (760 mm) of precipitation during an
average year with the largest share being received in May and June—with
a combined 21 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year
the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 22 to 40 inches
(560 to 1,020 mm). There are on average 88 days of measurable
precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages almost 17 inches (44
cm), but the median is less than 8 inches (25 cm). Measurable snowfall
occurs an average of 11 days per year with at least an inch of snow
being received on five of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch
occurs an average of 18 days per year.
The area is vulnerable to severe weather, with often violent thunderstorms occurring mainly during the spring and summer months of March-June. These occasionally bring large hail as well as frequent lightning. Sometimes tornadoes occur. The outskirts of Wichita were affected during the Andover, Kansas Tornado Outbreak on April 26, 1991, which spawned an F5 tornado—the most violent of its kind. During the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, on May 3, 1999, an F4 tornado hit the town of Haysville, tracking then north and hitting the southwest edge of Wichita.
Source: Monthly Station Climate Summaries, 1971-2000, U.S. National Climatic Data Center
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Temperatures (°F) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mean high |
40.1 |
47.2 |
57.3 |
66.9 |
76.0 |
87.1 |
92.9 |
91.6 |
82.2 |
70.2 |
54.5 |
43.1 |
67.4 |
| Mean low |
20.3 |
25.3 |
34.4 |
43.7 |
54.0 |
63.9 |
69.1 |
67.9 |
59.3 |
46.9 |
33.9 |
24.0 |
45.2 |
| Highest recorded |
75
(1967) |
87
(1996) |
89
(1989) |
96
(1972) |
100
(1996) |
110
(1980) |
113
(1954) |
110
(1984) |
108
(2000) |
95
(1979) |
85
(1980) |
83
(1955) |
113
(1954) |
| Lowest recorded |
−21
(1982) |
−21
(1982) |
−2
(1960) |
15
(1975) |
31
(1976) |
43
(1969) |
51
(1975) |
48
(1967) |
31
(1984) |
18
(1993) |
1
(1975) |
−16
(1989) |
−21
(1982) |
| Precipitation (inches) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Median |
0.63 |
0.62 |
2.13 |
2.32 |
3.25 |
3.72 |
3.76 |
2.16 |
2.09 |
1.95 |
1.81 |
1.01 |
29.62 |
| Mean number of days |
5.4 |
5.4 |
8.1 |
8.5 |
11.2 |
9.7 |
7.2 |
7.6 |
7.2 |
6.4 |
5.8 |
5.7 |
88.2 |
| Highest monthly |
2.73
(1973) |
3.33
(1987) |
9.17
(1973) |
6.02
(1999) |
9.62
(1993) |
8.90
(1995) |
6.65
(1971) |
7.69
(1987) |
10.69
(1999) |
9.42
(1998) |
4.91
(1992) |
4.71
(1984) |
|
| Snowfall (inches) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Median |
2.8 |
2.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
2.2 |
7.7 |
| Mean number of days |
3.6 |
2.5 |
1.1 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.8 |
2.7 |
11.0 |
| Highest monthly |
19.7
(1987) |
16.7
(1971) |
13.6
(1998) |
4.6
(1979) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.5
(1991) |
7.1
(1972) |
13.8
(1983) |
|
| Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches; median values are provided for precipitation and snowfall because mean
averages may be misleading. Mean and median values are for the 30-year
period 1971–2000; temperature extremes are for the station's period of
record (1954–2001). The station is located at Wichita Mid-Continent
Airport at 37°39′N 97°26′W, elevation 1,321 feet (401 m). |
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1880 |
4,911 |
|
—
|
| 1890 |
23,853 |
|
385.7% |
| 1900 |
24,671 |
|
3.4% |
| 1910 |
52,450 |
|
112.6% |
| 1920 |
72,217 |
|
37.7% |
| 1930 |
111,110 |
|
53.9% |
| 1940 |
114,966 |
|
3.5% |
| 1950 |
168,279 |
|
46.4% |
| 1960 |
254,698 |
|
51.4% |
| 1970 |
276,554 |
|
8.6% |
| 1980 |
279,272 |
|
1% |
| 1990 |
304,011 |
|
8.9% |
| 2000 |
344,284 |
|
13.2% |
Wichita's population was estimated to be 357,698 in the year 2006, an increase of 6188, or +1.8%, over the previous six years.[3] In 2007 the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 596,492.
Census of 2000
As of the U.S. Census in 2000,[1] there were 344,284 people, 139,087 households, and 87,763 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,536.1/sq mi (979.2/km²). There were 152,119 housing units at an average density of 1,120.6/sq mi (432.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.20% White, 15.62% Black or African American, 3.96% Asian, 1.16% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.62% of the population.
There were 139,087 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband
present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made
up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of
age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average
family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age
of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64,
and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33
years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100
females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household
in the city was $39,939, and the median income for a family was
$49,247. Males had a median income of $36,457 versus $25,844 for
females. The per capita income for the city was $20,647. About 8.4% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Largest Employers
Largest Employers in Greater Wichita
| Company |
Industry |
Fulltime Employees |
| Cessna Aircraft Company |
Aircraft |
11,300 |
| Spirit AeroSystems |
Aircraft Parts |
10,900 |
| Hawker Beechcraft |
Aircraft |
6,767 |
Historical trends
The City of Wichita's logo.
Following the incorporation of the city in 1870 rapid immigration
resulted in a land boom involving speculation into the late 1880s.
Wichita had become the third largest city in the state (behind Kansas City and Topeka)
with a population of nearly 24,000 in 1890. After the boom the city
suffered from 15 years of comparative depression and slow growth.
The early 20th century saw a resurgence in growth from the nascent
aircraft industry (see below) with the population increasing by 350%
between 1900 and 1930. By 1920 Wichita had entered the top 100 largest
cities in the United States and by 1930 reached 77th in rank. The
depression of the 1930s again brought slow growth with total population
only increasing by 3% between 1930 and 1940. The decades during and
after World War II
saw a growth spurt as the city's population increased by more than 120%
between 1940 and 1960. Wichita had become the largest city in the state
by 1950 and the 51st largest city in the country by 1960.
The period between 1950 and 1970 saw a major shift in the city's
racial makeup, as the proportion of blacks in the population increased
significantly. Until 1950, blacks had made up about 5% of the
population, with little variation. The black population increased from
8,082 (4.8%) in 1950 to 26,841 (9.7%) in 1970, a 230% increase. This
also marked the beginning of the decline of the white majority. Even as
the white population has increased from 160,000 in 1950 to about
260,000 in 2000, the percentage of the population has dropped from 95%
to 75%.
During the 1970s, the city's population only grew by 1%, but the
growth rate accelerated in the following two decades to more than 13%
in the 1990s. The growth in minority races is still strong. The black
population has grown by a more modest 14% per decade, but the
proportion of the other races, including indigenous American and
immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Rim, has risen from just 1% to
over 10% of the population.
Transportation
Most residents of Wichita travel around the region by car. The Kansas Turnpike (Interstate 35), Interstates 135 and 235, U.S. Route 54/400, and K-96 run through and near the city. Currently the idea of a Northwest Corridor is under discussion, to run from K-96 south from Maize to US-54/400.
The Wichita Transit Authority operates 51 buses on 18 fixed bus routes within the city.[5]
The nearest Amtrak station is in Newton (20 miles/32 km to the north), offering service on the Southwest Chief route between Los Angeles and Chicago. However, the Kansas Department of Transportation recently requested Amtrak study route options between Oklahoma City and Newton or Kansas City, Missouri. [6]
Wichita is home to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, the largest airport in the state of Kansas (the larger Kansas City International Airport is in Missouri).
Flights from Wichita's airport travel to many U.S. airport hubs via 9
commercial carriers. Mid-Continent is currently experiencing a period
of growth, and served a record 1.6 million passengers in 2007.
Colonel James Jabara Airport is a general aviation facility located on the city's northeast side.
Cityscape
Wichita has several recognized areas and neighborhoods. The downtown area is generally considered to be east of the Arkansas River,
west of Washington Street, north of Kellogg and south of 13th Street.
The downtown area contains landmarks such as Century II, the Garvey
Center, and the Epic Center. Old Town
is also part of downtown; this 2-3 square mile area is home to a
cluster of night clubs, bars, restaurants, a movie theater, shops, and
apartments and condominiums, many of which make use of historical
warehouse-type spaces.
The two most notable residential areas of Wichita are Riverside and
College Hill. Riverside is northwest of the downtown area, across the
Arkansas River, and surrounds the 120-acre (0.49 km²) Riverside Park.[7]
College Hill is east of the downtown area, south of Wichita State
University. College Hill is one of the more historic neighborhoods,
along with Delano on the west side and Midtown in the north-central
city. [8]
The town of Eastborough, Kansas is east of College Hill, entirely engulfed by the city of Wichita.
Wichita is also home to two major shopping malls: Towne East Square and Towne West Square, each on the opposite end of town, and each managed by Simon Property Group. Each mall is home to five anchor stores, and more than 100 tenants apiece. The oldest mall, Wichita Mall, is largely a dead mall.
Culture
The City of Wichita is home to Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, which boasts 24 themed gardens including the popular Butterfly Garden and the award-winning Sally Stone Sensory Garden. Sedgwick County Extension Arboretum is also located in the city.
The first complete recording made by jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker occurred in 1940 at the Trocadero Ballroom in Wichita. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Wichita had a significant Beat movement.[9] The Wichita Jazz Festival remains a significant annual event on the national jazz calendar.
Wichita is also home to the Wichita River Festival,
held each May in the Downtown and Old Town areas of the city. It is one
of the longest continuous running festivals in the state of Kansas and
features over 70 events, including musical entertainment, sporting
events, traveling exhibits, cultural and historical activities, plays,
interactive children's events, a flea market, river events, a parade, block party, food court, fireworks and souvenirs for the roughly 370,000+ patrons who attend each year.[10]
Other major attractions of the city include the Sedgwick County Zoo, home to more than 2,500 animals of nearly 500 different species; the Old Cowtown Museum; McConnell Air Force Base; Exploration Place, a science and discovery center for all ages; the Old Town historical and entertainment district; the Mid-America All-Indian Center and Museum; and the Wichita Art Museum.
Other museums and attractions in the metro area:
Wichita is also home to Kansas' tallest building, the Epic Center
Disc golf is a
popular activity in Wichita. There are two eighteen hole disc golf
courses (with alternate pads) in the city and several in the
surrounding area. These courses include:
History
First Pizza Hut building at Wichita State University Campus
A thorough history can be found at the external site City of Wichita-History.
The site on the two rivers has served as a trading center for
nomadic peoples for the last 11,000 years. The area was visited by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
in 1541, while he was in search of the fabulous "cities of gold." While
there, he encountered a group of Indians whom he called Quiviras and
who have been identified by archeological and historical studies as Wichita Indians. By 1719 these people had moved south to Oklahoma, where they met French traders. The first permanent settlement in Wichita was a collection of grass houses inhabited by the Wichita Indians
in 1863. They had moved back to Wichita from Oklahoma during the Civil
War due to their pro-Union sentiments. The city was officially
incorporated in 1870. Shortly thereafter it became a railhead
destination for cattle drives from Texas
and other southwestern points, from whence it has derived its nickname
of "Cowtown." It quickly gained a wild reputation, and had numerous
well known lawmen pass through, employed to help keep the rowdy cowboys
in line. Among those lawmen was Wyatt Earp.
Wichita reached national fame in 1900 when Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) member Carrie Nation
decided to carry her crusade against alcohol to Wichita. On December 27
of that year she entered the Carey House bar in downtown Wichita and
smashed the place with a rock and a pool ball. She had visited all the
bars in Wichita the night before and demanded that they close their
doors. However, the painting by John Noble of Cleopatra at the Roman Bath in the Carey House had drawn her particular wrath.
In 1914-1915, oil
was discovered nearby and Wichita became a major oil center. The money
derived from oil allowed local entrepreneurs to invest in a nascent
airplane industry. In 1917, the first plane, the Cessna Comet, was
manufactured in Wichita. Forty-three Swallows, the first airplanes made
specifically for production, were built in Wichita between 1920 and
1923. This industry, coinciding with Wichita as a test center for new
aviation, established Wichita as the "Air Capital." Lloyd Stearman and
Walter Beech were employees of the Swallow company, but in January 1925
they left Swallow Aircraft and teamed up with Clyde Cessna to form
Travel Air. Lloyd Stearman left the company in 1926 to start Stearman
Aircraft in Venice, California. Cessna quit in January 1927 to start Cessna. Stearman would only be gone from Wichita for a year before returning.
Travel Air with Walter Beech at the helm grew to the point of
employing over 600 workers and working in a huge factory complex
constructed from 1927 to 1929. Employing so many workers at such a
large complex and being a few miles outside the city limits it was
tagged "Travel Air City" by Wichita residents. The company merged with
the huge Curtis Wright Corporation in the Roaring Twenties'
heyday of company buyouts and takeovers just two months before the
Stock Market crash in 1929. Workers were laid off by the hundreds
during 1930 and more so in 1931. By the fall of 1932 all workers were
let go in Wichita, equipment was sold and the entire Travel Air plant
sat empty.
In March 1932 Walter quit Curtis Wright to form Beech Aircraft
with his wife Olive Ann and hired Ted Wells as his chief engineer. The
first four or five "Beechcraft" were built in the vacant Cessna
Aircraft plant which was also closed during the depression. Beech later
leased and then bought the Travel Air plant from Curtis Wright and men,
machinery, and an airplane or two were moved from the Cessna plant. The
first aircraft was the Model 17, later dubbed the "Staggerwing"
which was first flown on November 5, 1932. The aircraft that would
propel the small company into a huge corporation was the Model 18 "Twin
Beech," of which thousands were built from 1937 to 1969. The
Staggerwing production ended in 1946 with approximately 750 built and a
few more assembled from parts in 1947. The Staggerwing production was
replaced by the Beechcraft Bonanza, although there are still nearly 100 Staggerwings in existence, most in usable condition.
The city experienced a population explosion during World War II
when it became a major manufacturing center for airplanes needed in the
war effort. By 1945, 4.2 bombers were being produced daily in Wichita. Stearman Aircraft, later purchased by the Boeing Company, was founded in Wichita, as were Beech Aircraft (now called Hawker Beechcraft), Cessna Aircraft, and LearJet (now Bombardier). The city remains a major manufacturing center for the aircraft industry today, with all of these and Airbus still having major centers there, hence its nickname: "The Air Capital."
Wichita was also a significant entrepreneurial business center during the pre and post-war period, with Coleman, Mentholatum, Pizza Hut, Spangles, White Castle, Taco Tico and Koch Industries
having all been founded in Wichita. Ironically, White Castle closed all
of their restaurants in Wichita in 1938 and has not operated in the
state of Kansas after a failed revival attempt in the Kansas City area
in the early 1990s. The entrepreneurial spirit of Wichita led to the
creation one of the first academic centers to study and support
entrepreneurship at The Wichita State University, Center for Entrepreneurship.
Recent history has seen increased development in downtown and to the
east and west sides of Wichita. Sedgwick County Voters recently
approved a sales tax raise to build a new arena downtown to replace the
aging Kansas Coliseum. This is considered by many a stepping stone to
launch new development downtown.
An informative collection of historical photographs of the city can be found at Wichita Photo Archives.
Cartoon character Dennis the Menace supposedly lived in the outskirts of Wichita, Kansas, on a street named Elm Street in a fictional, quiet neighborhood.
Sister cities
Metro cities
Education
The majority of Wichita's students are served by Wichita Public Schools
(USD 259), although portions of Wichita are served by the Derby (USD
260), Haysville (USD 261), Maize (USD 266), Valley Center (USD 262),
Goddard (USD 265) and Circle (USD 375) school districts.
USD 259 High Schools (USD 259)
USD 259 Middle Schools
- Allison Middle School
- Blackbear Bosin Academy
- Brooks Middle School
- Coleman Middle School
- Curtis Middle School
- Gordon Parks Middle School
- Hadley Middle School
- Hamilton Middle School
- Horace Mann Middle School
|
- Jardine Middle School
- Marshall Middle School
- Mayberry Middle School
- Mead Middle School
- Pleasant Valley Middle School
- Robinson Middle School
- Stucky Middle School
- Truesdell Middle School
- Wilbur Middle School
|
USD 259 Elementary Schools
- A.A. Hyde Elementary School
- Adams Elementary School
- Allen Elementary Schhol
- Anderson Elementary School
- Beech Elementary School
- Benton Grade School
- Black Traditional Magnet Elementary School
- Bryant Elementary School
- Buckner Performing Arts Magnet Elementary School
- Caldwell Elementary School
- Cessna Elementary School
- Chisholm Trail Elementary School
- Clark Elementary School
- Cleaveland Traditional Magnet Elementary School
- Cloud Elementary School
- College Hill Elementary School
- Colvin Elementary School
- Earhart Environmental Magnet Elementary School
- Emerson Magnet Elementary School
- Enterprise Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- Funston Elementary School
- Gammon Elementary School
- Gardiner Elementary School
- Greiffenstein SpecialEd Center
- Griffith Elementary School
- Harry Street Elementary School
- Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet
- Hyde International Studies and Communication Elementary Magnet
- Irving Elementary School
- Isely Traditional Magnet
|
- Jefferson Elementary School
- Kelly Liberal Arts Academy
- Kensler Elementary School
- L'Ouverture Computer Technology Elementary School
- Lawrence Elementary School
- Lewis Open Magnet Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Linwood Elementary School
- McCollom Elementary School
- McLean Science Technology Magnet
- Minneha Elementary School
- Mueller Elementary School
- OK Elementrary School
- Oaklawn Elementary School
- Oatville Elementary School
- Park Elementary School
- Paul B Cooper Elementary School
- Payne Elementary School
- Peterson Elementary School
- Pleasant Valley Elementary School
- Price-Harris Communications Magnet
- Rea Woodman Elementary School
- Riverside Elementary School
- Seltzer Elementary School
- Spaght Accelerated Magnet Academy
- Stanley Elementary School
- Washington Elementary School
- White Elementary School
- Wineteer Elementary School
- Woodland Magnet Elementary School
- Woodman Elementary School
|
Private Schools
Colleges and universities
- Several McConnell AFB based colleges and universities
Most Community Colleges and State Universities offer online/distance learning options.
Sports teams
Notable residents
- Kirstie Alley, actress, attended Southeast High School
- Robert Ballard, marine geologist
- Tony Barker, former NFL football player
- MadHatter, emcee, record label owner
- Walter Herschel Beech, industrialist, Beechcraft
- Judy Bell, golfer
- Mark and Mike Bell, Professional Football Players, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks
- William Bonney, aka "Billy the Kid"
- Louise Brooks, silent film actress
- Caroline Bruce, Olympic swimmer
- Dan and Frank Carney, founders of Pizza Hut
- Antoine Carr, basketball player
- Clyde Cessna, industrialist
- Jonathan Coachman, World Wrestling Entertainment personality
- Darren Dreifort, pitcher
- Maurice Evans, basketball player
- Kyle Farnsworth, Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees
- Kyle Pappas, Minor League Baseball Chicago Cubs Organization
- Kyle Holbrook, Minor League Baseball Tampa Bay Rays Organization
- Tamara Feldman, Actress
- Robert M. Gates, former Director U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and current Secretary of Defense
- Dan Glickman, former US Congressman, Secretary of Agriculture, and current President of the Motion Picture Association of America
- Laurel Goodwin actress who played J. M. Colt in the Star Trek pilot The Cage.
- Dennis Rader, serial killer convicted in 2005 for the deaths of 10 Wichita area residents between 1974 and 1991
- Taj Gray, basketball player
- Adrian Griffin, Professional Basketball player
- Mike Hallacy, Professional Boxer
- Jessica Hughbanks, Big Brother 8 contestant
- Stan Kenton, jazz musician
- Bill Koch, America's Cup winner
- Charles Koch, industrialist
- James Jabara, World War II flying ace
- Don Johnson, actor
- William Lear, industrialist, Learjet.
- Jim Lehrer, PBS network news anchor
- Judith Ann Mayotte (Humanitarian), Peabody and Emmy award winning producer, author and refugee expert.
- Michael McClure, beat poet, attended Wichita East High School and the University of Wichita
- Hattie McDaniel, actress
- Roger Mears, race car driver
- Xiaolong Meng, medical researcher that discovered stem cells in menstural blood.
- Vera Miles, actress, attended North High School
- Eric Moore, musician
- Rich Mullins, Christian Pop/Folk Musician
- Antonya Nelson, author
- Roger Noriega, Ambassador to the Organization of American States
- Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior
- Susan Page, journalist
- Mike Pelfrey, Professional Baseball player
- Lawrence Pete, former NFL football player
- Jeff Probst, TV host, currently of Survivor
- Nate Robertson, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers, pitched in 2006 World Series
- Danny Roew, film director
- Jim Ryun, Olympic medalist and former U.S. Representative from Kansas
- Barry Sanders, Pro Football Hall of Fame, played for the Detroit Lions
- Gale Sayers, Pro Football Hall of Famer; born in Wichita, but raised in Omaha, Nebraska
- Drew Small, [Political Activist]
- Vernon L. Smith, Nobel Memorial Prize winner in economics
- W. Eugene Smith, photojournalist
- Arlen Specter Republican Senator (PA)
- Lloyd Stearman, industrialist
- Judith Ann Mayotte, Humanitarian, Peabody and Emmy award winning Producer.
- John Cameron Swayze, announcer
- Darnell Valentine, basketball star
- Joe Walsh, musician, James Gang and The Eagles
- Kamerion Wimbley, professional football player for the Cleveland Browns
- Lynette Woodard, Basketball Hall of Fame, Olympic Medalist
Media
Print media
The Wichita Eagle, the major daily newspaper in Wichita.
The Wichita Business Journal, the daily business newspaper.
Wichita Magazine, a bi-monthly publication (changing to monthly next year).
The Urban News, a monthly newspaper.
The Chronicle, a monthly newspaper.
Broadcast media
See Broadcast Media in Wichita for the full list of local terrestrial television stations.
Cable media
Cable television service for Wichita and surrounding areas is provided by Cox Communications
Cultural references
- Wichita is mentioned in the Dr. Seuss book Horton Hears A Who.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Michigan by Josh Rouse.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Shades of Gray by Robert Earl Keen.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song P.R. 2KI by Tech N9ne.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Open up the Border by Clutch.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Jack Straw by Grateful Dead.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song True Dreams of Wichita by Soul Coughing.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song The Citizens of Wichita by Emperor X.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Wichita by Gary Jules.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn? by Evelyn Evelyn.
- Wichita is mentioned in the song The River by Rich Mullins (1991).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film My Blue Heaven (1990).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Leap of Faith (1992).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film A League of Their Own (1992).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Bullets Over Broadway (1994).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Forget Paris (1995).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Twister (1996).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Arlington Road (1999).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Rock Star (2001) by Zakk Wylde.
- Wichita is mentioned in the film About Schmidt (2002).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Big Fish (2003).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Firewall (2006).
- Wichita is mentioned in the film All the President's Men (1976)
- Wichita is mentioned in the film Erin Brockovich (2000)
- Wichita is the opening setting in the Western novel Cimarron by Edna Ferber
- Wichita is the setting for the film The Big Kahuna (1999), adapted from the play "Hospitality Suite."
- Wichita is the setting for the film The Ice Harvest (2005), adapted from the book of the same title.
- Wichita is one of the settings for the film Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987).
- Wichita is one of the settings for the film Elizabethtown (2005) when Drew Baylor, Orlando Bloom's character, briefly drives through on his road trip.
- Wichita is one of the settings for the film The Perfect Man (2005).
- Wichita and its surroundings are one of the main settings for the book Mr Vertigo, by Paul Auster.
- Wichita is mentioned in a Super Bowl XLI (2007) commercial, for a Revlon colorist produce where singer, Sheryl Crow, is have thought to have stopped by for a show, but in truth never did.
- It is also mentioned in the poem Wichita Vortex Sutra by beat poet Alan Ginsberg. Philip Glass has also composed a work by the same title.
- Wichita Lineman was a popular song, written by Jimmy Webb and first performed by Glen Campbell. It has since been recorded by numerous other artists. However, this song is more likely a reference to a county named Wichita,
of which there are two, since the song says "I am a lineman for the
county... ...and the Wichita lineman is still on the line."
- Country-Rock artist Shawn Colvin has a track entitled Wichita Skyline, which also mentions towns such as Salina and Independence.
- Dennis Rader is mentioned in the song Teachers Suck by Tom Green.
- "Wichita" is the title of a song on the Jayhawks' album, Hollywood Town Hall (1992)
- Wichita is also the name of the army base in computer game Fahrenheit
- Wichita is mentioned by Wilson in the TV show 'Home Improvement.'
Wilson claimed to have been a writer in the fictitious 'Wichita Star'.
See also
Information on this and other cities in Kansas
Other information for Kansas
Wichita is mentioned in the book Capote.
References
External links
Additional information
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