You don’t have to look far to see the impact Ed Hammond has had on the local community and on tens of thousands of students over his more than 30 years of service to Kansas. In his time leading Fort Hays State University, Ed transformed the campus, was an innovator in online education, and strategically grew the university while managing expenses and keeping costs affordable for students to achieve their dreams of higher education.
But you know that story already.
I wanted to share parts of the story you probably haven’t heard. At FHSU, I served as Vice President of the Student Government Association from 2009-2010 and as President from 2010-2012. Over those years, I worked closely with President Hammond in Hays and in Topeka to fight for higher education and had a front-row seat to the leadership qualities that made him so effective in his previous role – and will make him a great representative of the 111th House District.
One of the first times I attended a meeting of the Kansas Board of Regents with Ed, it was the height of the Great Recession. College leaders around the state were struggling to justify more hikes in tuition and fees to skeptical Regents for their approval. But not Ed. He walked up to the microphone and said “Fort Hays State University will be raising tuition $2.75 per credit hour. Any questions?”
The room fell silent. The board thanked President Hammond - and he sat down.
Kirk Schulz, the recently hired President of Kansas State University, was up next. He walked to the microphone and shook his head, “President Wefald told me never to follow a presentation from Ed Hammond.”
That was just the first of many moments I saw where Ed was a few steps ahead and had a commanding presence in Topeka. He knew Kansans needed access to affordable education. Families were struggling to make ends meet and FHSU could meet the moment for them. These efforts built goodwill both from the Regents and the Legislature.
Later that year, I came to Ed with an idea some of the students had been kicking around: we wanted to restrict smoking on campus. We knew it was going to be a contentious issue. I sat in his office on the third floor of Sheridan Hall and told him what we had in mind and asked for his feedback. He considered it for a moment and said without hesitation, “If you can pass this through Student Senate, I will support it.”
We put the issue before the Student Senate and it passed by one vote. Ed approved the policy shortly after – we were the first campus in Kansas to pass such a policy. The issue immediately ignited a firestorm of criticism from some faculty, students, and staff. Heated letters were written to the local newspapers and media outlets all over Kansas covered the issue. Even though it had only passed by one vote, Ed stood by his word and faithfully executed the policy we had requested.
Ed and I didn’t agree on everything and on more than a few occasions we had heated disagreements over certain issues around campus. Through those disagreements, we respected the roles we each had to play in the process and knew we could put those differences aside to move FHSU forward. It is that honesty we should all value in those who serve our communities and something that is desperately needed in our elected officials.
After my time in Student Government had come to an end, I spent the summer interning in Kansas City and went straight from Kansas City to a semester internship in Washington, D.C. I was 22 and money was tight, as it is for any young adult gaining experience in the Capitol.
One day during the internship, I received a note that Ed was in town and wanted to get dinner. He took me over to The Monocle, a steakhouse across from Capitol Hill that I could have never afforded back then. We sat and chatted for over an hour about how things were going on campus and what I was learning in my internship. He didn’t have to take time out of his trip to visit with me – in fact, when we finished dinner, he took off for a meeting with Bob Dole. I have always appreciated that he made time that evening for a student instead of his many other options in DC.
That’s the kind of leader Ed is - and will be – as a Representative of the 111th District. He puts his people first and will fight tirelessly for you in the legislature. When he says he is going to support something, he is going to do it and he’s also going to be honest with you about why.
I know because I have seen him do it.
As I watch my three-year-old daughter grow up and prepare to enter the Kansas public education system, I want leaders like Ed in Topeka fighting to invest in her generation. All Kansans will benefit from his service and I hope you will join me in supporting his candidacy.
Tyler Thompson, Kansas City