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KNEA President Christy Levings (right) presents the KNEA Friend of Education Award to Wichita Eagle Editorial Cartoonist Richard Crowson.

KNEA's Friend of Education is Wichita Eagle Editorial Cartoonist Richard Crowson

Kansas NEA’s highest honor, the Friend of Education Award, was presented to Wichita Eagle Editorial Cartoonist Richard Crowson. He was honored by the 500 delegates attending the KNEA Representative Assembly April 23 in Topeka.

“If I am a friend of education, it’s because public education has been a friend to me,” Crowson said in accepting the award. He thanked and congratulated educators for the work they do every day in Kansas public schools.

KNEA President Christy Levings thanked Crowson for his political courage, talent and wit and for being an important, high profile supporter of public schools in Kansas. “Richard Crowson supports teacher issues, lampoons the enemies of public education and provides humorous and probing insight into the major issues affecting Kansas schools and communities,” she said.

“As editorial cartoonist for the Wichita Eagle, Richard’s ability and willingness to encapsulate current education topics into clever and humorous editorial cartoons is deeply appreciated by teachers in public schools,” said United Teachers of Wichita President Paul Babich. “Wichita and south central Kansas is a hot bed of political conservatism. Some Wichita legislators are not public school supporters,” he said. “In the face of this political agenda, Richard wields his cartoonist’s pen with flair and biting accuracy, while adding a bit of humor to intense and serious topics.”

Born and raised in Memphis, Crowson “cartooned his way” through high school and Memphis State University. After eight years of drawing for The Jackson (Tenn. ) Sun, he became the Eagle’s first full-time editorial cartoonist in 1987.  His work has been reprinted in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Washington Post and USAToday. A collection of his Eagle editorial cartoons entitled “Prairie Mirth” was published in 1992.

Cartoons by Richard Crowson (Reprinted with permission of Wichita Eagle , Richard Crowson)

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