Summary of Memorial to James A. McClure (Judge McClure) Full Transcription of the Memorial to James A. McClure

 James Austin McClure (1882–1954) was a prominent Topeka, Kansas, attorney and judge known for his integrity, fairness, legal acumen, and community service.

Early Life and Education

• Born December 14, 1882, in Clinton, Iowa, to Samuel T. McClure (Presbyterian minister) and Alta Case McClure.
• Family moved to Topeka in 1890.
• Attended Topeka public schools and Washburn University (then Washburn College) starting in 1902, combining law and college courses.
• Worked as a stenographer at Santa Fe Offices while attending law school at night; later served as secretary to Chief Justice William A. Johnston of the Kansas Supreme Court.

Legal Career

• Admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1909 and began private practice.
• Served as Assistant County Attorney of Shawnee County (1911–1913).
• Joined the law firm headed by Judge Monroe (with Lee Monroe, Cyrus M. Monroe, and W. S. Roark).
• Appointed in 1919 by Governor Henry J. Allen as Judge of the First Division of the District Court of Shawnee County to fill an unexpired term. Elected in 1920 and re-elected in 1924; served nine years on the bench until resigning in 1928.
• Praised for keen perception of the law, sound judgment, fairness, impartiality, patience, and kindness — especially toward first offenders and the inexperienced. Known for listening attentively and tempering justice with understanding.
• Resumed private practice in 1928 as a member of Stone, McClure, Webb, Johnson & Oman (later McClure, Webb & Oman), where he became the senior member. Regarded as a “lawyer’s lawyer” who counseled many attorneys.

Public Service and Community Involvement

• Elected to the Topeka Board of Education (1929), serving 12 years.
• Instructor at Washburn University School of Law.
• President of the Topeka Bar Association (1926); member of the American Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, Topeka Bar Association, Masonic bodies, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Alpha Delta, First Presbyterian Church, Kansas Children’s Service League, and Capper Foundation for Crippled Children.
• Active in political affairs and public service; described as a tireless, thorough, modest, and delightful colleague who never sought personal glory.

Personal Life

• Married Louise Allison of Topeka in 1915. They had two sons: Dr. James A. McClure and Robert A. McClure (a practicing lawyer in Topeka).
• Enjoyed a happy marriage until Louise’s death in 1951.
• At his death on June 8, 1954, he was survived by his sons, five grandchildren, and a sister (Mrs. Victor G. Kropf of Chicago, Illinois).

The memorial was respectfully submitted on May 27, 1955, by a committee chaired by Robert L. Webb (with Marlin S. Casey, T. M. Lillard, Harry W. Colmery, and John E. DuMars).

This document highlights Judge McClure as a dedicated legal figure deeply rooted in Topeka’s institutions and a model of professional integrity. It aligns well with your family heritage interests in the McClure line in Kansas. Let me know if you'd like a cleaned-up full transcription, family tree notes, or anything else!

Full Transcription of the Memorial to James A. McClure

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MEMORIAL TO JAMES A. McCLURE

JAMES AUSTIN McCLURE died at Topeka, Kansas, on June 8, 1954. His death resulted in great loss to his associates, to the Topeka Bar Association and to the Bar of the State of Kansas, as well, not only because of his outstanding ability as a lawyer but also because of his high sense of integrity and fairness.

James A. McClure was born at Clinton, Iowa, on December 14, 1882, the son of Samuel T. and Alta Case McClure. His father was a minister of the Presbyterian Church who moved to Topeka in 1890.

Mr. McClure attended the public schools of Topeka and entered Washburn University (then Washburn College) in 1902, combining law and college courses. In 1907, he became a stenographer in the Santa Fe Offices and attended law school at night. Later, he became secretary to William A. Johnston, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas, remaining in that position until he finished his law course.

He was admitted to the bar in 1909 when he began the private practice of the law. From 1911 to 1913, he served as Assistant County Attorney of Shawnee County. He then joined the law firm headed by Judge Monroe and consisting of Lee Monroe, Cyrus M. Monroe and W. S. Roark.

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In 1919, Mr. McClure was appointed by Governor Henry J. Allen as Judge of the First Division of the District Court of Shawnee County, to fill the unexpired term of Judge Robert D. Garver. Judge McClure was elected to that office in 1920 and re-elected in 1924. During his nine years on the bench, he distinguished himself not only by his keen perception of the law and his sound judgment but also by his fairness and impartiality, and his patience and kindness. Judge McClure took a great deal of interest in first-offenders and those inexperienced who came before him, and he tried always to temper justice with understanding. He always found time to listen to the complaints and troubles of a juror, a witness, a bailiff and perhaps even a lawyer, and to give them such help as was proper under the circumstances.

Judge McClure resigned the judgeship in 1928 to resume the private practice of law and became a member of the firm of Stone, McClure, Webb, Johnson & Oman. In 1929, he was elected as a member of the Topeka Board of Education in which position he served for twelve years. For a number of years, he was an instructor at Washburn University School of Law.

Judge McClure was a consistent member of one of the major political parties and always maintained an active interest in political affairs. He also maintained an active interest in other public affairs, and for many years prior to his death he

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served on the governing bodies of The Kansas Children’s Service League and The Capper Foundation for Crippled Children. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Masonic bodies, The American Bar Association, the Bar Association of the State of Kansas, and the Topeka Bar Association, and served as President of the Topeka Association in 1926. He was also a member of Phi Delta Theta and Phi Alpha Delta.

Judge McClure was a tireless worker, and no suggestion was too small to enlist on his part a thorough investigation before calling the job “done.” He was never satisfied with the meager facts given to him in the first instance but delved and searched for all facts that might bear on his problem. He searched for the law in the same manner. He almost never quit. Until ten years before his death, he seldom closed his office before six o’clock. Despite his close attention to duty, he was a delightful person with whom to work, and he never sought personal glory. He was in fact a very modest person. In his twenty-six years of practice after leaving the bench, he counselled many lawyers who sought his aid, and he could very properly be called a lawyer’s lawyer. He was known to many of his acquaintances as Judge McClure although to most of his friends he was just plain “Jim.”

At the time of his death, he was the senior member of the firm of McClure, Webb & Oman.

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In 1915, Judge McClure was married to Louise Allison, of Topeka, and to them were born two sons. Judge and Mrs. McClure enjoyed a happy and congenial life together until Mrs. McClure’s death in 1951. Surviving Judge McClure are his sons, Dr. James A. McClure, of Topeka, and Robert A. McClure, a practicing lawyer of Topeka, five grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Victor G. Kropf, of Chicago, Illinois.

Respectfully submitted this

27th day of May, 1955.

Marlin S. Casey

T. M. Lillard

Harry W. Colmery

John E. DuMars

Robert L. Webb, Chairman

Memorial Committee.

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Topeka Needs More Retail — And Here’s Why It’s Good for All of Us

Topeka friends and neighbors,

We all want a stronger city with more jobs, better services, and money to fix our streets and parks without raising property taxes every year. One of the smartest, most practical things we can do right now is focus on attracting more quality retail to our community.

Here’s why it makes simple sense:

Our real market is much bigger than just Shawnee County.

The official Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes about 233,000 people across five counties. But our true economic reach is even larger. Topeka already pulls in shoppers from many surrounding counties, and we have enormous untapped potential from travelers and visitors.

Tens of thousands of people drive through Topeka every single day.

I-70 alone carries around 40,000 vehicles a day near downtown (with even higher volumes on other stretches), plus traffic on the Kansas Turnpike (I-335) and other major routes. That adds up to millions of travelers passing through our community every year. These are people from other towns, other states, and all over the country. Many of them would stop and spend money here if we gave them good reasons — nice stores, restaurants, and places to shop.

Tourism is already happening — and retail makes it stronger.

People come to Topeka for the State Capitol, historic sites, events, and more. When we have strong retail options, visitors stay longer, spend more on food, gas, gifts, and shopping, and they tell their friends. Good retail doesn’t just serve tourists — it actually creates more tourism by turning Topeka into a place worth stopping for.

Retail brings in “imported” money from outside our county.

Every time someone from outside Shawnee County buys something here — whether they’re from a surrounding county, passing through on the highway, or visiting — that’s new money coming into our local economy. It’s like we’re exporting our stores and services and importing dollars from other places.

This isn’t something to feel guilty about — it’s smart. It grows our sales tax base, which pays for police, fire, roads, parks, and city services. The more of these “outside” sales we capture, the less pressure there is on local property taxpayers. Successful cities do this all the time. We should too.

We can actually measure this.

We should track how much of our retail sales are coming from the broader region, the MSA, and from visitors/pass-through traffic. That data shows the real economic impact and helps us make better decisions about where and how to grow retail.

Right now, Topeka needs stronger sales tax revenue. Focusing on retail development — by making it easier for good projects to happen, updating zoning where it makes sense, and supporting businesses that serve both locals and the bigger region — is one of the best tools we have.

Here’s what you can do:

Call or email your City Council member and Mayor Spencer Duncan. Tell them:

“I want Topeka to prioritize attracting more retail. Our real market is over 233,000 in the MSA plus all the travelers on our highways and shoppers from surrounding counties. This brings in outside money and grows our sales tax base. Let’s make it happen.”

The more of us who speak up, the clearer the message becomes. Topeka can be a place where people want to stop, shop, stay longer, and invest. It starts with recognizing that our opportunity is bigger than our city limits.

Let’s get to work.

 

Jason Tryon - Let's support Jason.....staff says nice things.

Topeka Public Works Retention: A 20-Year Perspective (2006–2026)

Looking back two decades reveals a recurring pattern of leadership churn in Topeka’s Public Works Department that has likely contributed to inconsistent infrastructure progress, lost momentum on capital projects, and challenges in supporting private development. While specific tenure lengths vary and full historical lists are not always publicized, public records, news archives, and city announcements show frequent transitions at the director level and reliance on interims — a symptom of broader retention difficulties in key municipal roles.

Notable Leadership Transitions (Approximate Timeline)

• Mid-2010s: Jason Peek served as Public Works Director (visible in 2017 discussions on street paving and infrastructure needs). He was a longer-term figure compared to recent directors, involved in efforts to address worsening street conditions.
• ~2019–2020s: Braxton Copley (now Assistant City Manager) served in Public Works/oversight roles, including as interim director at times. Internal promotions helped provide continuity during transitions.
• 2021–2024 period: Additional shifts occurred, with internal staff filling gaps. Budgets frequently noted vacancies and the strain on remaining employees.
• 2024–2025: Steve Groen hired from out-of-state (Minnehaha County) with strong credentials; departed after ~11 months in November 2025 alongside another department head (IT Director). Jason Tryon stepped in as interim and was later made permanent.
• 2026: Tryon continues leading Public Works, with positive notes on department recognition (e.g., accreditation achievements dating back to 2005 for Public Works/Utilities).

Over 20 years, the department has seen a mix of internal promotions (e.g., Tryon, Copley) and external hires (e.g., Groen), but short-to-medium tenures at the top appear common. This aligns with city-wide vacancy challenges documented in budgets, where departments rely on staff “wearing multiple hats” and vacancy credits to balance finances.

Patterns and Impacts Over Two Decades

1. Disrupted Continuity: Public Works handles long-term assets (streets, drainage systems, facilities). Frequent changes make it harder to maintain multi-year strategies for pavement management, CIP planning, or infrastructure readiness — issues you’ve highlighted in projects involving sidewalks, erosion control, and development agreements.
2. Recruitment and Retention Strain: External talent like Groen brings fresh expertise but often doesn’t stick. Internal leaders provide stability but may lack the broadest external perspective. Factors likely include compensation gaps versus private sector (or nearby KC metro opportunities), bureaucratic hurdles, political dynamics, and workplace culture. City efforts at recruitment exist, but leadership-level exits suggest they haven’t fully resolved underlying issues.
3. Broader Context: Topeka has faced infrastructure backlogs (e.g., street conditions noted in 2017). While departments earn accreditations and complete projects, turnover adds friction to delivering consistent results. Compare this to Shawnee County Public Works, which has shown more stability under leaders like Curt Niehaus.
4. Economic Development Angle: Unstable Public Works leadership complicates coordination on zoning, platting, TIF/CID projects, utilities, and “shovel-ready” sites — directly affecting developers and growth goals. Your advocacy for transparent, efficient processes is especially relevant here.

Why Has This Persisted?

• Public Sector Realities: Government pay, political oversight, and regulatory complexity can lead to burnout or better opportunities elsewhere.
• Local Factors: Topeka’s challenges with economic rankings, population trends, and past critiques of bureaucracy/incentives may contribute to a less attractive environment for long-term leaders.
• Positive Notes: The department has delivered (e.g., ongoing projects, recognitions). Internal promotions like Tryon’s show resilience.

Path Forward: Stronger retention strategies — competitive total compensation, professional development, reduced red tape, and a culture that values experienced operators — could break the cycle. Learning from cases like Groen’s (quick exit but success elsewhere) highlights the need to make Topeka a place where top talent wants to stay and build a legacy.

Steve Groen: The One That Got Away – What Topeka Lost When It Let a Proven Public Works Leader Walk

I ran into Steve Groen the other day. He looked genuinely happy — the kind of settled, purposeful look a man gets when he’s landed in the right place. We talked briefly, and it struck me how Topeka’s loss became his (and the broader region’s) gain.

Steve Groen brought more than 40 years of hands-on public works experience when the City of Topeka hired him as Public Works Director in late 2024. He came from Minnehaha County, South Dakota, where he served as Highway Superintendent after rising through the ranks in Hennepin County, Minnesota — including work on iconic infrastructure like the Father Hennepin suspension bridge. He understood streets, construction management, budgeting, capital improvement programs, and how to support frontline crews while getting projects out the door on time.

When he arrived in Topeka, he hit the ground running. His early priorities were clear and practical: support staff with the resources they need, improve road surfaces, and move projects to bid earlier so construction seasons aren’t wasted. In a city that constantly wrestles with aging infrastructure, sidewalk issues, drainage challenges, and the need for shovel-ready development sites, that kind of steady, experienced leadership should have been a major asset.

Topeka needs people who know how to deliver results on the ground — not just talk about them. Someone with Steve’s background could have been a bridge between city operations and the development community. He understood both the public-sector realities and the practical needs of getting projects built. For someone like me, who spends a lot of time on site feasibility, drainage studies, sidewalk coordination, erosion control, and working through city processes on projects like Eveningside, having a knowledgeable, responsive Public Works Director in place makes a real difference.

Instead, less than a year later — right around November 2025 — he was gone. The city called it a personnel matter and offered no further explanation. Interim leadership stepped in. Another chapter of institutional knowledge walked out the door.

Here’s the part that bothers me most: Topeka didn’t just lose a director. It lost continuity, relationships, and momentum at a time when we need every bit of experienced leadership we can get. Short tenures like this send a signal to other talented professionals: “Don’t get too comfortable.” It wastes the time and money spent recruiting and onboarding. And it reinforces the very perception problems that make it harder to attract and keep good people in the first place.

The good news? Steve landed on his feet — actually, he landed in a stronger position. He’s now Associate Director and Central Region Leader at Braun Intertec, the employee-owned geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing firm with a Lenexa office right in our backyard. Braun Intertec does exactly the kind of work that supports smart development: soil and foundation analysis, environmental compliance, construction materials testing, and risk reduction on complex sites. Steve is now helping lead that work across the Central U.S. — putting his decades of public-sector insight to work for clients who actually value and reward competence.

I’m genuinely happy for him. Topeka essentially helped him move into a better chapter — one where his experience is appreciated and he’s not fighting an environment that didn’t seem to value what he brought. That’s not a failure on his part. That’s Topeka getting shortchanged.

We talk a lot around here about economic development, infrastructure readiness, and putting Shawnee County first. None of that happens without solid public works leadership and a city government that knows how to keep talent once it finds it. Steve Groen was exactly the kind of steady, experienced professional this community could have used for the long haul.

Instead, he’s thriving elsewhere — and we’re left wondering what might have been if Topeka had been a place that appreciated and retained people like him.

To Steve: Thank you for your service here, however brief. You brought real expertise and a professional approach. I’m glad you’re in a better spot now. The Central Region (and developers who work with Braun) are lucky to have you. Topeka missed out.

Why Philip Sarnecki’s Proven Business Success Makes Him the Better Choice for Kansas Governor

By Henry McClure | June 2026

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about why business experience is so valuable in government. The core idea was simple: when people have actually built companies, met payrolls, created real value for customers, and faced real consequences for failure, they bring a different, more rational mindset to public service. They focus on results, efficiency, return on investment, and growth instead of just protecting the system or getting re-elected.

Let’s apply that same lens to the race for Kansas governor.

I believe Philip Sarnecki would be a stronger governor than Ty Masterson precisely because of his deep, successful business experience. And while I respect President Trump, I don't respect his endorsement of Ty Masterson, and I’m disappointed. Sarnecki is far closer to the kind of outsider businessman Trump himself asked us to support back in 2015 and 2016 — someone who built something real from the ground up, not another politician who has climbed the ladder inside the system for two decades.

The Same Theory, Now for All of Kansas

Kansas faces real challenges. Our population growth has been slower than the national average. We’ve seen net domestic outmigration in recent years. Economic performance rankings lag behind our potential, even as our outlook has improved somewhat thanks to recent reforms. Too many young people and families still leave for better opportunities elsewhere. Property taxes, regulations, and the overall cost of doing business and raising a family can feel heavy.

These aren’t abstract problems. They affect real people in Topeka, Shawnee County, and across the state who want their kids and grandkids to be able to build good lives here.

The solution isn’t more of the same political management. It’s bringing the same kind of practical, results-driven thinking that works in successful businesses. That’s exactly what Philip Sarnecki offers.

Philip Sarnecki: A Kansas Business Builder With a Real Track Record

Sarnecki rose from humble beginnings — the son of a janitor and a secretary — to build one of the largest financial services firms in the country. He founded and led RPS Financial Group, growing it to 18 offices (12 in Kansas), serving clients in all 50 states, managing over $10 billion in assets under management in Kansas alone, and paying out more than $135 million in dividends to Kansas families and businesses in its final year under his ownership.

He later sold the company successfully. Today he owns and operates multiple businesses across Kansas and beyond — including being the largest franchise owner of Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change with locations in towns like Andover, El Dorado, Derby, Pittsburg, Fort Scott, and Independence. Altogether, his companies employ nearly 1,000 people. He’s created jobs, served Kansas families directly, and generated real economic activity in communities big and small.

He’s never held elected office. He’s a true outsider who says plainly: “Like President Trump, I’ve never run for office before, but I’ve built a great, successful business. It’s time to bring a business approach to government and shake up the system. We have got to get away from the career politician mindset.”

His platform focuses on exactly the things that flow from real business experience: shredding red tape so small businesses can grow, lowering taxes for families and employers, creating good-paying jobs, bringing accountability to how government spends money, and making sure our kids have reasons to stay and build their futures in Kansas.

Ty Masterson: Long Political Experience, Smaller Business Footprint

Ty Masterson has served in the Kansas Legislature for over 20 years — first in the House, then the Senate since 2009, and as Senate President since 2021. He has deep knowledge of how the legislative process works and a conservative record that President Trump praised when he endorsed him. Masterson also has a background as a small business owner (realtor and construction), which is more private-sector experience than many career politicians.

However, that construction business ultimately failed, leading to a bankruptcy filing in 2011. His primary career has been in elected office and legislative leadership in Topeka. That gives him strengths in relationships, process, and passing conservative legislation — but it also makes him part of the very insider system that too often protects itself rather than delivering bold results for working Kansans.

This is the contrast the business-experience theory highlights. One candidate scaled a major financial services company that directly served and enriched thousands of Kansas families and then built additional job-creating businesses across the state. The other has spent most of his adult life inside government.

Why Trump’s Endorsement Missed the Mark Here

I understand why President Trump endorsed Ty Masterson. He values strong conservative leadership on taxes, regulation, energy, agriculture, border security, and fighting the radical policies coming out of the current administration. Masterson has been part of advancing some of those priorities in the Senate.

But Trump’s own 2015-2016 appeal was built on being the successful businessman outsider who would shake up a broken system in Washington. Philip Sarnecki is running on that same promise at the state level: “I’m just a Kansas dad, husband and businessman who is tired of Republicans losing in Kansas… We’re going to win and we’re going to win big.”

When the choice is between a proven large-scale job creator and business scaler versus a long-time legislative leader, the business-experience argument points clearly toward Sarnecki if we actually want different outcomes — faster job growth, lower burdens on families, more opportunity so people stay in Kansas, and government that operates with real accountability instead of just managing the status quo.

Let’s Keep It Simple for Voters

If your family or business is feeling the weight of taxes, regulations, or limited opportunity, or if you’re worried your kids might have to leave Kansas to get ahead, this race matters.

Think of it like hiring for an important job. Would you rather give the role to the person who has spent 20 years inside the same organization learning its rules and relationships, or the person who has repeatedly built successful operations from scratch, created hundreds of jobs, and delivered measurable value to thousands of customers?

Kansas is that organization right now. We need someone who knows how to grow the enterprise, cut what isn’t working, and create the conditions for success — not just someone skilled at navigating the existing system.

Philip Sarnecki has done the first in the private sector on a meaningful scale. He wants to bring that same approach to state government.

The Stakes for Kansas Families

We’ve seen some positive movement in Kansas’s economic outlook rankings thanks to recent reforms. But our actual performance on population retention, employment growth, and domestic migration still shows we have a long way to go if we want Kansas to be a place where families thrive and young people choose to stay.

Philip Sarnecki’s entire message is about changing that trajectory: lower taxes, less red tape, more jobs, more opportunity, and government that works like the successful businesses he has built. That’s the practical path to a stronger Kansas where more people can afford to live, work, and raise their families here.

I’ve spent decades in real estate and development watching how government decisions either help or hinder real economic activity on the ground. The difference between insiders managing the system and outsiders who have actually built things is often the difference between slow incremental change and real turnaround.

Kansas has the potential to win big. Philip Sarnecki is offering to bring the mindset and record that actually wins in the real economy.

If you agree that Kansas needs more business-style results and less career politics, I encourage you to take a close look at Philip Sarnecki in the August Republican primary.

What do you think? Have you followed this race? Do rising costs or limited local opportunity affect your family or community? Let’s discuss in the comments.