New research proves Seaman High founder’s connection with KKK
Fred Seaman poses for the 1922 Yearbook. Seaman was the founder of Seaman High School
Rumors tend to spread over the course of a century. Seaman High School’s founder and Principal, Fred Seaman, has been rumored for years to have been a Ku Klux Klan member. The information was never substantiated and the community moved forward. However, information from various sources has recently surfaced verifying this fact.
Four newspaper articles have come to light which name Fred Seaman as a member of the KKK. They come from 1925 issues of The Atchison Globe, The Topeka Journal, and The Hutchinson News. These articles covered a contentious Topeka mayoral race in 1925. J. E. Thomas, a Klan-backed candidate, was elected over the opposing party’s candidate. As a Klan leader, Fred Seaman was referenced in the articles for openly supporting Thomas’s candidacy. A 1926 article from the Kansas City Star also covered Seaman’s potential candidacy for Kansas Superintendent of Instruction.
The Mayoral race was the first time that Fred Seaman was identified in print as a KKK member and leader. Typically, individual Klan members stayed out of the press, but their desire to influence the election brought Seaman’s membership to light. On April 7th, 1925, the Topeka Journal reported, “It was freely talked on the streets that the Klan slips served to line up Thomas and Hill against Porter and McGiffert. It was most evident that Fred Seaman and his robed brothers are not recognizing the bond issue question in the school board fight.” The Topeka Journal further reported “The Klan ticket, the first of its kind in a Topeka city election, appeared at the election polls… the tiny two inch by four inch slips bear across the face of the endorsement of Fred A. Seaman, exalted cyclops of the Klan organization. Seaman is principal of the Seaman rural high school, north of the city.” Additional articles would come out in other newspapers implying further involvement with the KKK.
Several articles written on April 7, 1925, revealed even further that Fred Seaman was a part of the KKK as a leader. Both The Atchison Globe and The Hutchinson News newspapers reported, “The Klan had not been an issue in the campaign until today and the order had taken no stand in the primary election a week ago. The cards distributed today bore the stamped endorsement of Fred A. Seaman, a Klan leader.” These articles disclose his identity not only as a contributing member, but a chief figure in the local Topeka Klan.
Perhaps the most condemning evidence is connected to Fred Seaman’s attempt to become the superintendent of instruction for the State of Kansas while running on the Klan ticket. The Kansas City Star on January 29th, 1926 questioned, “Whether Fred Seaman of Topeka should become a candidate for the Republican nominations for superintendent of public instruction. Seaman has been the head of the Klan in Topeka… Seaman is so well known as a Klansman that his claims cannot be ignored.” During this time, Seaman lost the election for superintendent, but the name Seaman continued to be attached to Seaman rural high school.
The KKK began during the Reconstruction period. Nathan Bedford Forest was its first Grand Wizard. The KKK is defined by the Southern Poverty Law Center as being “the oldest and most infamous of American hate groups. Although Black Americans have typically been the Klan’s primary target, it also has attacked Jews, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, and, until recently, Catholics.” The KKK regained popularity in the 1920s, around the time Mayoral race articles came out, and reached its peak in 1925. Even today The US Department of Homeland Security states that “WSE (White Supremacist Extremists) draws on the constitutionally protected activities of a broad swath of racist hate-oriented groups active in the United States ranging from the Ku Klux Klan to racist skinheads.”
The Clipper reached out to the USD 345 Board of Education after learning of Fred Seaman’s leadership in the KKK. Candace LeDuc, USD 345 Communications Director released the following statement from the Board:
“The board has been made aware of Fred Seaman’s affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan through research conducted by our teachers and students.
We are grateful our district today is inclusive as we welcome and embrace all students regardless of color, race, ethnicity, etc. and we will continue to listen and support the research of our students and teachers in this ongoing investigation.
We are proud of our teachers and students for taking a strong interest and stance in learning about and identifying historical figures. Several of these projects have even received national recognition.”
The Clipper will continue to post updates as the story unfolds.
tom woodrow • Oct 10, 2021 at 11:18 am
History can’t be changed lets all move on. Seaman 345 i have lived here all of my 70 years . My class president of 1968 was black no problems no hate.
Greg DeBacker • Mar 23, 2021 at 7:07 am
Fred Seaman educated all races and creeds, something I’m sure a devoted KKK member would not approve of.
Seaman was an inclusive and integrated school unlike it’s counterpart, Topeka 501.
The Sunrise Optimist Club, used to exclude women from membership. and girls were not included in their sports programs.
Were all Optimist members misogynistic?
Did all KKK members have the same philosophy?
If you belong to a religion, do you espouse every single tenet.
My grandmother was in the first graduating class of Seaman Rural High School. She had Black friends that attended Seaman with her.
Poor Whites and Poor Blacks lived together north of Topeka, Farming for a living. Rich folks lived in the city, segregated.
Changing a name doesn’t stop racism.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana
The current Cancel Culture is destroying history.
Morris Speed • Mar 1, 2021 at 6:55 pm
As a former resident of Topeka (graduated from Highland Park), I agree that the name of the school and district needs to be changed immediately. It may not correct the past, but it is a move in the right direction.
Peter B Short • Feb 28, 2021 at 4:50 pm
Everyone is too sensitive these days. Instead of focusing on improving life they’d rather dig up everything they can about the past so the have a reason to be upset.
Mike Assum • Feb 27, 2021 at 9:03 pm
How many know Fred Seaman? What he was like and contributions he made to North Topeka and Kansas education ? I am a moderate and have different points of views so I am not going to destroy the good healthy image and contribution made by Fred Seaman because Fred may or may not have belonged to KKK. I belong to the VA, VFW, Blue Lives Matter, Challenge Day, Heifer Group, Lives Matter, World Negro Organization, and a dozen or so more organization. Do I have to get approval of every person for each organization to be accepted! Look deeply into what Fred Seaman did and who he contributed to before judging? You might be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for chance to share.
Phyllis Pahmahmie • Nov 11, 2020 at 9:22 pm
Can’t believe how many didn’t know the history of the school’s name. I think there probably more teasing because Seaman sounded like semen. Don’t care about the name.
Now several made comment to keep the mascot. I am guessing the name Seaman made the mascot people think of the sea and hence the Vikings. Vikings don’t have a very good reputation either.
Choose wisely on a name if another human is chosen. We all have skeletons it seems. And to keep the Vikings should the name match the mascots.
How about Topeka North like Topeka West?
Nate • Nov 11, 2020 at 8:34 am
Truthfully I see no point in changing the name the schools history will always be the same and in reality a name change will have zero positive effect it will only cost tons of money and what’s next will we have to change our mascot as well considering Vikings are Notorious for rapping and murdering innocent men Women and children but honestly this is all a complete waste of time and energy I think there are much bigger problems in this country
David Adkins • Oct 25, 2020 at 7:03 am
Kudos to the Clipper staff and faculty advisors for bringing this information to light. I’m guessing there are a lot of Seaman district patrons who aren’t even aware of why the district and high school use the name Seaman, let alone the infamy of its founder.
I’m also proud of the board and senior leadership for embracing the truth in all of its ugliness.
What did , however, concern me was the text of the statement issued by the districts’s communications staff in which she stated, “ embrace all students regardless of color, race, ethnicity, etc…”
You can’t indicate you are welcoming and inclusive and then make the intentional choice to use “etc” when describing the many ways you are inclusive. Sexual orientation and gender identity should have made the list. So should age, sex, and nationality. The use of the word, “color” in this context is odd.
While I appreciate the spirit of the board’s statement, they may need to go back to school to get the important language of diversity and inclusion right. Given that the school’s namesake was proud of his leadership role in the KKK, the board needs to now take the steps necessary to firmly disavow the views of its founder. Beyond just commending the students for confirming Seaman’s KKK connections, the board should have condemned Seaman’s involvement and outlined how this news would be used as a catalyst for reconciliation and healing. The attention this story received had to create trauma and hurt for black students, faculty and alumni. I would urge the board to consider issuing a formal apology for Seaman’s participation in and leadership of a domestic terrorism group while serving as the school’s founder and first principal.
And finally, it’s time to consider removing this stain by renaming the district and school. How many of the hundreds of Kansas school districts bear the name of an individual? You can’t be welcoming and inclusive to black and Jewish students when the name above the door and on the diplomas is of a leader of our nation’s most notorious racist and anti-Semitic hate group. Sooner or later the name will be changed. It’s inevitable. The board can live the values they espouse by making sure the next generation of alums can be as proud of their high school’s name as they are the education they received there. Let’s make this a epic teachable moment.
And to the Clipper staff, keep digging. This nation has never needed independent investigative journalist more than it does now. Truth matters. Speaking truth to power is the most eloquent expression of the First Amendment. Keep shining light into the dark corners of our history. It reminds us that creating a more perfect Union is always a work in progress.
Arthur Hoch • Oct 20, 2020 at 4:48 pm
A brother of mine was a teacher/coach at Seaman in the 1960s and early 1970s. I believe he would be shocked to know a KKK “konnection” to that school. 🙁
Richard W. Benson • Oct 20, 2020 at 7:12 am
Re: Naming
Langston Hughes —arguably America’s greatest poet— acquired his love of letters in Topeka. As a young child he personally integrated Harrison Street School 50 years before Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. Harrison Street School was the first public building in Topeka, and (because it was the only public building in the county, too, was used by students and teachers from throughout the county, including the Seaman area. Of course, that was before Langston Hughes’ time. But it does tie together the legacies of Fred Seaman, Hughes, and Seaman students.
Hosanna in the highest, Seaman students!
John R. Scheirman • Oct 19, 2020 at 8:57 pm
The currently-named Seaman School District and Seaman High School are named after a KKK racist, Fred Seaman. The students, faculty, administrators, and school district residents deserve a better namesake. I nominate Langston Hughes, the great African American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist (according to Wikipedia) who spent a portion of his childhood and attended public school in Topeka, as confirmed by the Kansas Historical Society Website ((https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/langston-hughes/15506).
Dr. Ellarwee Gadsden • Oct 19, 2020 at 8:28 pm
I’m confused about how we black, POC and white Americans are to approach our racist history. As was referred to by one of the above commenters, blacks and Native Indians are told to forget our racist history. That no one who owned or was enslaved is alive now; that our racist history died out with our ‘ancestors.’ But, on the other hand, so many whites get angry when blacks and others promote the removal of civil war losers and other whites who promulgated white supremacy. They tell us that we’re trying to demolish southern history and tradition and denounce their great war heroes. We celebrated Independence Day and Thanksgiving as significant times in our history. But, no one is now living who was here when we declared our independence from England. Neither is anyone alive who watched the Pilgrims arrived and helped them to survive their first bitterly cold winters. Just as no one has survived blacks’ 1619 experiences of their beginning degradation. But, why are some of these events celebrated and memorialized, while we’re told to forget others and that they don’t matter any more? The KKK is still around and so are African Americans. It seems to me we should forget everything or remember it all. No picking and choosing. That’s for us who are alive now and responsible for how we handle and demarcate our past. What are we to do? And how?
John R. Scheirman • Oct 19, 2020 at 8:01 pm
The school district and high school should be renamed Tfter Langston Hughes, the great African American poet and a native Topekan.
Todd • Oct 19, 2020 at 2:48 pm
“We are grateful our district today is inclusive as we welcome and embrace all students regardless of color, race, ethnicity, etc.”
Way to phone in sexuality, gender identity, and religious belief under “etc”
But good job reporters for uncovering and reporting this.
Josh Rouse • Oct 19, 2020 at 4:29 am
Great reporting, young folks! You make this old Clipper staffer proud.
Gavin Williams • Oct 18, 2020 at 3:50 pm
I graduated from there over a decade ago and a vast majority of the student body knew then. Really funny that so many school officals told us it was a lie. Really wish I could go back and say I told you so.
Sarahbeth Brock • Oct 18, 2020 at 3:05 pm
I do not believe that changing names of buildings and taring down signs is going to solve any of today’s race related problems. If that was the case then the monuments already removed and building names that have already been changed around the country would have shown us that this was the resolution to end racism. It’s not going to be that easy, as you can see by looking at the cities that have done this already, it has not solved racism. People must talk about it and report it when it happens… and we must ALL believe that we are not racist just because of the color of our skin. We must remember history and learn from past mistakes made.
Randall Bond • Oct 18, 2020 at 3:04 pm
I do not understand individuals who say to leave the past in the past but have no issue continuing to honor someone with ties to a horrific hate group by continuing to use his name as a legacy school name – it needs to be changed and should be before the end of the school year
Craig Alejos • Oct 18, 2020 at 9:19 am
Great job, intrepid reporters! We as vikings are not above reproach when it comes to finding the truth. I hope the entire school system takes a close look at this and changes the schools name. Those saying racism and the KKK are not as prevalent nowadays has not been paying attention and really should take a close look at their own privilege. #makeracistsafraidagain
Jackie • Oct 18, 2020 at 12:49 am
As a former Seaman grad & former Clipper photog, I’d first like to say how incredibly PROUD I am of this current Clipper staff for doing proper research & speaking out about the truth that needs to be told. Kudos to all of you for this amazing article!
Secondly, I would say this calls for a name change. Go ahead & keep the mascot if you please, but the title has to go! They said themselves that the district is inclusive. The evidence, however, has clearly shown that the name “Seaman” is attached to a dated, racist time, that needs to be ended.
I can’t wait to keep reading the updates to this article to see what kind of change it creates!
Teresa Lesser • Oct 17, 2020 at 4:34 pm
The past is the past. Today no one on our school board or employed at Seaman are KKK members. Lets look toward our future As the past can’t be changed. The future is ours as a community to build and help each other improve our world.
Russell A Yarnell • Oct 17, 2020 at 4:28 pm
Can you share copies of the articles?
Peggy Tice • Oct 17, 2020 at 8:18 am
How long will it be before there is a campaign to change the name of the school and the district? This was a sign of the times in the 1920’’s, but not anymore. Will this remain just an ugly skeleton of history… or not?