Harger, Charles M.

Charles Harger spent his entire newspaper career in Abilene, where he became a cub reporter in 1888. He soon became editor of the Reflector, and made regular trips to the office until four days before his death in April, 1955, at age 92.

Harger’s 65-year tenure as editor of the Reflector-Chronicle culminated with his winning the first annual William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit.

He became the first journalism teacher at the University of Kansas in 1905, when such instruction was authorized. For six years he commuted weekly from Abilene for a day of lecturing at KU.

Harger served for 13 years on the state Board of Regents, and was a president and a director of the Kansas State Historical Society. He was always active in the affairs of the Republican party, attending a dozen national conventions.

Harger and Paul Jones were both inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1958 after the first tie in the history of the voting.