(June 4, 2004) Topeka, KS—Bill Kurtis, nationally renowned journalist, anchor of three A&E Network series, and native Kansan, will deliver the keynote address at the 122nd KBA Annual Meeting on June 18.
Kurtis was raised in Independence, Kans. He received a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law. He began his broadcast career as a news reporter at WIBW-TV in Topeka where, in 1966, he covered a 12-minute tornado that tore through the Capitol City and left 16 dead and hundreds more injured.
After being recognized for his 24-hour coverage of the destruction, he was hired by WBBM-TV in Chicago as a field reporter and anchor of the Channel Two News. He later went to work for CBS in Los Angeles, where he anchored the "CBS Morning News" and was a contributor to "CBS Reports." He eventually returned to WBBM-TV and began his career as a documentarian, traveling the globe for the Peabody Award-winning series "The New Explorers." In 1990, he founded Kurtis Productions and began producing programs for the A&E Television Network, including the award-winning "Investigative Reports" and "Cold Case Files." He also anchors A&E's "American Justice" series.
Although Kurtis left Kansas more than 30 years ago, the state is still an important part of his life. He owns a 10,000-acre working cattle ranch near Independence and started the Little House on the Prairie Foundation, an educational center for school children, after his mother discovered that the original site of the "Little House on the Prairie" was located on property they own.
Kurtis is the recipient of numerous awards, including Emmys, Cable Ace Awards, the Thurgood Marshall Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago International Television. He is a published author and a member of the board of directors of The Nature Conservancy, The National Park Foundation, and The Field Museum. He is also a member of the American and Kansas bar associations.
About the Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association was founded in 1882 as a voluntary
association for dedicated legal professionals and has approximately
6,200 members, including lawyers, judges, law students,
and legal assistants. The KBA is dedicated to advancing
the professionalism and legal skills of lawyers, promoting
the interests of the legal profession, providing services
to its members, advocating positions on law-related issues,
encouraging public understanding of the law, and promoting
the effective administration of our system of justice.
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