By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

North-central Kansas natives John Carlin, Kansas' 40th governor, and nationally renowned photojournalist Jim Richardson will be honored Jan. 25 by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas.

Carlin, Manhattan, who was archivist of the United States from 1995 to 2005 in Washington, D.C., will receive a Distinguished Service Citation. Richardson, Lindsborg, was named Kansan of the Year. Marc Ash, a noted orthopedic surgeon and inventor from Kansas City, is the organization's Distinguished Kansan of the Year.

Awards will be given during the 90th annual dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Kansas Expocentre, Topeka.

Carlin said he attended many of the organization's dinners while he was governor, to hand out awards.

Attending the dinner as a recipient will be "a happy occasion, to say the least," he said.

Reared on a dairy farm near Smolan, Carlin, a Democrat, was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1970, serving four terms from 1971-79. During that span he was elected assistant minority leader, minority leader and Speaker of the House.

He was Kansas' governor from 1979 to 1987. Carlin led an exploratory trade mission to China in 1979.

He was a visiting professor of public administration and international trade at Wichita State University in 1987 and later served as president of Midwest Superconductivity, Lawrence.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed Carlin the eighth archivist of the United States and administrator of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Today, Carlin, 67, is a visiting professor, teaching political science at Kansas State University.

Looking back, Carlin gives credit to the people from Saline County to Washington, D.C., for helping him succeed.

"I had a great team as governor and the same thing at the Archives," he said. "I can't forget getting a great start in Saline County."

Returning to his alma mater, Carlin said he feels good.

"I love teaching the kids. Hopefully, that will keep me young," he said.

National Geographic

Reared on a farm near Belleville, Richardson, 60, is a photojournalist for the National Geographic Society and as a social documentary photographer.

As a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine and a contributing editor of National Geographic Traveler, he has researched and produced a combined 30 stories since his first assignment was published in 1984.

He developed a love for photography while growing up on the farm, taking pictures of everything from "leaves in the fall to ducks on the pond." Entering those photos in the Republic County Fair inspired him to pursue a career in taking pictures.

"I pretty well bonded with the land doing that kind of stuff and was pretty convinced early on that Kansas was a special place for me," Richardson said.

He worked at the Topeka Capital-Journal from 1969 to 1979 and was published in many major newspapers and magazines. He worked briefly for the Omaha World-Herald and then for the Denver Post until departing in 1986.

After living and working at several places around the globe, including 18 years in Denver, he moved to Lindsborg in 1997 with his wife, Kathy, where they own and operate Small World Gallery.

"This is the place where we feel at home," Richardson said.

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.