George Washington Kendrick, the superintendent of the Wichita public schools and one of the most widely known and successful educators of Kansas, was born in Macomb county, Illinois, June 26, 1860, the son of William and Margaret (McKinney) Kendrick. His father was born and reared in Georgetown, Ky., and in 1884 came to Kansas and located at Madison, Greenwood county, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1893. Mrs. Kendrick was born at Franklin, Ind., where she received the education afforded by the public schools. After reaching womanhood she met and married William Kendrick and lived for a time in Illinois. She died at her home in Madison, Kan., in 1893.

George W. Kendrick was educated in the schools of Macomb, Ill., and began teaching in 1876, when only a young man. The first school in which he taught, in McDonough, Ill., is now used as a model school department of the Illinois State Normal School. In 1879 he was offered a position as principal of the schools at Tennessee, Ill., where he remained three years. Later he was principal at Sciota and in 1881 came to Kansas to engage in his professional work, but returned to Illinois and taught one year at Blandinsville, McDonough county. In 1882 he located at Madison, Kan., where he was principal of the public schools for four years. He was elected county superintendent of Greenwood county in 1886 and served in that capacity until 1890, when he was elected superintendent of the Clay Center schools. Three years later he was elected to the same position at Junction City, and taught there eight years. From Junction City Mr. Kendrick went to Newton, Kan., and acted as superintendent of the schools there for a year, but tendered his resignation to go to Leavenworth, where he took charge of the public schools of that city, remaining until August, 1911, when he came to Wichita. During the twenty-eight years he has been associated with the educational work of Kansas, Mr. Kendrick has conducted county and normal institutes all over the state, his work in this respect exceeding that of any other educator. In 1883 he joined the Kansas State Teachers' Association, and since that time has never missed a meeting. He was president of the association in 1896, and the enrollment that year was the largest in the history of the organization up to 1909. Mr. Kendrick has devoted his life to educational work, and is regarded as one of the progressive educators of the state. He believes in modern methods of teaching and has demonstrated that such methods are a success. He stands high in the community and has many warm friends and stanch supporters. Prof. Kendrick has attained the Knight Templar degree in Masonry, is past eminent commander of Leavenworth Commandery, No. 1, Junction City Commandery, No. 43, and is affiliated with Abdallah Temple Shrine of Leavenworth, of which he is a past potentate. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Workmen and of the Knights of Pythias.

On June 29, 1882, Mr. Kendrick married, at Macomb, Ill., Luella C. Kirkpatrick, a teacher in the McDonough county public schools. For some years after her marriage Mrs. Kendrick taught with her husband. Six children have been born to this union: Edwin Kirkpatrick, born May 1, 1883, a teacher of Physiography in the Kansas City, Kan., High School; Lillian, born April 27, 1886, occupying the chair of music in the Oklahoma State Normal at Ada; Henry Beauvelle, born March 30, 1891, teacher of manual training in the Boys' Industrial School, Topeka; George W., Jr., born Aug. 5, 1895, a student; Frank Ashury, born Oct. 7, 1899; and Margaret, born Sept. 17, 1902.