The city manager form of government for Wichita was apparently first considered by a group of young Rotarians who arranged for a discussion of the subject in Rotary meetings. As a result of these discussions, investigations were made of other cities having this form of government and finally a committee of this young, enthusiastic group of men was appointed to carry out a city-wide campaign for city manager government. This was done in the last few months of 1916.

The first hurdle of the Rotary committee was to get a bill passed in the Kansas legislature enabling Wichita citizens to adopt such a plan if they so desired. Such a bill was introduced into the Kansas Senate on January 10, 1917, by Senator Frank Nighswonger of Wichita. In general its original provisions permitted first and second class cities to adopt the plan if they so chose. Wichita came under the classification of a first class city. Forty per cent of the voters were required on a petition to obtain an election and the duties of the new type commission were fourfold, namely:

1. to pass ordinance
2. to create necessary city offices
3. to appoint a city manager
4. to appoint department heads.

The city manager had no veto and was required to submit an annual budget. Civil service rules were to prevail.

Senator Nighswonger has been given a great deal of credit for the passage of the bill through the Kansas legislature. Those who are more closely acquainted with the details of this action consider that Senator Nighswonger has been given more credit than is his due. An old friend of Mayor Bentley (1915-1917), he made no particular effort to bring the bill out of committee until pressure was brought to bear on him by arranging for someone else to call it up if he refused to do so. Senator Nighswonger desiring credit for its passage arranged immediately to have it brought before the senate. As a matter of fact, some of those working behind the scenes were far more instrumental in the enactment of the measure. For example, John L. Powell, who later became one of the first commissioners under the new plan, brought influence to bear on W.Y. Morgan, lieutenant-governor and president of the senate. The Rotary Club of Wichita sent a committee of seven prominent businessmen representing 150 buisness concerns to lobby for the measure among members of the Kansas House of Representatives where it was feared the bill might fail.

When the bill came out of committee it was recommended for passage and was not subject to admendment or debate. The following changes had, however, been incorporated in the measure as reported: the percentage of voters required on petitions for elections was reduced from 40 to 25 percent; the residence requirement for the city manager was eliminated; and the civil service rules were made optional at the discretion of the city manager. In shortly more than a month from its introduction into the senate, the bill was signed by Governor Arthur Capper.

By the middle of February, the Rotary committee was planning a program of strategy for meeting the next big obstacle, namely, getting sufficient names of registered voters on petitions seeking an election. Hoping to obtain 10,000 signers, Rotary enlisted the services of 50 women from the City Federation of Women's Clubs which had heartily endorsed the plan and of 75 men who started out to comb the city for signers. Five thousand names were secured in one day according to Charles Nell, chairman of the city manager campaign committee.

One day later, on February 21, Mayor Bentley promised the citizens of Wichita that there would be no delay in calling an election provided 3,145 signers of the 5,500 listed on the city manager petitions were registered voters. The petitions by that time were in the hands of the city clerk and on February 26, 1917, these "petitions asking that the mayor call as special election for the purpose of submitting to the voters the proposition of adopting the city manager plan of government" was presented to the city commission with a "certificate of the city clerk stating that the petitions had been checked and contained according to the registration books the names of electors equalling in number more than 25 percent of the total number of votes cast for mayor in 1915." The petitions were ordered received and filed and Mayor Bentley stated that he would call a special election to vote on the city manager plan for March 9, 1917. The mayor's proclamation of election was read and on motion, published.

In the meantime the Rotary committee had not been idle. Formation of a Greater Wichita Civic League had taken place and the League held its first meeting on February 26. Two hundred were in attendance at this meeting at which prominent citizens such as Mrs. H.W. Allen, W.C. Coleman, and John Crawford, the labor leader, spoke in favor of the proposed plan. Earlier, on January 21, Major Park S. Warren had told the Rotary Club that the new idea would fail and he predicted the possibility that unsuitable men would be selected as commissioners to hire a new manager. Except for such occasional opposition, the Rotary committee arranged many public addresses by speakers who were heartily in favor of the change. The Greater Wichita Civic League with the slogan, "No office to give and no candidate to bring forth," was particularly active in holding meetings all over parts of the city, in school buildings, and halls. Seven such meetings were held in grammar schools. Opinions of outsiders were given through addresses and newspaper interviews. Mrs. Marie J. Kumler of Dayton, Ohio, was brought to Wichita to speak on "What the City Manager Plan Has Meant to Dayton". Kenyon Riddle, city engineer of Abilene, Kansas, publicly favored the prospective change, in a statement to Wichita newspapers. Other statements by prominent citizens were published in the newspapers in the week preceding the March 9 election.

On March 5, the Eagle announced through its column that there were four groups who were opposed to a change in city government, namely,

1. the old commission
2. bootleggers who want a continuation of the present free and easy staters
3. the public utility companies and
4. the old type politicians.

According to the Eagle and the Beacon, the opposition from the city hall and old commission members was particularly strong since Mayor Bentley and all the commissioners except one, James F. Murry, had come out openly against a change. Evidence of the commission's opposition was its withdrawal from the Kansas League of Municipalities supposedly because of the expense, but more probably because of the League's quiet support of the city manager plan.

On March 6, the school board forbade its teachers to teach or promulgate any theory on politics or to affiliate themselves with any group or side in regard to the city manager campaign. Such a regulation could have little effect since it was announced with only two days intervening between its publication and the election.

Using a type of propaganda designated to interest the taxpayers, the city treasurer, George L. Pratt, reported more money in the city treasury on December 31, 1916, than ever before at the end of the year. This surplus amounted to $200,371.

On the other hand, the movement for a change was given support by the findings of the state's attorney-general who was, at the time, investigating the police department which was sadly split into two factions over the question of liquor enforcement. Coming at this time, it was a severe blow to Mayor Bentley's forces.

Then, too, both the Eagle and the Beacon heartily supported the change in governmental form; in fact it is one of the few instances in Wichita history when these two rival newspapers have agreed in policy.

In a final whirlwind of addresses, editorials, advertisements and rallies, the people of Wichita went to the polls on March 9. The unofficial results were 5,908 in favor of the city manager plan and 3,570 opposed. In view of the registration of 19,873, the vote was light but considered a emphatic endorsement of a change by the newspapers.

After waiting all day for an injunction which the court refused to give, restraining the commission from making the official canvass, the commissioners met to canvass the votes on March 16, 1917, and declared the proposition carried by a majority of 2,078 votes.

The success of the movement must be ascribed to the efforts on the part of the Rotary committee, from the inception of the movement in the Kansas legislature in January 1917 to the election on March 9. Despite the opposition which lay chiefly in the city hall, the campaign was notable for the colority and lack of bitterness with which it was carried out. Moreover, the committee labored under the serious handicap of war hysteria that was sweeping the United States in the two or three months preceding the declaration of war in April 1917. Undoubtedly the international situation detracted much from the interest and enthusiasm for or against a consideration of municipal changes. It will be recalled that the United States was nominally at war during these first months of 1917, although it was not so declared until April. Entire credit for this city manager movement may properly be attributed to the Rotary and its committee which had demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for effective organization and skill in campaigning for the adoption of city management.