Karl Kae Knecht
One of the most notable personalities from Evansville’s past is Karl Kae Knecht, who worked for the Evansville Courier from 1906 to 1960. He is seen here at his drawing table, probably creating one of the cartoons that could be found daily on the front page of the newspaper for decades.
Although he was also a gifted columnist, Knecht was best recognized for his editorial cartooning skills, which earned him a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize in cartooning in 1944-1945. Over his career, he generated at least 18,000 cartoons, some of which are now preserved in presidential libraries, but most of them were donated to Evansville College.
Evansville celebrated “Karl Knecht Day†on July 21, 1954, when he was declared the city’s “most beloved citizen.†A lover of circuses and animals, Knecht was also instrumental in bringing a pair of lions to Evansville in 1928, which marked the beginning of the Mesker Park Zoo. (Note the picture of the zoo’s first elephant, Kay, on the wall next to his desk.)
After a long career that won him national acclaim, Knecht retired from the Courier in 1960 and died twelve years later.
FOOTNOTE:  This will be my last contribution to the City-County Observer since I am retiring from Willard Library today.
I am sad about leaving my position, but I have many projects planned that I wouldn’t have time for if I remained here full-time.
Thank you for the opportunity of sharing many of Willard’s historical photos with your readers for several years.
The library has an outstanding collection of old images, and I hope that they have entertained and even educated the community about its long, rich history.
My best,
Patricia Sides-Archivist at Willard Library
We will miss your sides, Pat.
Always enjoyed your writing Pat. Have a good retirement.
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