Jeff King was born and raised in Independence, the son of two local public school teachers. With over 60 years of educating Kansas youth between them, Jeff's parents taught himKingSr93.jpg at an early age the value of hard work and a good education. Jeff attended Washington and Riley Elementary Schools in Independence, as well as Independence Middle School.
At Independence High School, Jeff worked hard on the sports fields as well as in the classroom. He qualified for the Kansas state championships a total of seven times in tennis, basketball and cross-country. He was also president of the student body and graduated as Valedictorian of his class. In his spare time, Jeff stayed active in the community, teaching tennis to local youth and umpiring baseball and softball games.
Getting a College Education
With an American History teacher for a dad, Jeff quickly learned the value of exploring the United States. Having visited every state but Hawaii by his senior year in high school, Jeff decided KingGraduation.jpgto see a different part of the country as a college student. After graduating from IHS, Jeff enrolled at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Attending classes in a former revolutionary war barracks where George Washington once stayed, Jeff learned to appreciate both the great history of our nation and its promising future.
Jeff took this appreciation for our country's heritage and promise back home during the summers, as he remained active in community life in southeast Kansas. While working to pay for college, Jeff also volunteered in Independence on the campaign committees of former Congressman Dick Nichols (R-KS), former Governor Bill Graves (R-KS), and Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh (R-KS).
Jeff's active involvement in the community helped him to win a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, an award (in honor of the former president) given to 75 students nationwide who display a commitment to a career in public service. Jeff also graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with degrees in international relations and economics.
Addressing the Challenges Facing American Agriculture
Growing up during the farming crisis of the 1980s, Jeff saw first-hand the devastation to families and local communities when good farmers and ranchers couldn't make ends meet in the tough agricultural economy. Jeff vowed to learn about the roots of this problem and to work to make sure that the dedicated and hard-working farmers of Kansas could make a living working the land. After college, Jeff worked with the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, where he helped to examine and reform the way the federal government conducts agricultural research.
Jeff then attended Cambridge University on a Marshall Scholarship (an award given nationally to 40 people each year). At Cambridge, Jeff earned a masters degree in agricultural economics and won an award for his work on how agricultural free trade can improve the lives of Midwestern farmers. His study also won praise in America after being published in the Review of Agricultural Economics. While getting his law degree at Yale University, Jeff continued his study of agricultural issues, focusing on the difficulties that family farmers and ranchers have competing against big businesses in the world of modern agriculture.
Coming Home
After returning to Kansas, Jeff continued his focus on agriculture. He accepted a job with Attorney General Carla Stovall (R-KS) in her Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division, where he helped the Attorney General prosecute offenders of the state's antitrust and agricultural statutes.
Jeff then continued his public service work, serving in Lawrence, Kansas as a law clerk for Chief Judge Deanell Reece Tacha on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. After spending a year working for Judge Tacha, Jeff entered private practice with the law firm of Lathrop & Gage.
Work and Family Life in Independence
During this time, Jeff met Kimberly (Brant) King while sitting next to her at a Kansas City Chiefs game. On August 28, 2004, Jeff and Kimberly were married in her childhood church in Jefferson City, Missouri.
A few months after their wedding, Jeff and Kimberly returned to Independence. Jeff is continuing his legal practice out of their family home (which is located on the same street where Jeff grew up and his parents still live).
Much of Jeff's legal work involves small businesses and agricultural clients. He was one of the attorneys who defended the state of Kansas in the school finance case before the Kansas Supreme Court.
Jeff is active in a number of civic organizations. He is a longtime Lions Club member and a current vice-president of the Independence Lions Club. He is a 2003 graduate of Leadership Kansas. Jeff is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame. He, Kimberly, and their new daughter Amelie belong to Saint Andrew's Church in Independence.
Last edited on February 10, 2007 Paid for by Kansans for Jeff King - Stewart Crow Treasurer Sitemap