Glenn Swogger is one of the younger men in the newspaper business in Kansas and began his career as an editor and publisher soon after leaving Kansas University. Mr. Swogger is editor and owner of The Waverly Gazette and The Harris Commercial.
The Waverly Gazette is one of the older papers of Coffey County. It was established as the Gridley Gazette in 1887 by Ben Swearingen, was moved to Burlington in 1888 and in 1889 to Waverly, where it had been published continuously ever since. The Harris Commercial is one of the live weekly papers of Anderson County and was established in 1914 by Mr. McNabb.
Mr. Glenn Swogger was born at Idana, Kansas, May 6, 1895, son of Rev. John S. and Sylvia (Meek) Swogger. Rev. John S. Swogger was born at New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1866, a son of William H. and Sally Jane (Pollard) Swogger, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Kentucky. Rev. John S. Swogger grew up on his father’s farm in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. He acquired a liberal education, receiving the degree A. B. from Westminster College at New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, in 1888, and the following three years was in the Allegheny Theological Seminary, graduating with the class of 1892. He was then regularly ordained a minister of the United Presbyterian Church at Idana, Kansas, in 1892. His ministerial career covers a quarter of a century and he had filled pulpits at Chetopa, Kansas, Alliance, Nebraska and from 1911 to 1917 was located at Edgerton, Kansas. He moved in the fall of 1917 to Oakland, Kansas, where he is now preaching. He and his wife were married at Idana December 26, 1892. His wife was born at Spring Hill, Indiana, June 30, 1875, daughter of Captain John A. and Martha (Meek) Meek, both natives of Decatur County, Indiana. She was educated in the old United Presbyterian College, Tarkio College of Tarkio, Missouri. Rev. Mr. Swogger and wife have two children, Glenn and Hazel. Hazel was born at Idana, Kansas, June 24, 1897, and completed her education in Washburn College where she specialized in music.
Glenn Swogger grew up in a home of high ideals and his education and training were directed by his cultured father and mother. He graduated from the Clay County High School with the class of 1912, took his A. B. degree at Baker University at Baldwin in 1915 and in 1916 was given the Master of Arts degree by Kansas University. He soon afterwards bought The Waverly Gazette and The Harris Commercial and had shown some exceptional qualifications as an editor and business manager of these two publications. Mr. Swogger is a Mason and a member of Kappa Sigma and Sigma Delta Chi, college fraternities.