William A. (William Arch) McKeever

Born in Jackson County, Kansas, in 1868, he was educated at Campbell College, the University of Kansas, and the University of Chicago. Early in his career he served as a school principal and later taught at Kansas State Agricultural College before becoming known more widely as an educator, lecturer, and author.

His writing centered on education and child welfare, with books such as Farm Boys and Girls, Training the Boy, Training the Girl, and Outlines of Child Study. Library and catalog records also show his work ranging into psychology, democracy, and Kansas history, reflecting a broad interest in how young people learn and how communities grow.

He died in 1940. Although not a household name today, his books capture a practical, reform-minded approach to family life and schooling in the Progressive Era, especially in the rural Midwest.