Anita B. Gorman

Anita B. Gorman
BornNovember 17, 1930 (95 years old)

Anita B. Gorman is a conservation advocate from Missouri. She is the first woman who was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.

Life

Gorman was born in Palmyra, Missouri. The family moved to Kansas City in 1943.[1] Her father worked as a mechanic for TWA.[1] She earned an undergraduate degree in economics from William Jewell College and a graduate degree in economics from Boston University.[2] She married Gerald Gorman in 1954 and had two daughters.

Philanthropy and Conservation

In 1979, Gorman was the first woman appointed to Kansas City's Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.[3] She served as president of the Board from 1986 to 1991.[1]

She is a lifetime member of the Board of Directors for the Starlight Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri). She raised millions of dollars for the Theatre,[1] and in 2007 the Theatre craeted the Anita B. Gorman Court of Honor.[4]

Gorman helped found the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation,[4] a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds for conservation projects in Missouri.[5] The Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, an educational complex and office for the Missouri Department of Conservation located in Kansas City's Kauffman Legacy Park, is named for her.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hodes, David (2025-03-20). "9 Over 90: Anita Gorman". Kansas City Magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  2. ^ Gorman, Anita B. (September 26, 2014). "An interview with Anita Gorman at her home in Kansas City, Missouri" (PDF). State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  3. ^ Keegan, Charlie (2022-04-19). "Fountain Day Kansas City ceremony to honor Anita B. Gorman". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  4. ^ a b "Recipient Biography". The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  5. ^ "Mission, Goals & History". Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  6. ^ Graham, Bill (June 3, 2005). "Naming of center honors Gorman". Kansas City Star. pp. B2.
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