Published by The Evansville Courier

His more than 18,000 drawings by the time he retired in 1960 had recorded important events of Evansville - and the world - through the first half of the 20th century.

"In looking through all of the cartoons that The Courier published during Knecht's career, I can see American history right there in his drawings," said Dr. Philip Ensley, professor of history at the University of Evansville. Ensley wrote a book in 1979 titled, "The World of Karl Kae Knecht through his Cartoons."

Courier editor Percy Carroll could not have known when he hired Knecht in September 1906 that this artist would establish himself as the most enduring newspaper cartoonist in American history. It is thought that Knecht's 54 years in the same city with the same newspaper is still a record.

But in Evansville, the man whose drawings were known and reprinted by newspapers around the world was admired for more than his daily front-page cartoons. He also became known as a great supporter of civic causes, as a great lover of theater and the circus, and as the founder of Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo.

"Although he was a remarkable cartoonist, I would say that Karl Kae Knecht's greatest contribution was not to the world of cartooning, but to the city of Evansville," Ensley said. "He supported almost every major civic organization and institution in Evansville - partially through his cartoon work - but also in his life. He was a 'booster' in the real sense of the word."

Knecht fell in love with the circus as a boy and through his life visited - even toured with - many major circuses. After the John Robinson Circus gave him a pair of lions, Knecht led a Courier appeal to collect money for a baby elephant. The drive raised $2,000 - mostly in nickels, dimes and quarters given by area school children.

Kay, the baby elephant, arrived in Evansville in 1929 to live in the new Mesker Park Zoo - also Indiana's first zoo. After that, Kay became a trademark for Knecht. She appeared in every cartoon he drew, usually with some comment about the topic of the day.

Just as Kay became a trademark for Knecht, the cartoonist's work became a trademark for The Evansville Courier. Long after other national newspapers had relegated their cartoons to the editorial pages, Knecht's daily commentary remained on The Courier's front page. It too worked its way to the editorial page during the early 1950s.

"It was the first thing people saw when they picked up their Courier every day," Ensley pointed out. "Whatever he presented made an immediate impact on readers."