A request to add "Home of Harry Colmery" signs to federal and state highway approaches to the city is being sought by the American Legion Department of Kansas and the Downtown Topeka Foundation.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has a "Home Of" program which allows cities to recognize the birthplace or home of a living or historic person. Only one individual per city is allowed and only their name can be on the sign.

Currently, one "home of" sign exists at the western city limits and I-70 for Astronaut Ron Evans who was a graduate of Highland Park High School and part of the last manned Apollo mission to the moon in 1972. The sign was put up by the federal government to promote NASA's space program about this time. The City of Topeka did not request this sign.

Harry W. Colmery is best known as the author of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, also known as the “G.I. Bill” which became law on June 22, 1944. The G.I. Bill is one of the most significant laws in American history because it provided American soldiers returning from World War II and other military conflicts the financial resources to acquire education, obtain health benefits and secure low-interest loans. It transformed the United States both economically and socially by creating a middle class. As the architect of the G.I. Bill, Topeka’s own Harry W. Colmery - a World War I veteran, attorney and American Legion national commander - wanted veterans to avoid the unemployment and poverty that his fellow World War I veterans faced when returning from service.

In recognition of Mr. Colmery's significant contribution to the country, the American Legion, Kansas Department and Downtown Topeka Foundation will be dedicating a new pocket park Downtown on June 22, 2016 to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the G.I. Bill signing by President Roosevelt. It is believed that by celebrating Topeka as the home of Mr. Colmery, the signs may have greater widespread impact on tourism to Topeka. In addition, park creators have offered to raise funds for a Ron Evans placard Downtown since he on the list of notable Topekans.

Staff recommends a variance be sought from KDOT to keep the Ron Evans sign and add Harry W. Colmery signs including descriptive text “Author of the GI Bill” as cities with an astronaut “home of” sign were never given a chance to request a sign and are essentially excluded from the program.  This results in an unfair choice to remove an already commemorated individual that is significant to the community.