Early Career

After his discharge from the military, Docking returned to Lawrence to take a position at First National Bank of Lawrence, his family's banking business. Docking married Elkhart, Kansas native and University of Kansas business graduate Meredith Marina Gear on June 17, 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri. ^[1] In 1956, Docking moved to Arkansas City, Kansas to take a position as vice president of Union State Bank. In 1959 he became president of the bank. Also in 1959 Docking was named "Young Man of the Year" by the Kansas State Junior Chamber of Commerce. In addition to his banking career, Docking also became involved in an insurance agency and a feedlot business.^[2]

Governor of Kansas (1967-1975)

Docking was elected governor in 1966 in a major upset over the incumbent Republican, William Avery, whom Docking attacked for his administration's unpopular income and sales tax hikes. Avery was also hurt by a contentious court ordered school district unification process that took place during his term. ^[3] Avery had trailed in polling before the election, but was still seen as the favorite due to Kansas's strong Republican tradition and the intense unpopularity of the Johnson Administration in the state. ^[4]

The 1967 legislative session was dominated by bitter clashes between Docking and a largely Republican legislature on taxes, school finance and highway construction.^[5] Accomplishments of the session were considered modest, but the Governor fulfilled a campaign promise by securing approval of a cut of income taxes on the first $2,000 of taxable income from 2.5% to 2%, established conformity between federal and state income taxes and reduced withholding rates form 15% to 10%. ^[6] He ultimately vetoed 21 bills passed during the session. ^[7]

Docking served more terms than any other Kansas governor, but is tied for length of service because of a constitutional amendment approved during his final term which provided that Kansas governors serve four-year terms, and are constitutionally prohibited from running for more than two terms. He was known for his commitment to farmers, small business owners, and the environment.

The son of former Gov. George Docking (1957–1961), he was married to Meredith and they had two sons, William and Tom, the latter of whom served as lieutenant governor and ran unsuccessfully for the governorship in 1986. After his service as governor, Docking resumed his former profession of banking in Arkansas City. He donated his papers to the University of Kansas rather than give them to the Kansas State Historical Society, where the papers of his 34 predecessors are stored, with the exception of his father, who burned his gubernatorial papers.