History:

In 1941, Topeka High School established Topeka Trade School at 602 SW Harrison Street. The first courses were Machine Shop and Auto Mechanics and additional courses were soon added. Wartime and civil service training for Topeka Army Air Field personnel took place at the school during World War II as well as pre-induction training for Topeka Public School students bound for military service. Following WWII and the Korean War, many veterans received training from Topeka Trade School at the Forbes Center location.

In 1964, legislation allowed the creation of Northeast Kansas Vocational Technical School. The school's name was changed to Kaw Area Vocational Technical School in 1967, and changed again in 1992 to Kaw Area Technical School. Land for the campus was purchased from Mrs. Alf Landon, wife of the former governor, and the new building was dedicated in1968. KATS began with the creation of a consortium of the boards of education of five school districts. Today, KATS is the managing partner based on existing vocational education agreements with a consortium of 17 unified school districts. In 2008, the management of KATS shifted from Topeka Unified School District 501 Board of Education to be operated as a unit administered by Washburn University and governed by the WU Board of Regents. The current name is Washburn Institute of Technology.