Friday, February 23, 2007

Guthrie's Harriet Kennedy

There was a lovely article in The Guthrie News by Rex Hogan on Sunday January 28, 2007 about Harriett Kennedy, an African-American business woman who advanced racial integration in Guthrie. She moved to Guthrie in 1946 and opened a restaurant making her (it is believed) the first African-American woman to open a business in Guthrie. She ran several businesses but the one she is most famous for was the H and A Supper Club on the 400 block of Drexel Street.

Tulsa Author Sue Hinton

So I am featuring Oklahoma women writers to my website and today I added Sue Hinton (July 22, 1948 - ) who writes young adult fiction. Her books including The Outsiders (1967), Rumble Fish (1968), That Was Then, This is Now (1971), Tex (1979) and Taming The Star Runner (1988). She has also written two books for children - Big David, Little David (1995) and The Puppy Sister (1995). She earned her BS degree from the University of Tulsa in 1970.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Dee Porter: 1st Women Administrator of OK Corp Commission

Dee Faircloth Porter was named the first female general administrator to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in 2003. She has a long history of service to the community and many awards and honors for her work with Native Americans and persons with disabilities, in particular. She has owned several businesses, managed non-profit organizations and served in state government during her career. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, OU's National Leadership Academy, the Oklahoma Public Health Leadership Institute, and CYA Associates Executive Mentor program. She has received several Governor's Commendations and was named the American Society for Public Administration's 2004 Distinguished Public Service Award recipient as well as named to the 2006 Journal Record's 50 Making a Difference. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from OU with highest honors, she also attended OCU's MBA program. She is considered an expert on state strategic planning and Malcolm Baldrige quality processes and she strives to share her knowledge and experience with women and underserved populations.

Augusta Corson Metcalfe: Oklahoma Artist

At the suggestion of Elaine Warner (Thanks, Elaine), I have added Augusta Corson Metcalfe to my website under Notable Women: Pioneers.
Augusta Corson Metcalfe (1881-1971) came to Oklahoma Territory with her family in 1893, settling on the newly-opened Cheyenne-Arapaho lands. She continued to work the land for 78 years, often alone, but she always took time to draw and paint the scenes around her. Her paintings offer an extensive picture of Oklahoma country life in the early days of statehood. She was almost 70 when nationwide public acclaim came to her work. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1968 and into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1983.

Kate Galt Zaneis

Oklahoma Governor Marland named Kate Galt Zaneis of Ardmore as president of Southeastern State Teachers College in Durant effective May 20, 1935 making her the first woman president of a teachers college in the United States. She had taught in elementary Schools and in junior and senior hig schools in Ardmore. She had served as principal of the Lincoln School in Ardmore, superintendent of a consolidated school and county superintendent for Carter County. She taught summer courses at Southeastern Teachers College (where she received her college degree). She was working on a masters degree from Oklahoma A & M College (now OSU) when appointed college president.

Source. Oklahoman article dates May 12, 1935.

I'm Back

Anyone miss me? I have been in Kenya sorting books for a children's library at the Kaaga School for Hearing Impaired Children. See Kenya2007.blogspot.com