Sara Jane Richter Authors Book on Oklahoma Panhandle

Sara Jane Richter, PhD, is Dean of the School of Liberal Studies and professor of English at Panhandle State University in Goodwell, OK. She is also the author of a recently published book entitled The Oklahoma Panhandle. This book illustrates the region's history through photos and captions. It is filled with outlaws, college students, settlers, ranchers, Native Americans, dust storms, immigrants, dinosaurs and much more. Richter has a BA from Phillips University in Enid and a MA and PhD in English from Oklahoma State University. She gives literary and historical programs on a range of topics including Depression era women, women of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, and women of the western gold fields. She has researched the WPA, the Dust Bowl and much more. Her book would make a great gift for Oklahomans and others. It is available in bookstores, online and through Arcadia Publishing (888-313-2665). 128 pages, soft cover, $21.99.

Sandra Olson, Juanita Keel Tate Honored

The Oklahoma Historical Society recently honored four individuals -- including Sandra Olson and Juanita Keel Tate (left) -- for outstanding contributions to Oklahoma's history.Olson was recognized for her fundraising efforts and work resulting in restoration of historic buildings in Waynoka. Tate (now 101 years of age) contributed greatly to the preservation of Chickasaw history as well as her own family history. She is author of Edmund Pickens (Okchantubby): First Elected Chickasaw Chief, His Life and Times. Read more by clicking here. 

OSU's Oral History Research Program Interviews Oklahoma's Women Legislators

Oklahoma State University has an oral history program which operates out of the Edmond Lowe Library. One initiative records the voices of the women inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame which is hosted by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. Project leader here is Juliana Nykolaiszyn.

Another effort is their "Remembering Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel: Poet and Dust Bowl Emigrant" project. Here prreservation of materials, historical documents and oral memories focus on Oklahoma poet Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel. Project leader on this effort is Karen Neurohr.

Not surprisingly, the project I get most excited about is OSU's oral history of the "Women of the Oklahoma Legislature." Here OSU is chronicling the lives of the women who served in the Oklahoma House and Senate. It records their memories plus holds historical documents of these extraordinary women past and present. This project is lead by Tanya Finchum.

The image in the post comes out of that effort. Hope they get more information up on the Internet so we can know more on this project (or maybe it is there and I can't find it). :-)

Here is a list of all women who have served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. (Anyone know of a similar list for all women who have served in the Oklahoma State Senate?)

Sheila Spurgeon New Director of Preservation Oklahoma, Inc.

Sheila Spurgeon has a doctorate in educational psychology and has taught at five universities but she has always had a special place in her heart for historical preservation. Now, as the new executive director of Preservation Oklahoma Inc, she is a key player in preserving Okahoma's architectural treasures. Read about her in this July 20 Oklahoman article entitled "Historic homes get shot at future."

Forty-Sixth Star Press Publishes "It Wasn't Much"

Forty-Sixth Star Press, a wonderful new Oklahoma publishing company, focuses on telling Oklahoma's story. As part of their "Oklahoma Portraits Series," they recently published It wasn't Much: Ten True Tales of Oklahoma Heroes by Jana Hausburg with portraits by Cheryl Delany. I loved this book!

Aimed at a young audience, this collection of short biographies tells of ten Oklahomans who have contributed in big as well as small ways to the state, the nation and the world. I am delighted that half the Oklahomans featured are women.

Those women are Rosemary Hogan (the angel of Bataan), Fern Holland (who was assassinated for her work on women's rights in Iraq), Bartlesville's gutsy librarian and civil rights leader Ruth Brown, environmental activist Carrie Dickerson, and Oklahoma City Red Cross volunteer Felicia Daugherty.

In addition to the book, there are http://www.fortysixthstarpress.com/extraheroes.htmlextra materials and activities that supplement each chapter including resource materials, websites and discussion questions.

Oklahoma historians, parents, teachers and librarians, you will want to add this book to your collection. I plan to take several copies with me next time I travel to Kenya to add to our library collections in Meru! Here are a few locations where It Wasn’t Much: True Tales of Ten Oklahoma Heroes is available in Oklahoma City:

Best of Books 1313 E. Danforth in Edmond

Cokesbury, 6907 N May Ave in OKC

The Learning Tree 7638 N Western Ave in OKC

Oklahoma Historical Society Gift Shop 2401 N. Laird Ave in OKC

St. Thomas More Books and Gifts 7904 North May Avenue in OKC

BlogOklahoma on Kate Barnard

BlogOklahoma.us has a nice blog post on Oklahoma's Kate Barnard with lots of useful links, too. You can read the blog post here.