The history of Oklahoma is, in great part, the history of individuals with grit, ingenuity and drive who overcame the obstacles before them—sometimes merely to survive, other times to achieve greatness. From the sorrows of forced resettlements to the challenges of building a new state; from the trials of the Dust Bowl to the booms and busts of the oil business, the story of Oklahoma is a narrative of triumph over adversity, often through sheer force of will.
The women of Oklahoma have played a vital role in the shaping of our state Oklahoma and its history. Oklahoma’s women have been leaders in nearly every field of endeavor. The Indian Ballerinas, storyteller Te Ata, and opera singer Leona Mitchell made lasting artistic contributions to Oklahoma and the world. Early civic leaders like Kate Barnard and Alice Robertson helped to ensure women a place in the public arena, just as a century later Fern Holland died in Iraq, fighting tirelessly for the rights of Iraqi women.
From politics and business to education and the arts—every aspect of Oklahoma life has been shaped by women who were as unafraid of failure as they were of shaking cultural norms. There are many inspiring stories throughout our state’s history, and this chronicle of the contributions women have made to our state is long overdue.
In 2004, I joined the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women to sponsor the Governor’s Women Summit at the State Capitol. Bob Darcy from Oklahoma State University and Christine Pappas from East Central University organized a session called “Oklahoma Women by the Numbers.”
Students gathered and distilled mountains of data that painted a statistical portrait of Oklahoma women. Supplemented by essays on a variety of women’s issues, and biographies of Oklahoma’s notable women, past and present, that data has become the Oklahoma Women’s Almanac.
This Almanac offers fascinating information on the status of women in Oklahoma. As we approach our state’s centennial, we can see how far we have come in the last one hundred years and how far we have to go. I know that this volume will become an invaluable reference to scholars and historians.
Adding depth to the statistical information are the biographies of notable Oklahoma women. These brief biographies are an acknowledgment and a celebration of the contributions women have made to building our great state.
It is my sincere hope—not just as governor, but also as the father of three girls—that the stories told by this Almanac not only record the accomplishments of Oklahoma women, but that they inspire today’s young women to build upon this foundation with feats and accomplishments all their own.
Brad Henry
Governor of Oklahoma