From the archives: Oklahoma woman historian who struggled to rise above prejudices
Called “Oklahoma’s Greatest Historian” by Gov. Brad Henry, Angie Debo was born Jan. 30, 1890, in Beattie, Kan.
She came to Oklahoma in a covered wagon with her parents and younger brother at age 9 to Marshall, Oklahoma Territory, her home for much of her life.
She taught in rural schools at age 16 in 1906 and graduated from Marshall High School at age 23 in 1913.
She majored in history at the University of Oklahoma, studying under Edward Everett Dale, and received her bachelor of arts degree in 1918.
She returned to teaching for five years, saving money for graduate school. She attended the University of Chicago and received her master of arts degree in 1924. She taught at West Texas State Teachers College in Canyon, Texas. She then returned to OU, where in 1933, she received her Ph.D.
Her dissertation, “The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic,” was published in 1934 and received the John H. During Prize from American Historical Association as the most important contribution to studies in American history in 1934. In spite of this success, she could not find a teaching position as most college history departments at the time were not even considering hiring women...
... In 1988, at age 98, she received the Award for Scholarly Distinction from the American Historical Association. She died two weeks later on Feb. 21, 1988, and is remembered for her courageous presentation of the truth.
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She came to Oklahoma in a covered wagon with her parents and younger brother at age 9 to Marshall, Oklahoma Territory, her home for much of her life.
She taught in rural schools at age 16 in 1906 and graduated from Marshall High School at age 23 in 1913.
She majored in history at the University of Oklahoma, studying under Edward Everett Dale, and received her bachelor of arts degree in 1918.
She returned to teaching for five years, saving money for graduate school. She attended the University of Chicago and received her master of arts degree in 1924. She taught at West Texas State Teachers College in Canyon, Texas. She then returned to OU, where in 1933, she received her Ph.D.
Her dissertation, “The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic,” was published in 1934 and received the John H. During Prize from American Historical Association as the most important contribution to studies in American history in 1934. In spite of this success, she could not find a teaching position as most college history departments at the time were not even considering hiring women...
... In 1988, at age 98, she received the Award for Scholarly Distinction from the American Historical Association. She died two weeks later on Feb. 21, 1988, and is remembered for her courageous presentation of the truth.