Kate Barnard program, Oklahoma History Center

On Wednesday, August 22, the Research Center will offer a program about the life and contributions of Kate Barnard from 1 to 3 pm. The program will feature a presentation about Kate Barnard by Erin Brown. Mallory Covington will provide insight into the Kate Barnard Collection, part of the OHS Manuscript Archives. Registration is $10 per person, and we ask that you preregister by calling 405-522-5225. This program will be held in the Clark and Kay Musser Learning Lab, located inside the Research Center on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center.

Kate Barnard is one of the most significant players in Oklahoma politics, but one few people know. Even fewer understand the pivotal role she played nationally and internationally. In many ways, the state of Oklahoma was defined in its infancy by Barnard and the political power she held. Barnard was the first woman to be elected to a state office in Oklahoma. She served as the commissioner of Charities and Corrections, a position she proposed and advocated for during the Constitutional Convention. This achievement is just one of many—and all before women had the right to vote! Her legacy continues to impact Oklahomans today.

The OHS Manuscript Archives include several items related to Kate Barnard—the most important being her diary. It contains notes, references to her work, and family history. Additional research materials include biographies, newspaper articles, and research about Kate Barnard.

Erin Brown is the curator of collections at the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Historic Carnegie Library in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Mallory Covington is a certified archivist and supervisor of the Manuscript Archives in the Research Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society.