This day in Oklahoma history: January 30

Caroline Sellers/KFOR
·1 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

OKLAHOMA (KFOR) – An influential Oklahoma historian was born on January 30, 1890.

According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Angie Debo was born on Jan. 30, 1890, in Beattie, Kansas. She later moved to Oklahoma with her family in the late 1890s to Marshall, Oklahoma Territory.

Angie Debo, 1949.
Angie Debo, 1949.
Angie Debo, 1952. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1952. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.

Officials say Debo obtained her teaching certificate at age sixteen and began teaching at nearby schools before graduating from high school at age 23. She later received her bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Oklahoma.

Debo became an influential historian of Oklahoma and American Indian history where she utilized archival materials and oral history to explain the complex relationship between tribes and the government.

THIS DAY IN OKLAHOMA HISTORY: January 18

Angie Debo, 1962. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1962. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1958. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1958. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.

She went on to write a variety of books, one of her most famous being “And Still the Waters Run” in 1940.

She eventually began working as a librarian and researcher at Oklahoma A&M, now known as Oklahoma State University.

Angie Debo, 1978. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1978. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1987. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.
Angie Debo, 1987. Image courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.

Debo’s portrait was hung in the Rotunda of the State Capitol in 1985. She also received the Award for Scholarly Distinction from the the American Historical Association two weeks before her death in 1988.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.