Events
Perhaps the woman most important to Oklahoma history is one most Oklahomans know nothing about. Connie Cronley seeks to remedy that with a fresh biography of Kate Barnard, the fiery reformer who became the first woman elected to state office in 1907—nearly fifteen years before women gained the right to vote. After targeting child labor and poor conditions in hospitals and prisons, “The Good Angel of Oklahoma” turned her eye to the theft of Indian estates. Her investigation was a notable precursor to the later investigation launched by the FBI in response to the Osage murders.
Connie is a Tulsa writer. She has published three books of essays and co-authored a memoir with the late Edward Perkins, a career Foreign Service officer. She is a regular columnist for “TulsaPeople” magazine and for Life Senior Services’ “Vintage newsmagazine,” a regular book reviewer on KOTV’s “Noon News” and a commentator on Tulsa Public Radio. She is a Cherokee Nation citizen.