History of the United States Archive

Remembering Clara Luper, Oklahoma Civil Rights Leader and Educator

– June 10, 2011Posted in: History of the United States, In The News, Obituaries

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary provides a definition for the word “pioneer” that is: “soldier who builds things: a foot soldier whose duties include going ahead of the main company to construct things to pave the way for them.” It is no wonder then that Oklahoma civil rights activist Clara Luper is so frequently referred to as a “pioneer”. It fully encompasses who she was and what she did to change the face of race relations in the state of Oklahoma and beyond.

Luper, who died June 8 after a lengthy illness, was the Oklahoma civil rights activist who, in 1958, organized a lunch counter sit-in at Katz Drugstore in downtown Oklahoma City. Although police were called in and the media swarmed the store, Luper’s group of 13 demonstrators remained peaceful, and within mere days of the demonstration all 38 Katz locations in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa were desegregated.

A deeply virtuous leader and born teacher, Luper insisted on non-violence and worked to instill these values in the members of Oklahoma City NAACP chapter of which she was the leader. Ultimately, her efforts in Oklahoma led to the desegregation of hundreds of businesses. In the 1960s Luper was active in the civil rights movement on a national level. She was a high school history teacher until her retirement in 1991.

As a publisher so deeply rooted in Oklahoma, OU Press expresses gratitude to Ms. Luper for her courageous and tireless efforts on behalf of all Oklahomans, and, ultimately, the United States of American as a whole.

The Katz Drugstore demonstration, and the events leading up to it, are described in an entry within the book, An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History edited by Davis D. Joyce and published by OU Press. The book is a compilation of stories about Oklahoma’s history submitted by various authors. Originally published in hardcover in 1994, the book was reissued in paperback in 1998.

America’s heroes remembered on Veteran’s Day

dbennie

– November 11, 2010Posted in: Guest Blogs, History of the United States, Military History

The observance of Veterans Day on November 11 is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

We invited Marc Wilson, author of Hero Street, U.S.A: The Story of Little Mexico’s Fallen Soldiers, to reflect on some of the lesser-known veterans from Hero Street U.S.A. in Silvis, Illinois – the single block in America that suffered the most combat deaths in World War II and Korea.

Of death and heroes, Tanilo Sandoval is an expert

On a bright autumn day, after a prairie wind storm had blown most of the brightly colored leaves from the towering oak, maple and elm trees, Tanilo guided me through the more than 25,000 graves at the U.S. military cemetery on Arsenal Island, Illinois.

The vastness of the white markers could overwhelm, but Tanilo knows where the bodies are buried. He’s been a regular here for more than 60 years. Many times, he’s heard Taps played. Many times he’s walked the vast graveyard alone, silently visiting his fallen brothers. Many times tears have trickled down his long, white beard.

Three of his brothers are buried here, so are four of his childhood friends. Two other gravestones serve as memorials for his friends whose bodies never were found after they were killed in combat. Veterans Day has special meaning for him – on top of everything else, his father died on Veterans Day. Memories haunt his soul.

When President Woodrow proposed the first Armistice Day for Nov. 11, 1919, he said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service…”

November 11 was chosen because Germany signed the Armistice ending World War I at the 11^th hour or the 11^th day of the 11^th month. Congress formally made Armistice Day a federal holiday in 1938. After World War II and the Korean War, efforts were made to expand the day to cover all U.S. military veterans, and, in 1954, Congress passed a law to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

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Matthew H. Spring Wins Cox Book Prize

dbennie

– October 11, 2010Posted in: Awards and Honors, History of the United States, Military History

We are proud to announce Matthew H. Spring has won the Cox Book Prize for his book With Zeal and With Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775 – 1783. The prize is awarded by the Society of the Cincinnati and was presented to Spring at a black-tie dinner on September 11.

This groundbreaking book offers a new analysis of the British Army during the “American rebellion” at both operational and tactical levels. Presenting fresh insights into the speed of British tactical movements, Spring discloses how the system for training the army prior to 1775 was overhauled and adapted to the peculiar conditions confronting it in North America.

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In Praise of Bob Utley, historian of the West

dbennie

– August 5, 2010Posted in: Author Features, History of the American West, History of the United States

Our friend Robert M. Utley has left his mark on western history in ways unmatched by perhaps any other contemporary author. In 1942 at the age of twelve Bob sat mesmerized in a darkened movie theatre watching Errol Flynn channel George Armstrong Custer in They Died with Their Boots On. Thus began a fascination with the West, its legends, and its preservation that has never wavered.

At seventeen his hard-earned savings from after-school work paid for a trip from Indiana to Crow Agency, Montana. Somehow age restrictions were circumvented and, donning the uniform of the National Park Service, he stood on Custer Hill to regale all who came with the story of the iconic 1876 battle. Following college and military service, he joined and quickly moved up the ranks of the National Park Service, where he became chief historian. His work in Washington helped shape the goals of the organization in ways that still resonate. Since his retirement from the NPS in 1980 he has devoted himself to research, writing, consulting and speaking.

As author of eighteen books, four of which are published by the University of Oklahoma Press, and well over a hundred articles, introductions, and the like, he has tackled a wide range of western history, from the military to the fur trade, Sitting Bull to Billy the Kid, Texas Rangers to his forthcoming biography of Geronimo.

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Matthew H. Spring Wins the Cox Book Prize

dbennie

– August 2, 2010Posted in: Awards and Honors, History of the United States

Congratulations to Matthew H. Spring, author of With Zeal and With Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775–1783, for winning The Cox Book Prize from The Society of the Cincinnati.

This prestigious prize has been awarded every third year since 1989 to the author of a distinguished work of American history in the era of the American Revolution published during the previous three years.

The prize is awarded by a committee consisting of members of the Society and distinguished academics in the field of early American history. The prize is made possible by an endowment gift of $100,000 from the family of Dr. H. Bartholomew Cox and was named in their honor in grateful recognition of their generosity and long service to the Society.