Muriel Hazel Wright facts for kids

Muriel Hazel Wright (born March 31, 1889 – died February 27, 1975) was an important American teacher, historian, and writer. She was especially known for her work on the Choctaw Nation.

Muriel was born in what was then called Indian Territory. Her father was a Choctaw doctor, and her grandfather, Allen Wright, was a chief of the Choctaw Nation. Muriel wrote many books about Oklahoma's history. People often called her the "Historian of Oklahoma." She was also very active with the Oklahoma Historical Society. From 1955 to 1971, she was the editor of their magazine, Chronicles of Oklahoma.

Early Life and Education

Muriel Wright was born in 1889 in Lehigh, which was part of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory. Today, this place is known as Lehigh, Oklahoma.

Her father, Eliphalet Wright, was a Choctaw man who became a doctor. He studied at Union College and Albany Medical College. He returned to the Choctaw Nation in 1895 to work as a doctor. Muriel's grandfather, Allen Wright, was a leader. He served as the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation from 1866 to 1870.

Muriel's paternal grandmother was Harriet Newell Mitchell. She came to Indian Territory from Ohio as a teacher for missionaries. She married Allen Wright in 1857. Muriel's mother, Ida Belle Richards, was also a missionary.

Muriel Wright went to Wheaton Seminary in Massachusetts. After that, she came back home. In 1912, she finished a teacher's course at East Central Normal School in Ada, Oklahoma.

From 1912 until the mid-1920s, Muriel worked as a teacher. She also became a principal in schools across southeastern Oklahoma. She took a break from 1916 to 1917 to study at Barnard College at Columbia University. There, she focused on English and history.

Becoming a Historian and Author

Muriel was always very proud of her Choctaw background. Her love for Native American history grew even more after she met author Joseph B. Thoburn in 1914. He was on the board of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

They worked together on a four-volume book called Oklahoma: A History of the State and its People. This big book was published in 1929. Muriel also wrote three textbooks about Oklahoma's history for public schools. These books were The Story of Oklahoma, Our Oklahoma, and The Oklahoma History.

In 1922, Muriel joined the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS). She was very active there for most of her life. After 1924, she spent her time writing about the Native Americans in Oklahoma. She wrote for and helped edit the OHS's quarterly magazine, The Chronicles of Oklahoma. She officially became the editor in 1955.

Her 1951 book, A Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma, is still an important resource today. It gives information about the 67 tribes that lived in Oklahoma at that time. She wrote about where each tribe was located, how many members they had, their history, and their way of life. She also covered their traditions and how they adapted to changes.

In the 1950s, the Oklahoma Historical Society wanted to teach people more about Oklahoma's history. They decided to create historical markers for important places. Muriel Wright did most of the research for the words on these markers. She made a first list of 512 important sites. This list grew to 557 sites and was published in the Chronicles of Oklahoma in 1958.

Muriel then worked with George H. Shirk to create the book Oklahoma Historical Markers. This book focused on 131 of the most important sites. In 1966, she did a similar project with LeRoy H. Fischer. They wrote Civil War Sites in Oklahoma, which described each site and its importance. Muriel even led public tours of these sites for the OHS.

Muriel Wright also played a big part in helping the Choctaw people. She worked to get them fair rights and money for the land they had lost.

In 1971, the North American Indian Women's Association honored Muriel Wright. They named her the most outstanding Indian woman of the 20th century.

Muriel Wright retired in 1973. She passed away in Oklahoma City on February 27, 1975. She is buried at Rose Hill Burial Park in Oklahoma City. Her historical papers are kept at the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Awards and Honors

Muriel Wright received many awards for her important work:

• Oklahoma Hall of Fame, 1940
• University of Oklahoma's Distinguished Service Award, 1948
• Oklahoma City Business and Professional Woman of the Year, 1950
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Oklahoma University, 1964
• Honorary Doctor of Humanities, Oklahoma City University, 1964
• National American Indian Women's Association Award, 1971
• Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, 1993

Books by Muriel Wright

• The story of Oklahoma, 1923
• Oklahoma: A History of the State and its People, 1929 (with Joseph B. Thoburn)
• The Oklahoma History, 1929
• Our Oklahoma, 1939
• A Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma, 1951
• Mark of Heritage: Oklahoma Historical Markers, 1958 (with George H. Shirk)
• Civil War Sites in Oklahoma, 1966 (with LeRoy H. Fischer)