William A. Durant facts for kids

William A. Durant (March 18, 1866 – August 1, 1948) was an important Democratic Party politician from Oklahoma. He was a leader of the Choctaw Nation and also served in the Oklahoma state government.

Durant was special because he was the only person to be Speaker of the Choctaw Nation and Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives at the same time. He also helped create Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Early Life and Education

William A. Durant was born on March 18, 1866, in Bennington, which was then part of Indian Territory. His father, Sylvester Durant, was a Presbyterian minister.

William went to Arkansas College and earned a master's degree in education in 1886. He became a lawyer and was allowed to practice law in the courts of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, as well as in United States federal courts.

In 1890, he was elected to the legislature of the Choctaw Nation. The next year, in 1891, he became the Speaker of that legislature. He married Ida May Corber on April 19, 1892.

Durant also helped at the 1906 Oklahoma constitutional convention. This was a meeting where leaders created the rules and laws for Oklahoma before it became a state. On November 16, 1907, he took part in the ceremony that officially made Oklahoma a state.

Serving Oklahoma in the Legislature

Morrison Hall, Southeastern Oklahoma State University

After Oklahoma became a state, Durant was elected to the Oklahoma Legislature in 1907. This is where state laws are made.

In 1909, he sponsored a bill that created the Southeastern Normal School. This school later became Southeastern Oklahoma State University, located in Durant, Oklahoma. The school opened on June 14, 1909, offering high school and junior college courses. William Durant also helped write a bill about where Oklahoma's capital city should be.

He became the third Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. This is a very important leadership role in the state legislature. He continued to serve in the legislature until 1917. During this time, he also served as Speaker of the Choctaw Nation.

Durant also held other important government jobs. He was the Secretary of the Oklahoma Senate and a Chief Clerk of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Choctaw Nation Chief

After Oklahoma became a state, the President of the United States would appoint the chiefs of the Choctaw Nation. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed William Durant as the Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation. He served in this role from 1937 to 1948.

Death

William A. Durant passed away in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma, on August 1, 1948. He is buried in Durant, Oklahoma.