Debo, Angie, 1890-1988

Noted Oklahoma Indian historian and advocate of Indian rights.

Debo was born in Beattie, Kansas in 1890, moved to Marshall, Oklahoma Territory, with her family in 1899, taught in rural schools at age 16, graduated from Marshall High School in 1913 and from the University of Oklahoma (OU) in 1918 with a degree in history. Taught history at Enid High School for four years, received master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1924, taught at West Texas State Teachers College from 1924-1933, received doctorate from OU in 1933, served as curator of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, TX, 1933-1934. In subsequent years she was primarily a researcher and writer of books on the Five Civilized Tribes, Geronimo, and the history of Native Americans and of Oklahoma. She also was a teacher, pastor, and director of the Federal Writers Project in Oklahoma. From 1947-1955 she was curator of maps at Oklahoma State University. After retirement in 1955 she wrote, lectured, traveled, researched family histories, served on the boards of directors of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Association on American Indian Affairs, made surveys for the Indian Rights Association, and lobbied for land rights for Indians in Alaska and for water rights for the Havasupai and Pima in Arizona. Authored nine books, edited three, co-authored another, wrote many chapters, articles and forewords, and presented numerous papers on Native Americans and Oklahoma history.

Founded December 1890 as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical (A & M) College; officially became Oklahoma State University in 1957.

Angie Debo, teacher, historian and author, wrote of the corrupt treatment of the Five Civilized Tribes, Native American history and biography, and life in early day Oklahoma. Dr. Debo taught writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, New Mexico during the spring of 1965.

Under the corporate name "T. D. Allen," Don and Terry D. Allen co- authored several books and articles on Indian and Western life. Dr. Debo's friendship with the Allen's seems to have begun before she edited their book, Navahos Have Five Fingers, (Norman, U of Oklahoma Press, 1963). It continued for many years.