Clark, Ann Nolan, 1896-1995

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1898-12-05
Death 1995-12-13

Biographical notes:

New Mexico teacher of Native American and Latin American children, and award-winning author.

From the description of Ann Nolan Clark manuscript, 1969. (New Mexico State University). WorldCat record id: 45007112

American author of children's books. Worked as educational specialist, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1920-1962, as a teacher and author of textbooks; also worked for the Institute of Inter-American Affairs in Central and South America, 1945-1950, writing reading materials for classrooms.

From the description of Ann Nolan Clark papers, 1965-1979. (University of Arizona). WorldCat record id: 31185182

Ann Nolan Clark is best remembered for her books for Native American and Hispanic American children's books, which incorporated cultural values, situations and characters. Among her more than 40 books, Secret of the Andes won a Newbery Medal. She also recieved the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Dept., of the Interior, and in 1984, was names outstanding author in Arizona. Clark's periodical articles appeared under the name Marie Dunne.

From the description of Papers, 1976, 1979. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63314728

Author, educator. Born in 1896 in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She was involved for over 20 years in educational programs of the United States Indian Service and UNESCO. Her children's books include "In My Mother's House" (1941), "Little Navajo Bluebird" (1943), "Secret of the Andes" (1952), "Indian Pottery Maker" (1955), "Paco's Miracle" (1962), "Bear Cub" (1965), "Arizona for Young People" (1968), and "Hoofprint on the Wind" (1972).

From the description of Papers, ca. 1962-1965. (Texas Tech University). WorldCat record id: 23237664

Ann Nolan Clark (1896-1995) spent her life as a writer and educator for Native American and Hispanic children of the American Southwest. Many of her works were based on her own personal experiences and travels.

From the description of Ann Nolan Clark papers, 1965-1972 [manuscript]. (University of Southern Mississippi, Regional Campus). WorldCat record id: 707749042

Born in Las Vegas, New Mexico on December 5, 1896, Ann Nolan grew up with children of diverse backgrounds. She graduated from New Mexico's Highlands University in 1919 with a degree in Education. In 1920, she married Thomas Patrick Clark and they had one son.

While Clark worked as a teacher for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1920-1962, she began writing books for children that reflected their culture. She also worked for the Institute of Inter-American Affairs in Central and South America, 1945-1950, training teachers and writing materials for the classroom. Her work with various cultures was a source for her children's books.

She was awarded the New York Herald Tribune Spring Festival Award for In My Mother's House, 1941, and Looking for Something, 1942; the Newbery Medal, 1952, for Secret of the Andes ; U.S. government's Distinguished Service Award, 1962; and the Regina medal, 1963. Throughout her career, her writings, including over 28 trade titles, have presented a variety of cultures with dignity and respect. She died in Tucson on December 6, 1995.

From the guide to the Ann Nolan Clark papers, 1962-1979, (University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections)

1889 Born, Las Vegas, New Mexico, the daughter of Patrick Francis and Mary (Dunne) Nolan ca. 1915 1919 Student, Highlands University, Las Vegas 1919 Married Thomas Patrick Clark; one son, Thomas Patrick (killed in action in World War II) 1919 1923 Assistant English teacher, Highlands University; teacher, public schools in New Mexico 1923 1962 Bureau of Indian Affairs: teacher, Santa Fe Boarding School, Tesuque Pueblo; education specialist, 1930- ; head of preparation of materials, Department of Adult Education 1940 Assigned to write a series of "Indian Life Readers which were published in English/Sioux, English/Navajo, and English/Spanish 1940 Who Wants to be a Prairie Dog?, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1940 Little Herder in Spring, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1940 Little Herder in Autumn, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1940 Little Boy with Three Names, U.S. Office of Indian Affairs 1941 The Pine Ridge Porcupine, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1941 In My Mother's House, Viking (New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival award; Junior Literary Guild selection; runner-up for Caldecott Medal) 1941 A Child's Story of New Mexico, University Publishing (with Frances Carey) 1942 About the Slim Butte Raccoon, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1942 Little Herder in Winter, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1942 Little Herder in Summer, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1942 Buffalo Caller, Row, Peterson 1942 There Still Are Buffalo, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1943Young Hunters of Picuris, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1943 Bringer of the Mystery Dog, U. S. Indian Service 1943 Little Navajo Bluebird, Viking (Junior Literary Guild selection) 1943 About the Grass Mountain Mouse, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1943 About the Hen of Wahpeton, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs 1944 Brave Against the Enemy, U. S. Indian Service 1945 Sun Journey, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs ca. 1945 Established monthly magazine for all intermediate-grade Indian children of the United States ca. 1945 Member of Indian Service team working with relocated Japanese-Americans to help them establish their own educational programs 1945 1950 Materials specialist, Institute of Inter-American Affairs (Inter-American Educational Foundation). Lived in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil; trained native teachers in these countries and helped them prepare teaching materials 1946 1946 [?] Education consultant, Latin American Bureau, International Cooperation Administration [?] U. S. delegate UNESCO Conferences, Brazil and Paris 1947 Singing Sioux Cowboy Reader, U. S. Indian Service

The following seven books were "written at the request of the Institute of Inter-American Affairs for use in any Latin American country."

1948 El Buey que Queria Vivir en la Casa, Government Printing Office (GPO) 1948 La Gallina que Queria Ayudar, GPO 1948 Linda Rita, GPO 1948 Los Patos son Diferentes, GPO 1949 El Cerdito que Fue al Mercado, GPO 1949 En el Camino de la Escuela, GPO 1949 Juan el Poblado, GPO 1948 El Maestro Rural en la Comunidad, Guatemala, Department of Rural Education 1950 Magic Money, Viking (Junior Literary Guild selection) 1951 Little Navajo Herder, U. S. Indian service (compilation of four earlier books) 1952 Looking-for-Something, Viking (New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival award; Junior Literary Guild selection) 1952 Secret of the Andes, Viking (Newbery Medal; Junior Literary Guild selection) 1952 Blaukehlchen, das Indianerkind, Wein, Eurasia 1954 Blue Canyon Horse, Viking 1955 Santiago, Viking 1955 The Little Indian Pottery Maker, Melmont 1956 Third Monkey, Viking 1957 The Little Indian Basket Maker, Melmont 1959 A Santo for Pasqualita, Viking 1960 World Song, Viking 1962 Paco's Miracle, Bell Books 1962 O Milagre na Montanha, Rio do Janeiro, Distribuidora Record (translation of Paco's Miracle) 1962 The Desert People, Viking 1962 Recipient, Distinguished Service medal, U. S. Department of the Interior 1963 Father Kino, Priest to the Pimas, Farrar, Straus 1963 A Keepsake, Viking 1963 Recipient, Regina medal, Catholic Library Association 1963 Medicine Man's Daughter, Farrar, Straus 1963 Tia Maria's Garden, Viking 1965 Bear Cub, Viking 1965 This for That, Golden Gate 1965 A Grande Aventura, Sao Paulo, Editora Brasiliense 1967 Brother Andre of Montreal, Vision Books 1978 Summer Is for Growing, Farrar, Straus 1968 Arizona for Young People 1969 Along Sandy Trails, Viking 1969 Journey to the People, Viking 1969 These Were the Valiant, Horn 1970 Circle of Seasons, Farrar, Straus 1972 Hoofprint on the Wind, Viking 1975 Year Walk, Viking 1976 All This Wild Land, Viking 1978 To Stand Against the Wind, Viking 1979 In the Land of Small Dragon; A Vietnamese Folk Tale, Viking (by Dang Manh Kha, told to Ann Nolan Clark)

Mrs. Clark has also held membership in the following organizations:

Alpha Delta Kappa Altrusa International Benjamin Franklin Society (honorary) International Council of Women Kappa Delta Pi (honorary) Mark Twain Society (honorary) National Council of Women P.E.N. (New York) (honorary)

From the guide to the Ann Nolan Clark Manuscript, 1969, (Archives and Special Collections, New Mexico State University Library)

Ann Nolan Clark was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1896. She worked as a school teacher and started a 42-year career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1920. She realized that Native American children could learn more easily if books were focused on their culture. She wrote over forty children's books and was one of the first Caucasian authors to write books about minorities using elements from their own cultures. In addition to books about Native Americans, she also write books for Hispanic American children, among others. She won the Newbery Medal for her novel, Secret of the Andes. She died in 1995 in Tucson, Arizona.

Biographical source: Something About the Author, vol. 87, p. 43.

From the guide to the Ann Nolan Clark Papers, 1952-1979, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])

Links to collections

Comparison

This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.

  • Added or updated
  • Deleted or outdated

Information

Subjects:

  • Arizona
  • Children's literature
  • Children's literature, American
  • Children's literature, American
  • Children's poetry, American
  • Indians of North America
  • Manuscripts
  • Manuscripts, American
  • Pima Indians
  • Pima Indians
  • Children's literature, American
  • Pima Indians

Occupations:

  • Writer

Places:

  • NM, US
  • New Mexico (as recorded)
  • New Mexico--Las Cruces (as recorded)
  • New Mexico (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)