Clark, Ann Nolan, 1896-1995

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:

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])