Catherine Ann "Kate" Barnard (May 23, 1875 – February 23, 1930) was the first woman to be elected as a state official in Oklahoma, and the second woman to be elected to a statewide public office in the United States,[1] in 1907. She served as the first Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Corrections for two four-year terms, the only position that the 1907 Oklahoma Constitution permitted a woman to hold.
First woman elected to statewide office in Oklahoma
Before being elected to office, Barnard had worked as a teacher and in clerical patronage positions in the territorial government.[2] She was also heavily involved in charity work.
Barnard was born in Geneva, Nebraska, on May 23, 1875, to John P. and Rachel Sheill Barnard.[2] Her mother died when she was two and the family was living in Kansas.[2] She was raised by relatives until 1891, when she moved to Newalla, Oklahoma, where her father, a jack-of-all-trades, had a land claim. [a]She lived alone on the claim for two years while he lived and worked in Oklahoma City. She moved to Oklahoma City in 1895, attended St. Joseph's Academy (a Catholic school), obtained a teaching certificate, and taught until 1902.[4]
Charity workEdit
After she quit teaching, Barnard took a business course, then became a secretary for the territorial legislature in Oklahoma City. In 1904, she was selected from among 500 applicants to be a "territorial hostess" at the St. Louis World's Fair. While in St. Louis, she met Jane Addams and others who were active in social reform movements. She also was exposed to big-city slum life, crime and other related social ills. From then on, she became a reformer.[4]
Prior to Oklahoma statehood, Barnard was involved in aid and charity work in Oklahoma City and was the head of the union-label organization in Oklahoma. She also participated in the Farm-Labor meetings of 1906 in Shawnee which drafted the "Shawnee Demands" that later formed the basis of the soon-to-be-drafted Oklahoma state constitution.
Kate Barnard, "Oklahoma Kate"
Elected Charities and Corrections CommissionerEdit
Barnard in 1912.
Compulsory education, child labor, abuse of prisonersEdit
After her election as the Charities and Corrections Commissioner, she was a key player in the enactment of the compulsory educationlaws, state support of poor widows dependent on their children's earnings, and statutes implementing the constitutional ban on child labor. She also was an advocate for working Oklahomans through the work she did in securing legislation aimed at eradicating unsafe working conditions and the blacklist of union members. She was one of the few public officials who dared to cry out against the abuse of Native American children. Barnard relied on her stirring speeches to reach the public and convince the political powers of the need for increased federal protection for all Five Tribes' members.
Her political career ended during her second term in office, after she began to advocate on behalf of Indian wards who were being cheated out of their land as a result of grafting. Her work on behalf of Indian children raised the ire of William H. Murray and other prominent Oklahoma businessmen and officials who convinced the state legislature to defund her office. Wilma Mankiller's 1993 book, Mankiller, A Chief and Her People, on page 173 quotes Barnard: "I have been compelled to see orphans robbed, starved, and burned for money. I have named the men and accused them and furnished the records and affidavits to convict them, but with no result. I decided long ago that Oklahoma had no citizen who cared whether or not an orphan is robbed or starved or killed - because his dead claim is easier to handle than if he were alive."
Later life, death, and legacyEdit
During the rest of her life, Barnard continued to live in Oklahoma (often traveling to Colorado and other states during the summer due to her severe health problems) and she died on February 23, 1930, in Oklahoma City (where she was found dead in a hotel bathroom). She was buried in Oklahoma City (in a grave that was not marked until the 1980s), but today a bronze statue of her is on display on the first floor of the Oklahoma State Capitol. She was inducted in the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 1982.
Electoral historyEdit
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2023)
^ abcMusslewhite, Lynn, and Suzanne Jones Crawford, "Barnard, Catherine Ann (1875-1930)," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture 2010-05-31 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 7, 2010).
^Thoburn, Joseph B. A Standard History of Oklahoma. p. 1329. 1916. Accessed August 5, 2020.
^ ab*"Saint Kate." Oklahoma Today. 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine Logan, Jim. December 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
^Martin, I.T. (July 1912). "Concerning Some of the Anti-Suffrage Leaders". Good Housekeeping. 55: a80–a83. ProQuest 1934095268 – via Proquest: Women's Magazine Archive.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
^"Official Vote". The McAlester News-Capital. December 16, 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
External linksEdit
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - "Barnard, Kate"
Logan, Jim. December 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
October 17, 2023
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Catherine Ann Kate Barnard May 23 1875 February 23 1930 was the first woman to be elected as a state official in Oklahoma and the second woman to be elected to a statewide public office in the United States 1 in 1907 She served as the first Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Corrections for two four year terms the only position that the 1907 Oklahoma Constitution permitted a woman to hold Kate BarnardOklahoma Commissioner of Charities and CorrectionsIn office 1907 1915Preceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byWilliam D MatthewsPersonal detailsBornCatherine Ann Barnard 1875 05 23 May 23 1875Geneva Nebraska U S DiedFebruary 23 1930 1930 02 23 aged 54 Oklahoma City Oklahoma U S Political partyDemocratic PartyOccupationSocial reformer politician teacherKnown forFirst woman elected to statewide office in OklahomaBefore being elected to office Barnard had worked as a teacher and in clerical patronage positions in the territorial government 2 She was also heavily involved in charity work Contents 1 Early life 2 Charity work 3 Elected Charities and Corrections Commissioner 3 1 Compulsory education child labor abuse of prisoners 3 2 End of her political career 4 Later life death and legacy 5 Electoral history 6 Notes 7 See also 8 Sources 9 References 10 External linksEarly life EditBarnard was born in Geneva Nebraska on May 23 1875 to John P and Rachel Sheill Barnard 2 Her mother died when she was two and the family was living in Kansas 2 She was raised by relatives until 1891 when she moved to Newalla Oklahoma where her father a jack of all trades had a land claim a She lived alone on the claim for two years while he lived and worked in Oklahoma City She moved to Oklahoma City in 1895 attended St Joseph s Academy a Catholic school obtained a teaching certificate and taught until 1902 4 Charity work EditAfter she quit teaching Barnard took a business course then became a secretary for the territorial legislature in Oklahoma City In 1904 she was selected from among 500 applicants to be a territorial hostess at the St Louis World s Fair While in St Louis she met Jane Addams and others who were active in social reform movements She also was exposed to big city slum life crime and other related social ills From then on she became a reformer 4 Prior to Oklahoma statehood Barnard was involved in aid and charity work in Oklahoma City and was the head of the union label organization in Oklahoma She also participated in the Farm Labor meetings of 1906 in Shawnee which drafted the Shawnee Demands that later formed the basis of the soon to be drafted Oklahoma state constitution nbsp Kate Barnard Oklahoma Kate Elected Charities and Corrections Commissioner Edit nbsp Barnard in 1912 Compulsory education child labor abuse of prisoners Edit After her election as the Charities and Corrections Commissioner she was a key player in the enactment of the compulsory education laws state support of poor widows dependent on their children s earnings and statutes implementing the constitutional ban on child labor She also was an advocate for working Oklahomans through the work she did in securing legislation aimed at eradicating unsafe working conditions and the blacklist of union members She was one of the few public officials who dared to cry out against the abuse of Native American children Barnard relied on her stirring speeches to reach the public and convince the political powers of the need for increased federal protection for all Five Tribes members Some who have said that her most important action may have been when she uncovered the abusive treatment of Oklahoma prisoners who were being held in Kansas prisons under contract which included forced labor in coal mines and torture She was featured as an anti suffragist in Good Housekeeping who discussed her work uncovering the abuses of Oklahoma prisoners 5 Her work and the pressure she put on Oklahoma s first Governor Charles N Haskell resulted in the return of the prisoners to Oklahoma and the construction of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester Oklahoma End of her political career Edit Her political career ended during her second term in office after she began to advocate on behalf of Indian wards who were being cheated out of their land as a result of grafting Her work on behalf of Indian children raised the ire of William H Murray and other prominent Oklahoma businessmen and officials who convinced the state legislature to defund her office Wilma Mankiller s 1993 book Mankiller A Chief and Her People on page 173 quotes Barnard I have been compelled to see orphans robbed starved and burned for money I have named the men and accused them and furnished the records and affidavits to convict them but with no result I decided long ago that Oklahoma had no citizen who cared whether or not an orphan is robbed or starved or killed because his dead claim is easier to handle than if he were alive Later life death and legacy EditDuring the rest of her life Barnard continued to live in Oklahoma often traveling to Colorado and other states during the summer due to her severe health problems and she died on February 23 1930 in Oklahoma City where she was found dead in a hotel bathroom She was buried in Oklahoma City in a grave that was not marked until the 1980s but today a bronze statue of her is on display on the first floor of the Oklahoma State Capitol She was inducted in the Oklahoma Women s Hall of Fame in 1982 Electoral history EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it May 2023 1907 Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Corrections election 6 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Kate Barnard 134 300 55 2 NewRepublican Haxel Tomlinson 98 960 40 7 NewSocialist Kate Richards O Hare 9 615 3 9 NewDemocratic gain from Swing N A1910 Oklahoma Commissioner of Charities and Corrections general election 7 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Kate Barnard incumbent 120 703 51 05 Republican Kate H Biggers 91 907 38 86 Socialist Winnie Branstetter 23 872 10 09 Total votes 236 482 100 0Democratic holdNotes Edit Historian Joseph Thoburn wrote that her father was a civil engineer 3 See also EditJeannette Rankin first woman elected to the United States Congress Oklahoma ConstitutionSources EditKatie Barnard Our Good Angel information on the statue erected in her honor One Woman s Political Journey Kate Barnard and Social Reform 1875 1930 by Lynn Musslewhite and Suzanne Jones Crawford Barnard Kate Encyclopaedia Britannica 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica Premium Service 11 Mar 2006 Our Heroine Kate Barnard Red Flag Press Leavitt Julian February 1912 The Man In The Cage The American Magazine The Phillips Publishing Co LXXIII 5 References Edit See Laura J Eisenhuth a b c Musslewhite Lynn and Suzanne Jones Crawford Barnard Catherine Ann 1875 1930 Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Archived 2010 05 31 at the Wayback Machine accessed May 7 2010 Thoburn Joseph B A Standard History of Oklahoma p 1329 1916 Accessed August 5 2020 a b Saint Kate Oklahoma Today Archived 2014 08 19 at the Wayback Machine Logan Jim December 2012 Retrieved August 11 2014 Martin I T July 1912 Concerning Some of the Anti Suffrage Leaders Good Housekeeping 55 a80 a83 ProQuest 1934095268 via Proquest Women s Magazine Archive General Election September 17 1907 PDF Archived from the original PDF on July 25 2020 Retrieved May 30 2022 Official Vote The McAlester News Capital December 16 1910 p 9 Retrieved 7 April 2023 External links EditEncyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Barnard Kate Kate Barnard at Find a Grave Saint Kate Oklahoma Today Logan Jim December 2012 Retrieved August 11 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kate Barnard amp oldid 1176833029, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
