A Chickasaw Lady, a Governor's Wife
Alice Hearrell Murray in the Era of the New Woman
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of North Texas Press,U.S.
Published:30th Jun '26
£27.99
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Mary Alice Hearrell Murray was the wife of Oklahoma's most colorful politician in the early twentieth century, William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray. Alice stands out as one of the prominent women in the Chickasaw Nation at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. She was the niece of Chickasaw governor Douglas Johnston, who was her guardian, and she was a graduate of the prominent Chickasaw girls' school, Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw Females. Alice graduated as the dawn of the twentieth century ushered in a more progressive society and the world of the new woman. Alice, however, was not a new woman of the progressive era; she adhered to the traditional order of the Chickasaw people.
Alice also witnessed the dissolution of her tribal government and the division of communal lands into individual allotments. She acknowledged that the old ways must go and that her people must accept the dominant culture of twentieth-century America. Alice married William H. Murray at Douglas Johnston's home in Emet, Chickasaw Nation, on the afternoon of July 19, 1899. As the wife of Murray, and as the niece of the governor of the Chickasaw Nation, Alice understood the changing world of both Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory politics, and she witnessed the creation of the state of Oklahoma. She bridged two societies: the traditional Chickasaw culture of her ancestors and the emerging world of industrial and progressive America.
"Women's experiences in Oklahoma history, both inside and outside of politics, is currently a growth area for state historiography, and this book contributes in this direction. Schrems brings Alice Murray out of the shadow of 'Alfalfa Bill' Murray and reveals the family life of one of the most important figures in Oklahoma political history. While Alice was not herself a political activist, her life in a more traditional helpmate role also deserves to be explored, especially as it reflects on a surprisingly neglected yet crucial area of state history—the development of Oklahoma conservatism."—Robert Dorman, author of Alfalfa Bill: A Life in Politics and Revolt of the Provinces: The Regionalist Movement in America, 1920–1945
"A Chickasaw Lady, a Governor's Wife is a rich, thoughtful, and deeply researched contribution to both Oklahoma history and women's history, offering an intimate and illuminating portrait of Alice Murray. It succeeds admirably in weaving together the public and private dimensions of a woman whose life intersected with momentous political, cultural, and familial events. The voice is engaging, the documentation strong, and the pacing consistently effective. The integration of Indigenous, political, and domestic histories provides a nuanced view of Oklahoma's development through a rarely highlighted lens. It foregrounds Native identity in the context of domesticity, public performance, and political life."—Wendy St. Jean, author of Remaining Chickasaw in Indian Territory, 1830s–1907
"A Chickasaw Lady, a Governor's Wife is a fascinating exploration of Oklahoma history, highlighting the cultural and economic world of the upper classes in Oklahoma in the 1920s and '30s from the perspective of a woman who identified with the cultures of Native American women and their traditions while living a rich and cultured life as the wife of a voluble and controversial politician, 'Alfalfa' Bill Murray. Mary Alice Hearrell assumed the role of a traditional wife and supported her husband through his career. She sought to dismiss the role given to Native Americans in US films and culture throughout her life."—Frances Ayres, Professor Emeritus of the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma
ISBN: 9798898290016
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 431g
240 pages