Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Anne Semple

Anne Ruth Semple, sometimes written Ann Semple, was a Native American writer and professor. She was the fifth poet laureate of the state of Oklahoma, appointed in 1944. She taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 1947 to 1965.

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Anne Semple
Born(1900-06-09)June 9, 1900
Caddo, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedOctober 25, 1987(1987-10-25) (aged 87)
Oklahoma, U.S.
Other nameAnn Semple
OccupationsWriter, poet, college professor
Known for5th Poet Laureate of Oklahoma
RelativesPeter Pitchlynn (great-grandfather)

Anne Ruth Semple (June 9, 1900 – October 25, 1987), sometimes written Ann Semple, was a Native American writer and professor. She was the fifth poet laureate of the state of Oklahoma, appointed in 1944.1 She taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 1947 to 1965.

Early life and education

Semple was born in Caddo, Oklahoma,2 the daughter of Charles Alexander Semple and Minnie E. Pitchlynn Semple. She was an enrolled member of the Choctaw nation, and the great-granddaughter of Peter Pitchlynn (Snapping Turtle), who served as chief of the Choctaw nation in the 1860s.2 Her brother William Finley Semple was chief of the Choctaw nation from 1918 to 1922, and served in the Oklahoma legislature.3

Semple attended high school at the Oklahoma Presbyterian College.4 She earned a bachelor's degree in 1933 at Southeastern State College. She pursued further studies at Austin College in Texas, where she wrote a master's thesis on Native American folklore in Oklahoma.5 She completed doctoral studies at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College,5 (now Oklahoma State University), with a 1955 dissertation on the history of Oklahoma Presbyterian College.6

Career

Semple was the fifth poet laureate of Oklahoma, appointed in 1944 by Governor Robert S. Kerr.17 She was the first Native American writer to hold the position of Poet Laureate in any U.S. state.8 She was a member of the Oklahoma Poetry Society, Sigma Tau Delta, the Oklahoma Writers' Club, the Oklahoma Educational Association, Phi Alpha Theta, Delta Kappa Gamma, the Ohoyohoma Club, and the California Federation of Chaparral Poets.7

Semple was a professor of education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from at least 1947 until 1965.9 She spoke about her work to community groups.101112

Publications

  • "One of Many" (1931, essay)13
  • Prairie-Born: A Book of Verse (1942)2
  • "Christian Leaders Developed at Oklahoma Presbyterian College" (1946)14
  • Ties that Bind: The Story of Oklahoma Presbyterian College (1957)15

Personal life and legacy

Semple died in 1987, at the age of 87, in Oklahoma. Her grave is in Gethsemane Cemetery in Caddo, Oklahoma. Her papers are in the collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society.16 The Semple Family Museum of Native American Art at Southeastern Oklahoma State University is named for her family.17 Her great-niece Jane Semple Umsted is an artist who was appointed to the board of trustees of the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2023.1819

References

References

  1. Holliday, Shawn (2015). The Oklahoma Poets Laureate: A Sourcebook, History, and Anthology. Mongrel Empire Press. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-0-9903204-3-2.
  2. "Miss Anne Semple Publishes First Book of Prairie Poems". Durant Daily Democrat. 1942-07-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "1918 - William F. Semple | Choctaw Nation".
  4. "Work at Oklahoma Presbyterian College". The Presbyterian Survey. 16 (5): 277. May 1926.
  5. "Anne Semple Awarded Ph.D. Degree by A.&M. College; It's Official Now". Durant Daily Democrat. 1955-06-13. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Semple, Anne Ruth. "The Origin and Development of Oklahoma Presbyterian College" (D.Ed. dissertation, 1955, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College).
  7. "Anne Semple is Poet Laureate". Durant Daily Democrat. 1944-05-12. p. 3. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Dennis, Yvonne Wakim; Hirschfelder, Arlene; Molin, Paulette F. (2022-10-25). Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events. Visible Ink Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-1-57859-806-9.
  9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2020-09-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Dr. Anne Semple Speaks to Zeta Chapter of DKG". Durant Daily Democrat. 1956-03-25. p. 11. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Dr. Anne Semple Honored at Tea". Durant Daily Democrat. 1955-09-25. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Dr. Anne Semple Presents Program at Regular Meeting of Fortnightly Club". Durant Daily Democrat. 1955-11-20. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Semple, Ann (June 1931). "One of Many". The Presbyterians Today. 21 (6): 356 – via Internet Archive.
  14. Semple, Anne (January 1946). "Christian Leaders Developed at Oklahoma Presbyterian College". Presbyterian Survey. 36 (1): 18–20 – via Internet Archive.
  15. "Story of OPC by Dr. Anne Semple, SSC Education Professor, is Reviewed in 'The Southeastern'". The Antlers American. 1958-11-20. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Finding Aid, Anne R. Semple Collection, 1937-1987". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  17. "Welcome!". Semple Family Museum. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  18. Gonzales, Hannah (2023-07-21). "Choctaw artist appointed by President Biden". KXII 12. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  19. Trevino, Belle (2023-07-21). "Biden appoints SOSU curator to Native American arts organization". KTEN. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
See also

See also