By KAREN NEUROHR
Stillwater, OK — Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO) dedicated Oklahoma’s twelfth Literary Landmark honoring the late Marquis James (1891-1955) on September 17 at the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County. Literary Landmarks are an official recognition by United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, and they honor deceased authors, works, or literary figures.
Marquis James was born August 29, 1891 in Springfield, Missouri, to Houstin James and Rachel Leo Marquis James. Houstin, an attorney, staked a claim in the Cherokee Outlet Land Run of Oklahoma Territory in 1893. In 1894 Rachel and Marquis joined Houstin in the new town of Enid. An American journalist and author, Marquis’ career in writing began when he was a teenager growing up in Enid. In 1911 he left Enid to pursue his dream of a career in journalism and did newspaper and national reporting.
After serving in World War I, he worked for the American Legion as national director of publicity, wrote as a staff member for American Legion Weekly and Monthly, helped launch and wrote for The New Yorker and wrote biographies. He received two Pulitzer Prizes: in 1930 for The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston, and in 1938 for The Life of Andrew Jackson: Complete in One Volume. James passed away November 19, 1955. His widow, Jacqueline Parsons James, donated his papers to the Library of Congress in 1958.
Family of Marquis James, Sept. 17, 2016, at the Enid Public Library. Courtesy Bethany Gill, Enid Public Library. Family members and relation to Marquis James, left to right: Christine Katcher, great-grandniece; Karen Norwood Hoover, granddaughter; Peter Shockey, grand-nephew; Chris Norwood, granddaughter; Lisa Johnson, great-grandniece; and Merida Hines-Tyler, great-grandniece.
The Literary Landmark dedication featured Master of Ceremonies Michael Wallis, award-winning writer, voice talent and honorary chair of Oklahoma’s Literary Landmarks, and Dr. Paul Vickery, professor of history at Oral Roberts University who presented a Chautauqua performance as Marquis James. Remarks were provided by Marquis James’ grandchildren Karen Norwood Hoover of Round Lake Beach, IL and Chris Norwood of New York, NY, and great grand-niece Lisa Johnson of Chevy Chase, MD. John Cromwell of Enid provided remarks from the J. Lee and Mary Cromwell family who were life-long friends of Marquis James.
“We chose to honor Marquis James during the Centennial year of the Pulitzer Prizes. He joins a prestigious list of Oklahoma writers to be honored with Literary Landmarks including Will Rogers, Ralph Ellison, and Angie Debo,” said Karen Neurohr, president of FOLIO and Oklahoma State University and community outreach librarian.
Jenny Regier, director of the Enid Library said, “On behalf of the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County, we sincerely appreciate the Literary Landmark recognition honoring Marquis James whose formative years were spent in Enid. The Marquis James Room at the Enid Library contains several donated items including James family photographs, his Pulitzer Prize certificates, a fine oil portrait, boyhood diary and books from his personal library.”
The Literary Landmark sponsors included the Oklahoma State University Library, Friends of the Library in Enid & Garfield County, Friends of Oklahoma Center for the Book, Enid Arts, family members of Mr. & Mrs. J. Lee Cromwell, Visit Enid, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, Enid High School, Pulitzer Prizes Centennial, Oklahoma Library Association, Oklahoma Department of Libraries and the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Funding was also provided in part by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.
Karen Neurohr is professor and community outreach librarian at Oklahoma State University and coordinator of Oklahoma’s Literary Landmarks and President of Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma.