William A. Durant (March 18, 1866 – August 1, 1948) was a Choctaw politician in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A lawyer, he sat in the tribal legislature and later became Speaker of the Choctaw Nation before its annexation in 1906. He played a role in Oklahoma statehood and served in the Oklahoma House, rising to become its fourth Speaker. He was the sponsor of a bill that created Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He served later in life as chief of the Choctaw Nation during World War II.
Early life
Born in Bennington, in Indian Territory, on March 18, 1866, he was the son of Sylvester Durant, a Presbyterian minister, and Martha Robinson.[1] He earned a master's degree in education from Arkansas College in 1886.[1]
A lawyer, Durant was licensed to practice in the courts of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations and in United States federal courts.[1] In 1890, he was elected to the legislature of the Choctaw Nation and became speaker in 1891.[1] He married Ida May Corber on April 19, 1892.[1]
Durant served as a sergeant-at-arms at the 1906 Oklahoma constitutional convention.[2]
On November 16, 1907, Durant took part in the ceremony that united Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory into the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Durant's role was to give away the bride, Miss Indian Territory, to the groom.[1]
Oklahoma Legislature
Morrison Hall, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Durant was elected to the Oklahoma Legislature in 1907, after Oklahoma became a state, and served in the 1st Oklahoma Legislature. During the regular session of the 2nd Oklahoma Legislature in 1909, he sponsored a bill that set the Southeastern Normal School, which later became Southeastern Oklahoma State University, in Durant, Oklahoma.[2] Enacted March 6, 1909, the legislation initially created an education institution that offered four years of high school and junior college.[3] The school opened its doors to students on June 14, 1909.[3] Durant was also one of the authors of a bill that dealt with the location of Oklahoma's capital.[4]
Durant served as Speaker of the Choctaw Nation during his service in the state legislature and as its speaker, the only man to do so.[4] He also served as Secretary of the Oklahoma Senate and as a Chief Clerk of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.[4]
Choctaw Nation chief
When Oklahoma became a state, United States presidents appointed the chiefs of the Choctaw Nation. Durant, who was appointed chief by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, served as Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation from 1937 to 1948, leading the tribe during World War II.[1]
