Roberta Lawson (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Campbell, October 31, 1878, Alluwe, Indian Territory – December 31, 1940, Tulsa, Oklahoma) was a

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

- Scots-Irish activist, community organizer, and musician. During World War I, she was the head of the Women's Division of the Oklahoma Council of Defense. She was president of the

Oklahoma State Federation of Women's Clubs The Federation of Women's Clubs for Oklahoma and Indian Territories was formed in May, 1898. The motto selected for the organization was "Kindliness and Helpfulness". The first president was Sophia Julia Coleman Douglas. The charter women's club ...

, organized to support community welfare and educational goals. As music chairman of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, in 1926, she wrote Indian Music Programs for clubs and special days of celebration. In 1935 she was elected president of the General Federation. She served a three-year term leading its two million members to work toward "uniform marriage and divorce laws, birth control, and civic service."

Early life and education

Born Roberta E. Campbell, she was the daughter of Emeline Johhnycake, a

and daughter of Charles Johnnycake, the last Lenape chief, and John Edward Campbell, of Scots-Irish descent from Virginia. Her father had migrated to Oklahoma after the American Civil War and became a successful trader.Wilson, Linda D
D. Wilson, "Lawson, Roberta E. Campbell (1878-1940),"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture,'' Oklahoma Historical Society, accessed February 19, 2016. Roberta learned from both sides of her family; she was tutored at home and later attended a seminary and Hardin College in Missouri. She learned Lenape chants and music from her mother and maternal grandfather, Charles, which later inspired her compositions.

Marriage and family

In 1901 she married Eugene Lawson (d. 1931), an attorney who had settled in Nowata, Indian Territory. He also worked in banking and the oil industry. They had one son together, Edward Campbell Lawson, born in 1905. Later they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he founded an oil company. After his father's death, the younger Lawson became president of their Tulsa-based Lawson Petroleum Company.

Civic career

When Lawson returned from college, she wanted to form new clubs that were all about friendship and culture. Lawson became active in women's clubs organized to address social and community needs. In 1903 she became president of the Nowata Women's Club, and by 1917 was elected to a term to the Oklahoma State Federation of Women's Clubs. The following year, she became active in the General Federation of Women's Clubs, where she held several offices, including music chairman. During that time, she wrote compositions for Indian Music Programs for clubs and Special Music Days (1926). While she served as president from 1935–1938, she led the General Federation's two million members in goals of "uniform marriage and divorce laws, birth control, and civic service." Her local and regional leadership earned Lawson recognition and new challenges at the state and national levels. During World War I, she was appointed by the Oklahoma governor as head of the Women's Division of the Oklahoma Council of Defense. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lawson was selected for Eleanor Roosevelt's National Committee for the Mobilization for Human Needs (1933–1934). Lawson served as the director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, as a member of the Board of Regents for Oklahoma College for Women (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma) in Chickasha, and as a member of the board of trustees of the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...

. She also belonged to local music and women's clubs in Tulsa and the city's First

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, as well as the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

, a heritage organization. Unfortunately, Lawson passed away because of Leukemia on December 31st, 1940, and was later buried in Tulsa's Memorial Park Cemetery. In her life, Lawson is remembered for spending 35 years total in club work, and changing her communities such as Tulsa, Nowata, and in general Oklahoma for the better.

Legacy and honors

*1935, inducted into

Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma ...

. *Lawson was one of the four women inducted into the

American Indian Hall of Fame The National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians (also known as American Indian Hall of Fame), established in 1952 in Anadarko, Oklahoma, is part of a complex representing American Indian life. The National Hall of Fame has bronze busts mou ...

, and her bronze bust is included among the 41 displayed at Anadarko, Oklahoma.

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