Ann Nolan Clark, born Anna Marie Nolan (December 5, 1896 – December 13, 1995), was an American writer who won the 1953

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...

Biography

Born in

Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas—West Las Vegas ("Old Town") and East Las Vegas ("New Town ...

in 1896, Clark graduated from New Mexico

Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

(now

New Mexico Highlands University New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) is a public university in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Founded in 1893, it has satellite campuses in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Roswell. NMHU has an average annual enrollment of approximate ...

) in Las Vegas at age 21, and married Thomas Patrick Clark on August 6, 1919. She gave birth to an only son, Thomas Patrick, Jr., who later died as a pilot in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. She began her career teaching English at what is now the Highlands University. However, in the early 1920s, she transferred to a job teaching children how to read for the Tesuque

pueblo people The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Z ...

, which lasted for 25 years. Clark found that the underfunded Tesuque School couldn't afford any substantial instructional material. In the process of teaching the children about literature, she incorporated their voices and stories to write ''In My Mother's House'', and other books for the 1st to 4th grade

one-room schoolhouse One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...

. She wrote about this process, and about her travels to many parts of Central and South America, in her nonfiction book, ''Journey to the People''. Between 1940 and 1951, the United States

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...

published 15 of her books, all relating to her experiences with the Tesuque pueblo people. Her book ''In My Mother's House'', illustrated by Pueblo artist

Velino Herrera Velino Shije Herrera (October 22, 1902 – January 1973),"Velino Shije Herrera." ''St. James Guide to Native North American Artists.'' Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 4 Oct. 2011.Arthur Silberman. "Herrera, Velino." Grove Art Onl ...

, was named a

Caldecott Honor The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

book in 1942. In 1945, the Institute for Inter-American Affairs sent Clark to live and travel for five years in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, and

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Those experiences led her to write books such as ''Magic Money'', ''Looking-for-Something'', and ''

Secret of the Andes ''Secret of the Andes'' is a children's novel by Ann Nolan Clark. It won the 1953 Newbery Medal. Plot summary Cusi, a modern Inca boy, leaves his home high in the Andes mountains to learn the mysterious secret of his ancient ancestors. Accomp ...

'', which won the 1953

. In the 1940s she also wrote books for the Haskell Foundation and the

Haskell Indian Nations University Haskell Indian Nations University is a public tribal land-grant university in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for American Indian children, the school has developed into a university operated by t ...

at Lawrence, KS; one of them " The Slim Butte Raccoon" was illustrated by

Andrew Standing Soldier Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...

. She also won the Catholic Library Association's 1963

Regina Medal The Regina Medal is a literary award conferred annually by the U.S.-based Catholic Library Association. It recognizes one living person for "continued, distinguished contribution to children's literature without regard to the nature of the contri ...

, and the

' 1962 Distinguished Service Award. Clark died in 1995 in Arizona, after writing 31 books which took a glance at Native American culture, mostly through the eyes of its children.Smith, Jeanette (2000)
Ann Nolan Clark Featured in NMSU Library Presentation.
/ref> Mr. Clark's birth family was well known in the early 20th century in her hometown of

, and their home, the Nolan House, is on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the first quarry stone houses there.

Writings

https://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79056779/ *Tia Maria's Garden * The little Indian pottery maker *The Little Indian Basket Maker *Bear cub *Little Herder in Spring *Little Herder in Summer *Little Herder in Autumn *Little Herder in Winter *Magic Money *Year Walk *Circle of Seasons

References

External links

Ann Nolan Clark Manuscripts AC 043
Fray Angélico Chávez History Library, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

via

Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah ...

.
Ann Nolan Clark papers, 1962-1979 MS 309
Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries, Tucson, Arizona.
Personal reflection of Ann Nolan Clark's secretary Theda Rushing MSS-799-SC
Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico Libraries, Albuquerque, New Mexico. {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Ann Nolan 1896 births 1995 deaths Place of death missing 20th-century American historians Schoolteachers from New Mexico American travel writers American women travel writers Newbery Medal winners People from Las Vegas, New Mexico New Mexico Highlands University alumni Native American studies American women historians 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women educators

Biography

Writings

See also

References

External links