Carl Nelson Gorman

Carl Nelson Gorman (October 5, 1907 – January 29, 1998), also known as Kin-Ya-Onny-Beyeh, was a Navajo code talker, visual artist, painter, illustrator, and professor. He was on the faculty at the University of California, Davis, from 1950 until 1973. During World War II, Gorman served as a code talker with the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific.

Early life and education

Carl Nelson Gorman was born on October 5, 1907, in Chinle, Arizona. His father was a cattleman and "Indian trader". When he was a child, his mother Alice, who was a traditional weaver, supported his earliest artistic pursuits. His father removed him from the school and enrolled him in the Albuquerque Indian School in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Career In April 1942, Gorman was one of 29 Navajo men recruited by the United States Marine Corps to create a code based on the Navajo language. joined the faculty in 1970, 1965 - Carl and R.C. exhibit together at the Heard Museum's Gallery of Indian Art in Phoenix, Arizona. John Becklaw, rights a review in the Arizona Republic under the headline: "Gormans-Father and Son Rebels in Indian Art" 1990 - Gorman was awarded a doctor of humane letters from University of New Mexico. 2020 - Carl's work is featured in the Smithsonian Magazine's November issue under the heading "The Remarkable and Complex Legacy of Native American Military Service".

Significant dates in military career

1941 - May 4. Carl and 28 other Navajos are sworn into the Marine Corps. They are transported by bus to MCRD San Diego and designated Platoon 382 - the first "all Indian, all Navajo" Platoon in Marine Corps history. His son Alfred Kee Gorman (1957–1966) also was an artist, but he died at an early age.

In 1990, Gorman was awarded a doctor of humane letters from the University of New Mexico. the Brooklyn Museum, and the National Museum of the American Indian.

In addition to the many public and private collections of Gorman's work, the Gorman Family has an extensive collection of his artworks, notes, and other ephemera. The Michael Gorman Gallery in Taos, New Mexico, regularly includes rare artwork by the late Carl N. Gorman.