Doris McLemore
Last speaker of the Wichita language
About Doris McLemore
Lived 1927 – 2016 (aged 89). Doris McLemore was an American wichita language, known for Terminal speaker.
Doris Jean Lamar-McLemore (April 16, 1927 – August 30, 2016) was an American teacher who was the last native speaker of the Wichita language, a Caddoan language spoken by the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, indigenous to the U.S. states of Oklahoma and Texas.
Early life McLemore was born in 1927 in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Her mother was Wichita and her father was European-American. McLemore was raised by her fullblood Wichita maternal grandparents, and Wichita was her first language.
McLemore graduated from Riverside Indian School, an American Indian boarding school, in 1947 and worked as a house mother there for 30 years. and before her death, was collaborating with linguist David Rood to create dictionary and language CDs.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Doris McLemore's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Doris McLemore?
Last speaker of the Wichita language (1927-2016)
When was Doris McLemore born?
Doris McLemore was born on 16 April 1927 in Anadarko.
When did Doris McLemore die?
Doris McLemore died on 30 August 2016 in Oklahoma.
What was Doris McLemore's occupation?
Doris McLemore was a wichita language.
What was Doris McLemore known for?
Doris McLemore was known for Terminal speaker.
What nationality was Doris McLemore?
Doris McLemore was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Doris McLemore. https://biography.guide/doris-mclemore/
MLA: "Doris McLemore." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/doris-mclemore/.
Chicago: "Doris McLemore." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/doris-mclemore/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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