Harold Keith

Harold Verne Keith (April 8, 1903 – February 24, 1998) was a Newbery Medal-winning American writer. Keith was born and raised in Oklahoma, where he also lived and died. The state was his abiding passion and he used Oklahoma as the setting for most of his sixteen published books.

Early life and education Harold Keith was born on April 8, 1903, in Lambert, Oklahoma Territory to Malcom A. and Arlyn Lee Keith. During his tenure at the University of Oklahoma, Keith collected a variety of sports information honors.

A champion long-distance runner for Sooner coach John Jacobs in 1928, Keith had a continuing interest in running which continued long into retirement.

On May 3, 2015, Norman Public Library Central was added to the United For Libraries Literary Landmarks Register for displaying Keith's 1958 Newbery Award medal in their children's section of the library since 1993.

The University of Oklahoma libraries' Western History Collection includes the Harold Keith Collection, containing personal records, personal correspondence, professional correspondence, typescripts, manuscripts, financial records, and memorabilia from 1900 to 1993. The collection consists of 20 boxes plus an oversized items collection, which includes such items as artwork by Keith and his children, and full issues of several magazines in which Keith published short stories.

Works

Published works 1917: Short story, published in Lone Scout magazine 1937: Will Rogers, a Boy's Life, Pub by Thomas Y. Crowell 1941: Sports and Games, Pub by Thomas Y. Crowell 1948: Oklahoma Kickoff: An Informal History of the First 25 years of Football at the University of Oklahoma, and the Amusing Hardships That Attended It, self-published by the author in Norman, Oklahoma 1951: A Pair of Captains, Pub by Thomas Y. Crowell 1957: Rifles for Watie, Pub by Thomas Y. Crowell (1958 Newbery Award) 1964: Baptism of Fire, Pub by Science Research Associate 1965: Komantcia, Jacket by Thomas Y. Crowell (ISBN B002WWDP10) 1971: Brief Garland, Pub by Thomas Y. Crowell 1971: The Runt of Rogers School, Pub by Lippincott 1972: Go, Red, go!, Pub by T. Nelson 1976: Sports and Games, Pub by HarperCollins Children's Books; Sixth/Rev edition 1976: Susy's Scoundrel, Pub by New American Library (1974 Spur Award) 1977: The Obstinate Land: Cherokee Strip Run of 1893, Pub by Thomas Y. Crowell 1978: Oklahoma Kickoff: An Informal History of the First 25 Years of Football at the University of Oklahoma, and of the Amusing Hardships That Attended It, Pub by Univ of Oklahoma Pr 1984: Forty-Seven Straight: The Wilkinson Era at Oklahoma, Pub by Univ of Oklahoma Pr 1992: The Sound of Strings: Sequel to Komantcia, Pub by Levite of Apache Pub 1998: Chico and Dan, Pub by Eakin Press

Cassette recordings 1999: Rifles for Watie, narrator: Tom Stechschulte, Pub by Recorded Books LLC 1999: Rifles for Watie unabridged, narrator: Tom Stechschulte, Pub by Recorded Books LLC