Ann Hargis Board of Director | Oklahoma Historical Society
Ann Hargis Board of Director | Oklahoma Historical Society
Native Oklahoman and historian Damon T. Cagle is set to receive the Muriel H. Wright Award at the Oklahoma Historical Society’s annual awards banquet. The event will take place on Thursday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.
Cagle's article, "The Westmoreland Gang and the Outlaws of Keystone," which delves into 19th-century Indian Territory and its outlaw culture, earned him this recognition. His research uncovered details about a family of murderers known as the Westmoreland Gang who exploited travelers and pioneers in northeast Indian Territory.
Raised in Hinton, Cagle now resides in Mangum where he works as a prosecutor, genealogical researcher, and historian. He holds degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Oklahoma.
The Muriel H. Wright Award has been presented since 1974 to honor outstanding articles published in “The Chronicles of Oklahoma,” a scholarly journal by the OHS. Recipients receive a plaque recognizing their contribution.
Muriel H. Wright was instrumental in shaping Oklahoma history documentation through her editorial work with “The Chronicles of Oklahoma” starting in 1943 and later became its editor in 1955. She authored six books on state history and played a key role in establishing the Historical Marker Program for OHS during the 1950s.
Tickets for the banquet are available online with an RSVP deadline set for Monday, March 10. Dr. AJ Griffin will deliver the keynote address; she previously served six years in the Oklahoma State Senate and is currently CEO of the Potts Family Foundation. Joe Dorman will act as emcee; he is a former state representative now serving as CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy.
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