Charles Curtis - Anadarko, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 04.361 W 098° 13.627
14S E 570465 N 3881376
Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Tribe was the first man of Indian descent to be elected Vice-President of the United States. He was the running mate of Pres. Herbert Hoover in 1928.
Waymark Code: WMCKA8
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 09/16/2011
Views: 1
Charles Curtis was born January 25, 1860 in Topeka, Kansas Territory. He lived many years of his childhood with his maternal grandparents on the reservation. His bust is displayed on the outdoor pathway at the National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians. He is shown in a suit and tie. The plaque reads:
CHARLES CURTIS
1860 – 1936
Native Kansa (Kaw) of Kansas
Who was Elected Vice President
Of the United States, 1928
He was an attorney, statesman, diplomat, leader in 19th century Indian affairs, long-time congressman and senator from Kansas.
After the creation of the controversial Dawes Commission which opened Indian Territory to white settlement, he developed the Curtis Act of 1898, which led to the use of federal courts instead of Indian courts, enrollment of Indian citizens by the commission, and the allotment of land. This was the time of the final closing of Indian governments.
Curtis died February 8, 1936 in Washington, D.C. from a heart attack. He is buried at the Topeka Cemetery.
[Biographical information from the Museum’s Self-Guiding Tour pamphlet.]