Oklahoma Literary Site Dedication
Honoring Tony Hillerman
Saturday, March 15 - 10 a.m.
Shawnee Public Library, 101 N. Philadelphia, Shawnee
The ceremony will feature Hillerman’s daughter, Anne Hillerman, with Tulsa author Michael Wallis acting as Master of Ceremonies.
Tony Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart in south Pottawatomie County in 1925, attended St. Mary’s Academy, graduated from Konawa High School, attended Oklahoma A & M for a semester, and then enlisted in the Army in 1943. He was honored with the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Purple Heart for his service in the European Theater.
He attended Oklahoma University, earning a B.A. in journalism, married Marie Unzner of Shawnee, and worked as a journalist in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico for 15 years, earning a M.A. in journalism from the University of New Mexico. He became a faculty member there, teaching until his retirement in 1987. Hillerman achieved fame with his Navajo police procedural series featuring characters Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. He published 18 novels in that series, dating from 1978 to 2006.
He published ten other titles, most notably his memoir, Seldom Disappointed (2001), and a photo guide to the Southwest, with the native stories connected to significant features, in Hillerman Country (1991). He received many awards in recognition of his literary achievements. Hillerman died in 2008.
Event sponsors are Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, Pioneer Library System, and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.