Kate Barnard by Sandra Van Zandt
Oklahoma Arts Council
Oklahoma City
Kate Barnard is a sculpture of the first woman in American history elected to state office. In 1907, Oklahomans elected Kate Barnard as the state’s commissioner of charities and corrections. Though women could not yet vote in 1907, Barnard received more votes than Oklahoma’s first governor, Charles Haskell, and her election was a catalyst in the evolution of women’s involvement in politics.
