William A. Durant, Chief of the Choctaw Nation

Dawes Final Rolls
Choctaw by Blood, Card 3433

Name Age Sex Blood Roll No. Tribe Card No.
Wm. A. Durant 36 M 1/4 9782 Choctaw by Blood Card 3433
William E.L. Durant 9 M 1/8 9783 Choctaw by Blood Card 3433
James G. Durant 4 M 1/8 9784 Choctaw by Blood Card 3433
Willie Thompson 16 M 1/8 9785 Choctaw by Blood Card 3433

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William Durant 1937 - 1948

William A. Durant was born at Bennington, Indian Territory, o­n March 18, 1866. He was the son of Sylvester Durant, a Presbyterian minister, and Martha Robinson. His early education began at Bennington and later he attended school in Durant. He earned a Master of Arts degree At Arkansas College, Batesville, in 1886.

After his graduation Durant entered the teaching profession but soon gave up that line of work to study law. Upon completion of the course of study he was licensed to practice in the courts of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations and also in the Federal Courts. Chief Durant married Ida May Corber, daughter of George Corber, o­n April 19, 1892.

Governor Durant, a successful farmer in addition to his law practice, served the Choctaw Nation a number of ways. He was Inspector of Academies, Superintendent of Jones Academy, Royalty Collector for his district and Special District Judge. In 1890 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the Choctaw Legislature. A year later he was chosen Speaker of the House. After statehood he was a member of the first, second and third Oklahoma Legislatures.

O­n November 16, 1907, Mr. Durant took part in the ceremony that united Oklahoma and Indian Territories into the forty-sixth state. Mrs. Leo Bennett, of Cherokee descent, played the part of Miss Indian Territory and William A. Durant had the pleasure of giving the bride away. Durant became Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation in 1937. He remained in office until 1948. Politically Mr. Durant was a staunch Democrat. Fraternally he was a Mason, an Elk and belonged to the Order of Knights of Pythias. Chief Durant died August 1, 1948 in Tushka Homma at the age of 82. Services were held in Tushka Homma and in Durant where he is buried.

The name Oklahoma is derived from two Choctaw words: "Okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red, literally meaning red people. Choctaw William A. Durant, a descendent of Louis Durant, took part in the naming of Oklahoma. William was an attorney. The Choctaw Council decided that they wanted the new state to have a Choctaw name, so that their children and grandchildren would have something to remind them of their "Promised Land." After one hour deliberation, it was decided to propose the name Oklahoma. When the Council had made their decision, they appointed William A. Durant to introduce the name to the state notables when they met to form the state at Guthrie, Ok. When it was time for William to speak, he told them of the Trail of Tears and of the suffering of the Indian people. He told them they knew these people had also lost their nation and that the very least they or any compassionate and understanding men of respect could do, would be to call the state "Oklahoma" to honor all of the Indians that had given up so much. William A. Durant was later elected to be the first legislator from the Choctaw Nation. He served as the first Speaker of the House in 1907. He assisted in writing the Constitution of the state. William was Chief of the Choctaw Nation from 1937--1948.

W. A. DURANT CHOCTAW

W. A. Durant is the son of the late Sylvester Durant, of Bennington, Choctaw Nation, who at the time of his death was a member of the House of Representatives of the National Council.

W. A. Durant was born in 1866, and his father dying while he was yet a boy, he was obliged to educate himself through the result of physical labor until the last two years of his college career, which was provided for by an appropriation of the Choctaw school funds.

He was educated at the Arkansas College, Batesville, where he graduated in a classical course in 1886, after four years of close attention to his studies. On his return he commenced the study of law, and was soon observed practicing in the Choctaw courts. Later on, when D. N. Robb was appointed United States commissioner at Atoka, Mr. Durant entered into partnership with Parks & Owenby, of Paris, and has added much to the influence of that well-established firm. During the disbursement of the "Proceeds Claim" he assisted his cousin, Hon. Alexander Durant, ex-Supreme Judge of the Choctaws; Messrs. Locke & Vail and other lawyers, to adjust certain claims, and by this means realized a handsome sum.

Mr. Durant has a farm of three thousand acres, five hundred of which is under cultivation, so that he annually employs at least fifteen laborers. His is a most promising young man, possessing a fine address and talents for beyond the average, backed up by energy and industry and fixity of purpose far beyond his years.* Updated from RootsWeb's WorldConnect via father Sylvester Durant , Major, Reverand by SmartCopy: Mar 8 2015, 4:29:44 UTC