William Meredith Cunningham (1901-1967) was an acclaimed Oklahoma writer of the 1930s, involved in the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writer's Project, and was a supporter of the American Socialist Party.[1]

Biography

Bill Cunningham was born on May 13, 1901, in Okeene, Oklahoma and was the brother of Agnes "Sis" Cunningham.[2] He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1925 with a degree in Journalism and worked as the editor of the Watonga Herald and a high school teacher.[3] Cunningham also taught at Commonwealth College (a leftist and pro-labor school) in Mena, Arkansas in the 1930s.[2]

In 1935, Cunningham published his two books: The Green Corn Rebellion, a fictionalized account of Oklahoma farmers protesting the United States' involvement in World War I; and Pretty Boy, a novel recounting the legend of Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd.[2] Notably, Cunningham was involved in the Works Progress Administration (WPA), serving as the state director of Oklahoma's Federal Writer's Project from 1935 to 1938, when he moved to Washington D.C. to serve as the assistant to the national director of the Federal Writer's Project.[4] While working for the WPA, Cunningham contributed to the W.P.A Guide to Oklahoma, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project 1936-1938, and a Comanche dictionary.[2][5] Cunningham then moved to New York, where he worked in journalism and published two more books, including one co-authored with his wife, Sara Brown Cunningham.[1][3]

Published works

  • The Green Corn Rebellion. New York: Vanguard Press, 1935 [3]
  • Pretty Boy. New York: Vanguard, 1936 [3]
  • The Real Book about Daniel Boone. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, by arrangement with F. Watts, 1952 [3]
  • Danny. With Sara Brown Cunningham. New York: Crown, 1953 [3]

References

  1. 1 2 Larry O'Dell, "Cunningham, William Meredith," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CU004 .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Savage, William W. Jr. (2015-10-16). "Commie symp author accomplished much for Oklahoma". NonDoc. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cunningham, William Meredith (Bill)". www.digitalprairie.ok.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  4. ↑ "Cunningham, William Meredith | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". www.okhistory.org. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  5. ↑ "About this Collection | Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
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