Danney Goble ’70

Danney Goble ’70 of Tulsa, Okla., died March 8, 2007. An exceptionally gifted teacher, he made Oklahoma history and politics come alive to his students. He taught at Tulsa Junior College (now Tulsa Community College), Rogers University (now Oklahoma State University – Tulsa), the University of Tulsa, and the University of Oklahoma. He was recognized with several teaching awards. After attending Davidson, he earned his undergraduate degree at University of Central Oklahoma and his master’s at OU, but he discovered that Oklahoma history was “real history” while he was earning his doctorate at University of Missouri. As an Oklahoman he was keenly aware of the inferiority complex that many Oklahomans tend to have about their state. He worked hard throughout the remainder of his adult life to help Oklahomans become better acquainted with their state’s history, especially the colorful events of the twentieth century. He was author or co-author of eight books, including Little Giant: The Life and Times of Speaker Carl Albert, which won the Oklahoma Book Award and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and A Matter of Black and White: The Autobiography of Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, which was named the outstanding book in political science by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. He also collaborated very successfully with David Baird in writing The Story of Oklahoma, a high school textbook that has been adopted by many public schools, and with Bob Goins on the award-winning fourth edition of Historical Atlas of Oklahoma. At the time of his death, he was co-authoring with Mike Cassity a book on the history of Presbyterianism in Oklahoma. He leaves behind a rich and meaningful legacy, forever to be cherished by students, colleagues, friends, and especially his beloved family—wife Constance Murray, 6815 E 47th St., Tulsa, Okla. 74145-5809; daughters Codie Chaudoin and Hannah Goble; sons Geoffrey and Grant Goble; his step-son Tristan Murray Sublette; grandchildren William, Beatrice, and Dorothy Chaudoin; sister, Marzell Clubb; and nephews Kennon and Alexander Clubb.