Nacogdoches in Nacogdoches County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Karle Wilson Baker
Karle Wilson Baker first published in 1903 with a poem in Harper's Magazine. In the 1910s, she became the most frequently published poet in the Yale Review. Yale University Press published her first collections of poems, Blue Smoke and Burning Bush, and Old Coins, A Book of Fables. These publications established her national reputation. In 1924, The Dallas News labeled Baker "The poet of quiet things," and Southern Methodist University awarded her an honorary doctorate of letters. Baker showed versatility, writing poems, essays and novels. The State Textbook Commission adopted her children's history reader, The Texas Flag Primer. Her 1931 collection of poems, Dreamers on Horseback, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Two of her successful historical novels, Family Style (1937) and Star of the Wilderness (1942), were set in East Texas.
When the State Board of Regents dedicated Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College on April 30, 1924, Baker read two poems, "Within the Alamo" and "The Pine Tree Hymn," and the latter became the college's first school song. She began teaching at the college in 1924 and taught there ten years. Stephen F. Austin State University houses the majority of her papers. Baker wrote in her diary that "Writing my poems is seldom more laborious than skimming the cream from my thoughts. It just needs time and quiet to rise."
Erected 2007 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13945.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music.
Location. 31° 37.302′ N, 94° 38.998′ W. Marker is in Nacogdoches, Texas, in Nacogdoches County. The marker is across the driveway from the Stephen F. Austin Alumni Center on the SFASU campus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1936 North St, Nacogdoches TX 75965, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Austin Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Stephen Fuller Austin (within shouting distance of this marker); Alton W. Birdwell (within shouting distance of this marker); Paul Lewis Boynton (within shouting distance of this marker); Pioneering Higher Education in East Texas (within shouting distance of this marker); The University Tradition in Nacogdoches (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Jefferson Rusk (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rusk Building (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nacogdoches.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 72 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.