Oscar Howe
1915-1983

Oscar Howe, artist and teacher, overcame a multitude of obstacles to become a major figure in American Indian art. A Yanktonais Sioux, he received his formal art education in New Mexico and, by graduation in 1938, was known worldwide for his talents.

Besides his twenty-five-year association with the University of South Dakota, Howe served on the faculties of Dakota Wesleyan University and the Pierre public school system.

Howe was named South Dakota's Artist Laureate in 1960. His internationally acclaimed works are included in many major collections, and his artwork appears in books and on buildings in several midwestern cities.

A more detailed profile is printed in Volume 16 Number 3 of South Dakota History, the journal of the South Dakota State Historical Society.