Nowata Co., Oklahoma - Bio for T. A. Seibert
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Submitted by:  Vivian Brinker      vivianb@coffeyville.edu
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MUSKOGEE AND NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA:
Including the counties of Muskogee, McIntosh, Wagoner, Cherokee,
Sequoyah, Adair, Delaware, Mayes, Rogers, Washington, Nowata, Craig,
and Ottawa. Vol. II.

by John D. Benedict

1922
The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago 
Page 506

T.A. SEIBERT 

One of the well known educators in Oklahoma is T.A. Seibert,
superintendent of the schools at Lenapah, Nowata county. A native
of Missouri, he was born in Queen City on the 31st of March, 1879,
a son of H.H. and Mary J. (Morris) Seibert. The father was born in
Ohio and was for many years engaged as a contractor and builder.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted as a first lieutenant
in the Fifty-eighth Ohio Infantry and served for three years and
three months. The mother was likewise born in Ohio and is now living
on the farm near Kibby, that state, where her husband’s death
occurred in March, 1914. 

In the acquirement of an education T.A. Seibert attended the schools
of his native county and later became a student in the Kirksville
State Normal School of Missouri and the Northwestern State Normal
School of Oklahoma, having removed to this state in 1901. He was
graduated from the latter institution in 1915 and then enrolled in
Phillips University, where he still continues to take courses from
time to time. Upon first coming to this state he secured a homestead
in Woodward county and there experienced the hardships and
privations of frontier life. In addition to caring for his land he
engaged in school work and he has been active in educational work
since 1902. In 1918 he became superintendent of schools at Lenapah,
being recommended for this position by the state, and he is now
active in that capacity. The district over which he is superintendent
is the largest in area in the state and he has under his control
three hundred and sixty pupils. The school buildings at the present
time occupy two acres of land but in the near future an addition of
seven acres will be made and the school will then be developed
particularly along the lines of agriculture and home economics. Mr.
Seibert thinks that as this is a rural community, the school should
function as nearly as possible in the interests of those who support
it. The valuation of the district is placed at one and three-quarter
million dollars, and the buildings have cost some sixty thousand
dollars. When Mr. Seibert first assumed charge of the district it
comprised only fifty square miles but today it is twice as large.
The children are brought to the school from the outlying districts
in eight motor trucks. The staff is composed of thirteen teachers
with Robert A. Reed of Chicago, Illinois, as supervisor of vocal
music. Fee hand and mechanical drawing are taught the boys and Mr.
Seibert’s wife is teacher of domestic science and art. She is 
likewise principal of the high school. The art department compares
favorably with any in the state and it being Mr. Seibert’s desire
to introduce class instruction in piano, violin and band, the high
school now has a band and orchestra. In the line of athletics the
school has won a place for itself in the state, and the football
team has won nearly all the games played with school teams in
Northeastern Oklahoma. 

In 1897 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Seibert to Miss Ruby
McKenny, a native of Missouri, and to their union five children
have been born: A.H., twenty-four years of age, who is a graduate
of Northwestern Teacher’s College of Oklahoma, and is now a
director of athletics in the above mentioned school; Annie, who is
the wife of M.A. Walker, a broom manufacturer of Woodard; Frances,
the wife of C.A. Beall, of Apache, this state; Pearl, who is
attending the Southern School of Photography at McMinnville,
Tennessee; and Catherine, Jr., who is a student in the high
school. 

Mr. Seibert has had a hard fight to bring his school up to its
present high standard and as a conscientious and progressive
educator he deserves a prominent place among the men who have
contributed most to the development of Nowata county. There is no
doubt that the teacher is one of the most important forces in the
progress of the world, and the successful teacher deserves the
respect and honor of all friends of humanity. 

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USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced
in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this material,
must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent.

The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb archivist to store
the file permanently for free access.

Submitted by:  Vivian Brinker      vivianb@direct-net.net
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