Oklahoma-born John Hope Franklin — a "cornerstone” of black history and perhaps its greatest chronicler — died of congestive heart failure Wednesday in Durham, N.C. He was 94.
He was the James B. Duke professor emeritus at Duke University and the author of numerous books, including his major work, 1947’s "From Slavery to Freedom: The History of African-Americans,” set for release in a ninth edition this year. More than 3 million copies of earlier editions are in print.
"He’s a cornerstone,” said Oklahoma historian Currie Ballard, who knew him. "You could not be a historian in the United States without paying homage to Dr. Franklin and what he did for the African-American community.”
Gov. Brad Henry said "the world has lost a brilliant scholar.”
Possibly I came across his name in our visit to the Oklahoma History Museum but I have no memory of it. But because of that visit, I'm more aware of the role Oklahoma has had in Black History. Now I know one of our own was an important chronicler of that history.
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