Arthur N. Daniels

by Kathryn Walker Richardson

Arthur N. Daniels came to Canadian County from Illinois in 1889. He was elected to the House of Representatives of the First Territorial Legislature 1890 and became the youngest Speaker of the House in the nation.

Daniels had a homestead in Canadian County near Downs, now in Kingfisher County. He was elected by the Peoples Party on the Alliance ticket, in a democratic county. Victor Murdock of the Wichita Eagle dubbed him, “Hon. A. N. Daniels, The Sockless Statesman of the Canadian,” an original title given to him since he seldom wore socks.

After voting to move the State Capitol from Guthrie to Oklahoma City he was accosted by a group of men on the streets of Guthrie and was persuaded to recant his vote.

Arthur N. Daniels by Kathryn Walker Richardson was dedicated on February 4, 2004. The commission was managed by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc.

The painting is located inside the Oklahoma House of Representatives Chamber lobby on the fourth floor of the Oklahoma State Capitol and can be viewed daily from 8:30-5:30 when the House is not in session.

The Artist

Kathryn Richardson believes the visual arts are capable of inspiring and uplifting the human spirit and soul. She paints subject matter that “represent the magnificence of the world—those things worth remembering.” Kathryn believes a portrait must be a painting first, standing on its own merits with regard to composition and the technical strength of its execution.

Kathryn studied at Oklahoma State University and trained independently with artists Dennis B. Parker, Daniel Greene, Bettina Steinke, Harley Brown and Morgan Weistling. She has also studied at the Art Students League in New York City and the Cape Cod School of Art.

She is a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists and the Pastel Society of America. She has served as a board member of the Oklahoma Arts Council.