Join us on October 6th, as historian Jim Mason presents on the life and times of Rea Woodman and we celebrate the addition into the Plaza of Heroines at Wichita State University.

Free and open to the public

2pm – Presentation on Rea Woodman at the Museum (2nd Floor DeVore Auditorium)
204 S Main Street

4pm – Dedication of Rea Woodman’s paver at the WSU Plaza of Heroines
1845 N Fairmont
(View WSU’s Parking Page for more information on parking (Closest Parking Lots are Lots 7, 13, & 15))

The inscription in the Plaza was paid for with contributions received through, and by, members of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum and the efforts of Jim Mason.

About Rea Woodman:

Hannah Rea Woodman was born on 10 February 1870 in Jacksonville, Illinois to Mr. and Mrs. William Clayton (W.C.) Woodman. The family moved to Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas soon after, and at the age of three Rea Woodman was abducted by Arapaho Indians. She was returned to her parents, however, with the help of William “Buffalo Bill” Mathewson.

Rea attended Garfield (later Friends) University, finished her BA at Drake University, received her MA at the University of Kansas, and did graduate work at the University of Nebraska and the University of Minnesota. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and taught English and English Literature at many universities and schools, including where she studied; as well as writing.

In 1927 Woodman returned to Wichita and finished her life writing and teaching private classes. She died in Wichita at the age of 81 in 1951.

You can read Rea Woodman’s book “Wichitana” at https://archive.org/details/wichitana-rea-woodman

Link to Woodman’s book was made possible by the Wichita-Sedgwick County Museum (who originally published the book in 1940) and the efforts of Museum Member Jack Kane, who is responsible for its recent transcription.