Right outside of Troutt Hall is a statue of Mary Thompson Fisher, better known as Te Ata Fisher, one of the college's most famous alums, which was unveiled in the spring of 2014. Cast in bronze, the likeness depicts her from head-to-toe with her arms raised in a storytelling pose.
A 1919 graduate of the university, Te Ata went on to become one of America's best-known Native American storytellers. She performed her one-woman show in front of some of the world's most powerful people, including Queen Elizabeth of Britain. Te Ata became a personal friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's wife Eleanor, who named a lake in upstate New York in her honor. In 2016, Chickasaw Nation Productions released "Te Ata," a feature film based on her inspiring true story.
Stop Categories: Landmarks