Marie Bankhead Owen

Marie Bankhead Owen
Marie Bankhead Owen
Born	(1869-09-01)September 1, 1869 Bankhead Plantation, Noxubee County, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	March 1, 1958(1958-03-01) (aged 88) Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Resting place	Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama
Known for	Director Alabama Dept of Archives and History
Spouse(s)	Thomas McAdory Owen
Children	Thomas McAdory Owen Jr. John Hollis Bankhead
Parent(s)	John H. Bankhead Tallulah J. Brockman Bankhead

Marie Bankhead Owen (September 1, 1869 – March 1, 1958) was Director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History for over three decades, as well as a documentarian of Alabama history who authored numerous books on the subject. Owen served as an advisor for the Federal Writers' Project history of the state. In 1939, Owen helped select the Alabama state motto. She was actively opposed to a Federal mandate giving women the right to vote, and believed in the supremacy of the white race. Owen was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1975. Her niece was actress Tallulah Bankhead.

Marie Bankhead Owen was born one of five children on September 1, 1869, into an influential family on the Bankhead Plantation, Noxubee County, Mississippi. Her father was John Hollis Bankhead and her mother was Tallulah J. Brockman Bankhead.

Marie's paternal ancestors emigrated from Northern Ireland to South Carolina during the 18th century. Her great-great-grandfather was a Revolutionary War participant named John Hollis. Her father served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. During reconstruction, he became a political activist with a platform of white supremacy. He belonged to the Democratic Party and was a supporter of the presidential candidacy of William Jennings Bryan. He served in various capacities, including the United States House of Representatives (1855–1906) and the United States Senate (1907–1920).