Hillerman, Tony

1925 - Tony Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma on May 27th.

1930-1938 - He attended school at St. Mary's Academy, a boarding school for Native American girls at Sacred Heart.

1942 - For high school, he was bused to Konawa High School were he graduated.

1943 - He joined the U. S. Army, serving in combat in World War II.

1945 - He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart after being wounded and was discharged.

1948 - After the war, he attended the University of Oklahoma, receiving a B.A.

         - He married Marie Unzner, to whom he is still married. They have six grown children.

         - He worked in a variety of journalist positions. He was a reporter for the Borger News Herald in Borger, Texas, city editor for the Morning Press-Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma.

1950-1952 - He was a political reporter for UPI in Oklahoma City. He became the UPI bureau manager in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1954-1963 - He was the editor for the Santa Fe New Mexican.

         - He returned to graduate school in English at the University of New Mexico. He was an assistant to the University president at the same time.

1966 - He joined the journalism faculty of UNM after receiving his M.A.

1976-1981 - He taught there, serving as department chair.

1996 - Although he says he feels great for the shape he's in, his health has been a concern. He told PBS, " I am 71, have now-and-then rhematic arthritis but now very badly, have in-remission cancer, have had a minor heart attack, have one mediocre eye, one tricky ankle and two unreliable knees due to being blown up in WWII".

2001 - His memoirs were published in October. It won the Agatha Award for Best Non-Fiction.