O'Keeffe's Canyon & Campus Life

Pardon Our Noise

We wish to apologize for construction noise in the building. The library is currently undergoing renovations to increase the safety of the building. Please look at the Cornette Library Maintenance and Renovations Libguide for more information.

Door Closure Update: The South entrance of the library will temporarily be closed through Tuesday, 11/18/2025 due to some maintenance on the security gates. The East entrance into the library will be opened temporarily while the South entrance is closed. Once the repair work at the South entrance is completed, the South entrance will re-open and the East entrance will be closed again. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Hudspeth House

While Georgia O'Keeffe lived in Canyon, Texas from 1916 to 1918, she took her meals at the home of Mary E. Hudspeth. Hudspeth was a West Texas State Normal College professor of Spanish and later the first dean of women in 1917.

The home is now the Hudspeth House Bed and Breakfast. The present-day dining room may be the same room where O'Keeffe once ate.

Hudspeth House dining room. Courtesy of the Hudspeth House Bed and Breakfast.

Art Classroom

The art classroom at West Texas State Normal College was decorated with photographs of textiles, Greek pottery, and Persian plates. Georgia O'Keeffe sent a friend ten dollars to purchase them in New York City.

Her classroom was numbered as room 206 in what was then the only building on campus. The room was on the north side of the corridor on what is now designated the third floor of "Old Main." It was the fourth consecutive room from the west end of the corridor.

As Faculty

Okeeffe, 1917. From Le Mirage — All faculty had individual photos in the school yearbook 1917 Le Mirage.

Faculty in Chapel, 1917. From Le Mirage — Chapel attendance was required for faculty and students. Services were held in the auditorium of the Administration Building which is now called Old Main. Georgia O’Keeffe is the fifth person from the left. Photo from 1917 Le Mirage.

Panhandle Plains Historical Museum

Panhandle Historical Museum in 1933 — PPHM as it appeared when it opened to the public in 1933. O'Keeffe returned to Canyon in November, 1935 and visited the museum. Our thanks to Amarillo Public Library for permission to use this photograph.

Present-Day Museum — The present-day PPHM is now the largest history museum in the state of Texas. Courtesy of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.

Art and Industry in Education, 1912

Cover of Art and Industry 1912 — Art and Industry in Education: A Book Illustrative of the Principles and Problems of the Courses in Fine and Industrial Arts at Teachers College. Columbia University. (signed). Cornette Library, Special Collections Unit.

O'Keeffe Signature in Art and Industry — O'Keeffe's signature in Art and Industry Textbook from Cornette Library, Special Collections Unit. O'Keeffe's personal copy of the textbook she used at Columbia University in New York is in the Cornette Library Special Collections Unit. The two volumes, 1912 and 1913, are contained in one book. Her signature is on an inside page separating the volumes.

Available Online:

A PDF version of the entire book is available for free from the Internet Archive.

Available in the Library

NK 410 .N48 C64 1912

Art and Industry in Education, 1913

Cover of Art and Industry 1913 — Art and Industry 1913 cover from Cornette Library, Special Collections Unit.