Clay Curran Papers

Clay Conley Curran was born May 20, 1887 in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. His father was Charles William Curran and his mother was Emma Florence Conley Curran. He graduated from Stevens Point high school in June 1907. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Valparaiso University, and then he attended Teachers College at Columbia University, and earned a Bachelor of Education degree. Then he attended the University of Chicago as a graduate student and earned the Masters Degree in secondary administration. He was employed as a farm hand during summers while attending high school and college and occasionally did carpenter work. He first taught rural schools. After completing his college work at Valparaiso he taught manual training (woodworking) at a high school in Glenco, Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was also employed at the Lead High School as woodworking and mechanical drawing teacher and then principal. He married Louise Gleckler in Pierre, South Dakota, on December 27, 1919. They had one son born in Deadwood on October 19, 1924; he later died in San Francisco, California on September 23, 1955. He helped to organize the Lead Kiwanis Club. Since retirement he has been active in the Black Hills Westerners.