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Glenn Shirley
Glenn Shirley (December 9, 1916 - February 27, 2002), a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, was a distinguished author, journalist and former police captain.
He graduated from high sc...view moreGlenn Shirley (December 9, 1916 - February 27, 2002), a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, was a distinguished author, journalist and former police captain.
He graduated from high school in 1935 and received a diploma in 1937 from the Institute of Applied Science (IAS) School of Criminology in Chicago. He was appointed as a police officer with the Stillwater Police Department in 1937 and earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1940 from the La Salle Extension University. He also completed courses on scientific crime detection and photography.
He joined the army in 1943, serving in the East Africa and Middle East theaters until 1946, and upon his discharge returned to Stillwater and resumed his peace officer duties. He was appointed Captain of the Stillwater Police Department in 1949 and rose through the ranks, but retired in 1957 to focus on his writing.
His first book, Toughest of Them All, a work of mystery and detective fiction, was published in 1953, and he wrote six further books, in addition to numerous articles and short stories for several periodicals. He began collecting Western history around 1965.
He was a publications specialist and assistant director for the Oklahoma State University Press from 1969-1979 and served as an historical consultant and member of the editorial board for Western Publications, Inc., publisher of True West, Old West, and Frontier Times.
He received numerous awards, including the Oklahoma Literary Endeavor Award in 1960, the U.S. Marshals Service America’s Star Award in 1989, in recognition of his career in and contributions to law enforcement, and the University of Oklahoma’s Professional Writing Award in 1990. Additionally, he was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Outlaw-Lawman History.
He was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1981, the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame in 1999.
Shirley passed away in 2002 at the age of 85.view less