[1] Keith published his first written work, a short story, in Lone Scout magazine in 1917, when he was 14 years old.
[2] Keith retired from work at the University of Oklahoma to become a full-time writer, which remained his profession for the rest of his life.
[2] He died in Norman, Oklahoma, of congestive heart failure on February 24, 1998, just before the publication and printing of his last book, Chico and Dan.
[citation needed] Keith was awarded the 1958 Newbery Medal for his historical novel Rifles for Watie, which is based on the interviews he conducted for his Master's thesis.
[1][5] The University of Oklahoma libraries' Western History Collection includes the Harold Keith Collection, containing personal records, personal correspondence, professional correspondence, typescripts, manuscripts, financial records, and memorabilia from 1900 to 1993.