Robert J. Conley was a Spur award-winning Cherokee author. He was the Swquoyah Distinguished Professor in Cherokee Studies as well as the Founding Director of the Tsalgi Institute at Western Carolina University. He wrote about 80 books, including Colfax and Quitting Time, and is known for introducing strong Indian protagonists to the Western genre.He is also the recipient of the Western Writers of America Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Contributions to Western Literature.