Norman, Oklahoma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Norman, Oklahoma USA, the home of the University of Oklahoma, is the county seat and largest city in Cleveland County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Norman, a fast growing suburb, is situated 20 minutes south of downtown Oklahoma City and is the third largest city in the state. As of July, 2005, the city had 101,719 full-time residents. It is the business and employment center of Cleveland CountyGR6.
Norman is best known as the location of the University of Oklahoma, making it a center of culture, technology, and scientific research. Norman is one of the world's most prominent centers of meteorology. The city is home to many National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration organizations, and the university's meteorology department is one of the most highly regarded in the world. The NOAA and University meteorological agencies and departments are housed within the newly-opened National Weather Center, located in the south part of the City along State Highway 9. Along with the offices within the NWC, several companies, including WeatherNews, have located offices on the OU Research Campus alongside the new facility. Norman is the birthplace of Doppler radar.
Norman is also home to the university-operated Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, (one of the largest of its kind) and the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art, which made news in 2001 when it was given the Weitzenhoffer Collection, the single most important collection of impressionist art ever given to an American university, including works by Mary Cassatt, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro, among others.
Norman's picture-book Main Street is a great source of pride for Normanites, as are the many shady, tree-lined housing areas that surround the OU campus. The west side of town has seen the most development in recent years, including affluent areas like Brookhaven, a sprawling neighborhood of townhomes, apartments, large estates and upscale retail and dining. The east side is older and includes the areas around the OU campus and downtown. Both areas retain their historic appearance and resemble what most people would think of as the core area of a college town. In 2006, Money Magazine ranked Norman as the 40th best place to live in the United States, the highest of any city in Oklahoma.[1]
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[edit] Geography
Norman is located at (35.221617, -97.418236)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 490.8 km² (189.5 mi²). 458.5 km² (177.0 mi²) of it is land and 32.4 km² (12.5 mi²) of it (6.60%) is water. Approximately 27 square miles are developed. Elevations within the city limits are between 320 and 410 meters above sea level. The lowest point in the city limits is the "Little River", just after it exits the Lake Thunderbird Dam. Many hills in the eastern suburbs exceed 400 meters above sea level. The terrain in the undeveloped eastern parts of Norman is prairie, and the western section, including the area surrounding Lake Thunderbird, are cross-timbers forest.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 95,694 people, 38,834 households, and 22,562 families residing in the city. The population density was 208.7/km² (540.6/mi²). There were 41,547 housing units at an average density of 90.6/km² (234.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.36% White, 4.26% African American, 4.45% Native American, 3.49% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 4.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.
There were 38,834 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 21.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,713, and the median income for a family was $51,189. Males had a median income of $35,896 versus $26,394 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,630. About 7.8% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway planned Norman as a station site in Indian Territory in 1886-87, taking the name "Norman's Camp," a phrase that (the story goes) had been carved in a nearby tree 16 years earlier by the crew of a U.S. Land Office surveyor, Abner E. Norman, who camped nearby while mapping the area. The town itself, while platted by the railroad, wasn't settled until the Great Land Run of 1889, the mad dash by settlers to claim the Unassigned Lands at the center of Indian Territory.
By nightfall on April 22, 1889, Norman probably had several hundred residents, camped in tents and covered wagons on town lots that wouldn't remain vacant for long. Almost overnight, the settlement developed into a thriving town. It was near Norman, in 1895, that Doolin Gang members George "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charlie Pierce were killed by the "Dunn Brothers", who were bounty hunters from Ingalls, Oklahoma.
[edit] Business
Norman is a global center for the sciences of Meteorology and Geology and related research fields. The local business community boasts major employers like Hitachi, UPS, Albon Engineering, Xyant Technology, Office Max, ClientLogic, the USPS National Training Center and USPS/Marriott Conference and Housing Facility NCED National Center for Employee Development, Immuno-Mycologics, Inc., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and several other research companies and smaller firms that take advantage of Norman's business climate.
Currently the nation's 4th largest retail site (University Town Center, a project by the OU Regents), is being built in Norman along I 35, between Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road (2-mile stretch). When completed, the site will also include mixed-use development such as hotels and offices in addition to retail.
[edit] Community events
- Medieval Fair (Reeves Park)
- Jazz in June (different venues)
- May Fair Arts Festival (Andrew's Park)
- SummerBreeze Concert Series
- Mardi Gras parade (downtown Norman)
- Midsummer Nights' Fair (Lion's Park)
- Obviously Unrehearsed Improv (different venues)
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Air
Norman is served by University of Oklahoma/Max Westheimer Airport (OUN).
[edit] Rail
Norman's Depot is served by Amtrak's Heartland Flyer.
[edit] Road
Norman is served by several major roadways, as well as a public transit system
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges and universities
[edit] Career and Technical Education
[edit] Public primary and secondary schools
- Norman Public Schools (or Independent School District Number 29 of Cleveland County, Oklahoma), which includes:
- Norman High School,
- Norman North High School,
- 4 middle schools, and
- 16 elementary schools.
[edit] Private primary and secondary schools
- Community Christian School - kindergarten through 12th grade
- Robinson Street Christian School - kindergarten through 12th grade
- Blue Eagle Christian Academy - kindergarten through 11th grade
- All Saints Catholic School - pre-kindergarten through 8th grade
- Norman Christian Academy - pre-kindergarten through 7th grade
- Trinity Lutheran School - pre-kindergarten through 6th grade
- Veritas Classical Christian Academy - kindergarten through 8th grade
[edit] Misc. Schools
- Hollywood Cosmetology Center
[edit] Notable residents and natives
Actors: James Garner (a statue of Garner as Bret Maverick was unveiled in Norman on April 21, 2006, with Garner present at the ceremony), Jim Ross, Alice Ghostley, Christian Kane, Milena Govich
Musicians and bands: Toby Keith, Vince Gill, Snotrokitz, Chainsaw Kittens, The Flaming Lips, Conway Twitty, Starlight Mints, Evangelicals, Same Day Service, The Neighborhood, Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Ghost of Monkshood, Broken Sky, The Separation, Magnificent Bird, Year of the Jackalope, The Purple Cow Story, It's Hysterical, The Gunship, Yacht Club!
Athletes: Barry Switzer, Bart Conner, Nadia Comaneci, Bob Stoops, Mark Bradley, Steve Williams, Roy Williams, Tommie Harris, Dean Blevins, John Box (Extreme Ironing), Steve Owens, Jason White, Scott Harper (high jump)
Writers: Martin Gardner, Harold Keith
Politicians: David L. Boren, Carl Albert
Scientists: Karl Guthe Jansky, Benjamin Witten
Designers: Kayne Gillaspie
[edit] Sister cities
Clermont-Ferrand, France
Colima, Mexico
Seika, Japan
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Best Places to Live (English) (HTML). MONEY Magazine. Retrieved on July 17, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Visit Norman
- Urban OK Forums -- Norman Civic & Development Discussion
- Official city website
- Jazz in June festival
- SummerBreeze Concert Series
