Old Central
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"Old Central" is the oldest building on the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Originally built in 1894, it was the first permanent building on the Oklahoma A&M campus. Old Central's bell clapper once served as a traveling trophy in the Bedlam Series athletics rivalry between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. The new "Bedlam Bell" is a crystal trophy modeled after Old Central's bell and is awarded to the winner of each individual athletics contest in addition to the overall series winner for each year.
[edit] Construction, Condemnation, & Restoration
The construction contract for Old Central was awarded on June 20, 1893. Many students, wanting their own building as soon as possible, assisted the fifty-man construction crew. Students received ten cents per hour for menial jobs, such as carrying bricks and water to the masons.
Dedication ceremonies were held on June 15, 1894. Classes began in the “"ultra-modern" structure on September 15th, with 144 students in attendance. The College Building, as it was originally known, was the only permanent campus building until 1900. The Chemistry Department, which had occupied the basement, moved into a new building west of "The College."
Shifting red permian clay soil and Old Central's native sandstone foundation proved to be an unfortunate combination. The shifting clay movement against the soft sandstone foundation caused serious structural cracks. In 1914 two large tie-rods were installed in an effort to stabilize the building. Condemnation of Old Central became official in 1925, but space on campus was badly needed; so the building continued to be used until early 1927 when falling plaster slightly injured a student.
Major work in 1930 put the building back into use until 1969 when the last regular classes were held. Oklahoma State University leased Old Central to the Oklahoma Historical Society in July 1971; the building was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Exterior restoration which began in 1973, was completed in 1989 with the installation of a metal shingle roof to duplicate the original roofing.
[edit] Oklahoma Museum of Higher Education
To preserve history and artifacts of higher education in Oklahoma from Oklahoma/Indian Territorial era to present. Housed in Old Central, the first permanent building on the Oklahoma State University campus.
Higher education began in Indian Territory more than a quarter century before Oklahoma became a state in 1907. Almon C. Bacone established Indian University in 1880 as a Baptist mission school. The University granted its first bachelor degrees in 1883. Hope Mission, adjacent to the Cherokee Female Seminary in Tahlequah, served as the University's first home. The University moved to its present location northeast of Muskogee in 1885. It was renamed Bacone College in honor of its founder in 1910.
When the first Territorial Legislature convened on August 28, 1890 Governor George W. Steele called for the creation of an agricultural experiment station. A station was usually part of an agricultural college, but the governor vetoed the first college bill.
On December 19, 1890, the legislature approved the creation of Oklahoma Territorial University, now the University of Oklahoma, to be located at the south edge of Norman. It was to provide advanced education for professionals.
East of Norman, High Gate Methodist College (girls only) began classes in September, 1890. Classes for the territorial university did not begin until September, 1892. Both institutions occupied their first permanent buildings in 1893; but as tuition-free Oklahoma Territorial University became established, High Gate ceased to exist.
December 24, 1890, the legislature finally gained approval for Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Oklahoma State University, and Oklahoma Territorial Normal School, now the University of Central Oklahoma. The legislation stated that the normal school was to be located on the east side of Edmond. It specified that the “"Land-Grant" college was to be within Payne County. Such an ambiguous description created rivalry between towns within the county. Stillwater ultimately won the college.
The Morrill Act of 1862 created the land-grant college system. These colleges had a mandate to provide both a liberal and practical education. The Morrill Act made education available to the working class.
Each state and territory was to have at least one land-grant college. The college in Stillwater was established under the first Morrill Act. A second Morrill Act in 1890 prepared the way for Colored Agricultural and Normal University at Langston (about 20 miles southwest of Stillwater) in 1898.
[edit] External links
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| History | History • Old Central |
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