Oklahoma State University–Stillwater

Oklahoma State University-Stillwater
Established	1890
Type	Public Sun-grant Land-grant
Endowment	$314 million[1]
President	V. Burns Hargis
Admin. staff	1,857
Students	20,831[2]
Location	Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
Campus	Small city, 1,489 acres (6.03 km2) on the Stillwater campus[3]
Nickname	Cowboys/Cowgirls
Colors	Orange & Black
Mascot	Pistol Pete
Affiliations	Big 12 Conference
Website	www.okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act. Originally known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M), it is the flagship institution of the Oklahoma State University System with 32,032 students for the fall 2009 academic semester.^[4] The flagship campus had a total enrollment of 20,502 students for the fall 2009 semester.^[5] Oklahoma State is situated 62 miles west of Tulsa, and 42 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma State University ranks #71 among Best Value universities, receiving top-billing in the State of Oklahoma (based on in-state tuition totals), according to Kiplinger ^[6]. In 1998, The Student Guide to America's 100 College Buys named OSU America's #1 Best Buy ^[7]. The National Security Agency has named OSU a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research ("Intelligence") along with 22 other universities ^[8]. Academically, OSU's Donald W. Reynolds School of Architecture ranks among the top 20 in the nation.^[9] The Carnegie Foundation classifies OSU as a "High Research Activity campus" ^[10].

Oklahoma State has been named a Truman Honor Institution as a result of having 15 Truman scholars, one of the highest totals in the nation ^[11] including 6 in the last 7 years ^[12]. The university has also produced 5 Sloan Fellows ^[7]. Oklahoma State has hosted a number of high-profile speakers, including several sitting presidents. Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush all gave commencement addresses while they were in office.^[13]

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have a rich athletic heritage, being the home of 49 national championships, a total better than all but 3 schools in the nation, and first in the Big 12.^[14] Every fall the Stillwater community and more than 70,000 alumni comes together in celebration for what is proclaimed as "America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration!" ^[15] The Cowboys student body also puts on the largest annual student-run pep rally in the world, known as Orange Peel.^[16]

Contents 1 History 2 Colleges 3 Awards and distinctions 4 Ledger 5 Student life 5.1 Housing 5.2 Greek life 5.3 Student organizations 6 Athletics 6.1 Football 6.2 Basketball 6.3 Wrestling 6.4 Other sports 7 Fight song 8 People 9 Campus buildings 9.1 Academic buildings 9.2 Residential buildings 9.3 Other buildings 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

History

On December 24, 1890, the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature finally gained approval for Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College, the land-grant university established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It specified that the college was to be within Payne County. Such an ambiguous description created rivalry between towns within the county, with Stillwater ultimately winning out. Upon statehood in 1907, "Territorial" was dropped from its title.

The first students assembled for class on December 14, 1891. Classes were held for two and one-half years in local churches until the first academic building, later known as Old Central, was dedicated on June 15, 1894, on the southeast corner of campus. In 1896, Oklahoma A&M held its first commencement with six male graduates.

Much of the growth of OAMC can be attributed to work of Henry G. Bennett, who served as the school's president from 1928 to 1950. Early in his tenure Dr. Bennett developed a strategic vision for the physical expansion of the university campus. His vision was followed for more than fifty years and made the university what it is today, including the Georgian architecture that permeates the campus. The focal point of his vision was a new library, which became a reality when the Edmon Low Library opened in 1953.

On May 15, 1957, Oklahoma A&M changed its name for the final time to Oklahoma State University to reflect the broadening scope of curriculum offered.

Subsequently, the Oklahoma State University System was created, with the Stillwater campus as the flagship institution. New branches were added later: Okmulgee (1946), Oklahoma City (1961), and Tulsa (1984) and the Center for Health Sciences (1988).^[17]

In 2005, OSU announced its "Campus Master Plan", an ambitious campaign to enhance academic, athletic, and administrative facilities. Over $800 million is ear-marked for campus construction and renovation over the next twenty years. The Plan calls for an "athletic village" where all of the university's athletic facilities will be located on the main campus. To accomplish this goal, the athletic department bought all (or nearly all) the property north of Boone Pickens Stadium up to McElroy between Knoblock and Washington streets. This drew criticism from the city of Stillwater and those property owners.^[18] While the vast majority of the real estate was rental property targeting college students, a few owners were longtime residents. There was a lone holdout in this parcel of land, who sued OSU over their right to use eminent domain.^[19] Yhe case was decided in favor of the University. The project includes the construction of an indoor practice facility for most sports, a soccer stadium/outdoor track, a tennis complex, and a baseball stadium.

Colleges

The Graduate College oversees the graduate degree programs of all colleges, and the Honors College provides further opportunities for students to study, conduct research, and exchange ideas in a challenging and supportive academic environment.

• Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
• Arts and Sciences
• Education
• Engineering, Architecture, and Technology
• Human Environmental Sciences
• Spears School of Business
• Veterinary Health Sciences

Awards and distinctions

Oklahoma State has garnered many awards and distinctions. As a land-grant university, historically renowned programs include its College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The College of Engineering is internationally renowned, particularly in the fields of architecture and mechanical engineering.

• The Princeton Review has named OSU as one of its "Best Value" colleges.^[20]
• The Student Guide to America's 100 Best College Buys named Oklahoma State as America's Best College Buy in 1998.^[7]
• It has been named a Truman Honor Institution for its success in producing Truman scholars.^[21]
• OSU is one of five U.S. universities where Sun Grant Research Initiative programs have been established by the U.S. Congress in the Sun Grant Research Initiative Act of 2003 for the purposes of researching and developing sustainable and environmentally-friendly bio-based energy alternatives.
• The Math Department has been recognized by the American Mathematics Association as one of four innovative programs in the nation and has produced five Sloan Fellows, which is equal to MIT.^[7]
• The U.S. National Security Agency chose OSU as a National Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance Education in 2005.^[22]
• Aerospace engineering designed, built, and flew multiple winning RPV aircraft in the annual international DBF, competitions sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Office of Naval Research, and Cessna Aircraft Company.
• The Oklahoma Mesonet, a state-of-the-art network of environmental monitoring stations that is an OU-OSU partnership, won a special award from the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the nation's leading professional society for those in the atmospheric and related sciences at the National Weather Center.^[23]
• OSU is headquarters for the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association,^[24] which has members from as far away as Sweden, Japan, Australia, England and South Africa.
• Oklahoma State is home of the Orange Peel, a student run event. The students put on a concert/pep rally event which provides the OSU family with national and local headlining entertainment. Past entertainment includes Bill Cosby, Sinbad, Incubus, Barenaked Ladies, Better than Ezra, Alan Jackson, Third Eye Blind, and Jeff Foxworthy.
• OSU’s Colvin Center has been named one of the top six collegiate sports facilities in the nation, by The National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association.^[25]
• OSU's Homecoming was awarded the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Seal of Excellence. Presented each year by the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association, "America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration" began in 1913 and today draws more than 70,000 alumni and fans back to Stillwater for events like the Harvest Carnival, Walkaround and Sea of Orange Parade. It is widely regarded as one of the best homecoming celebrations in the U.S.^[26]

Ledger

Oklahoma State University provides information about the university that is easily accessible on its Ledger website,^[27] which provides a thorough look at OSU, its colleges and its departments, helping prospective students and their parents make informed decisions about their college choice. The ledger is divided into three sections:

Academic Ledgers contain a five year history of student, faculty, research, and financial information, as well as tuition/mandatory fee rates. The academic ledgers are available for the entire university, as well as broken down by academic college, and within each college by department.

Student Profile contains additional student information including the geographic origins of OSU students, enrollment trends, academic information and enrollment projections.

Diversity Ledger is a five year history that provides a more detailed breakdown of the student, faculty and staff of Oklahoma State University.

Student life

Housing

Current university-owned housing options include 26 residence halls, more than 30 dining options, and seven family-first apartment complexes. In recent years, on-campus housing has been undergoing significant transformation. Student living was previously dominated by traditional dormitories; however, apartment-style buildings now comprise approximately half of the living quarters. In 2005, the high-rise Willham North and South residential halls that once dominated the Stillwater skyline with Kerr and Drummond Halls were demolished and replaced with the Village suites on its site. Iba Hall, another traditional dorm, was closed in 2007. Parker Hall is also slated to be closed at the end of the 2008-2009 school year for temporary use as offices for departments that will be displaced by renovations of the Student Union.

Kerr-Drummond, Parker, Wentz and Stout Halls continue to offer traditional dormitory accommodations. Apartments for single students are Bost, Davis, Morsani-Smith, Peterson-Friend, Kamm, Sitlington and Young Halls. Housing in suite-style accommodations are provided in the named Village CASNR (College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources), Village HES (Human and Environmental Science), Village C, Village D, Village E and Village F. Deluxe suites are provided in Patchin & Jones, Bennett, Zink & Allen, and Stinchcomb & Booker Halls. Graduate students and families are offered accommodations in seven apartment "neighborhoods" with a variety of floor plans and amenities: Brumley, Demaree, Morrison, Prosser, Stevens, West and Williams.

Additionally, a number of learning communities and special interest housing options are available, providing opportunity for students who share interests or majors to live together. Most of these communities occupy certain floors of buildings or halls, rather than consisting of separate buildings. Included among the options are: FIT (Freshman in Transition, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources), athletic training, career exploration (College of Arts and Sciences), computer science house, engineering houses, health and sciences house, HES house (College of Human and Environmental Sciences), journalism and broadcasting house, Kamm Leadership House, Ketchum House (Native American interests), Maude's Quad (Women in Engineering House), Recovery House (students recovering from drug and/or alcohol dependence), Spanish House (language immersion), Spears School of Business House, Stout Honors housing (University's Honors Program), Uhuru House (African Centered Cultural House), Wellness House, and The Transfer Zone (transfer students).

Greek life

Oklahoma State University's fraternities and sororities celebrated 100 years of existence at OSU in 2008.

Social fraternities and sororities at Oklahoma State are divided among four councils: Panhellenic, Interfraternity, National Pan-Hellenic and Multicultural.

Eleven national Panhellenic sororities have chapters at OSU. They are: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi, and Zeta Tau Alpha.

Twenty fraternities make up the Interfraternity Council. Member fraternities include: Alpha Gamma Rho, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, FarmHouse, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau.

NPHC member organizations are historically black fraternities and sororities. As of the 2006-2007 school year, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta Phi Beta have chapters at OSU. In March 2007, the Alpha Phi Alpha chapter at OSU was closed down in the midst of serious allegations of hazing.

The Multicultural Greek Council is the umbrella organization for additional minority Greek letter groups. Member organizations include Alpha Pi Omega, the nation's first Native American sorority; Delta Epsilon Psi, a south Asian fraternity; Phi Sigma Nu, the nation's first Native American fraternity and a colony of Sigma Lambda Gamma, a Latina sorority.

Other Greek letter organizations not affiliated with a governing council include Beta Upsilon Chi, a Christian fraternity; Omega Phi Alpha, a service-based sorority; and Sigma Phi Lambda, a Christian sorority.

Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honor Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, (the national honorary fraternity and sorority for college band members) were founded at Oklahoma State in 1919 and 1946, respectively.

See also Notable OSU Greek Alumni

Student organizations

Organizations are available to students through the university that serve any interest. A complete list of campus organizations can be found here.

Athletics

Stats:

NCAA Division I-A

Conference: Big 12 (South)

Major Rivalries: University of Oklahoma Sooners

Minor Rivalries: University of Texas Longhorns, University of Kansas Jayhawks (basketball), Iowa State University (wrestling), and Texas Tech Red Raiders (football)

NCAA Championships: 49

Wrestling: 34

Golf: 10

Basketball: 2 1945 and 1946

Baseball: 1 1959

Cross Country: 2

Athletic Director: Mike Holder

Football

10 conference titles - 19 bowl games played - 1988 Heisman trophy winner

Basketball

Men's basketball is tradition rich at Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State made the Final Four in 1995 and 2004 and was the first ever Division 1 basketball program to win back-to-back National Championships in 1945~1946.

Wrestling

The Cowboy wrestling team brought home their 33rd NCAA championship in spring 2005, scoring the most points ever by an Oklahoma State wrestling team in the NCAA. OSU won their 34th overall (and 4th consecutive) title in 2006.^[28] OSU's 34 team titles are the most ever collected by a school in one sport. The Cowboys have also produced 127 individual national champions, including the sport's first-ever four-time champion, Pat Smith.

Other sports

Heisman trophy winner Barry Sanders set the single season rushing record in 1988.

Since the 1924 Olympics, 55 Oklahoma State University Olympians have won a total of 24 medals: 21 gold, two silver, and one bronze.

Fight song

Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation, and athletic games are: The Waving Song, Ride 'Em Cowboys (the Oklahoma State University fight song), and the OSU Chant.

Fight Song: Cowboys a riding, Lassoes a-flying, Under the western sky. And as they ride, We rise to sing and shout our battle cry!) Ride, ride, ride, ride, Ride'em Cowboys, Right down the field; Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight'em Cowboys, and never yield. Ride, ride, ride, ride, Ride on, Cowboys, to victory; Cross (opponent)'s goal; Then we'll sing O-kla-homa State!

Waving Song Oklahoma State! Oklahoma State! We'll sing your praise tonight; To let you know where e’re we go, For the Orange and Black we'll fight We'll sing your worth o’er all the Earth And shout: Ki Yi! Ki Ye! In books of fame we'll write your name, Oklahoma State!

OSU Chant" GO! GO! GO POKES! GO POKES! GO POKES GO! O!...S!...U! O S U The greatest in the nation O S U The team that's got the go spirit and the will to win Make a score and we'll shout Beat (opponent)!! O S U It's orange and black we're cheering on to victory today And then we'll say O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A! STATE! Univer-si-ty!

Alma Mater: Proud and immortal, Bright Shines Your Name, Oklahoma State, We Herald Your Fame, Ever You'll Find Us, Loyal and True, To Our Alma Mater, O...S...U

At the end of every sporting event, win or lose, OSU student-athletes face the student section and sing the alma mater along with other students, faculty, alumni and staff.

People

Today, there are more than 200,000 living OSU alumni worldwide.^[29] Prominent alumni include oil tycoon and billionaire philanthropist T. Boone Pickens, country singers Garth Brooks and Hoyt Axton, US Senator Tom Coburn, former acting Surgeon General of the United States Robert A. Whitney, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Steven W. Taylor and legal scholar Anita Hill. Coaching alumni include OSU wrestling head coach John Smith, OSU football head coach Mike Gundy, former OSU basketball coaches Eddie Sutton and Sean Sutton. The Cowboys have produced several NBA players, including Desmond Mason of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics, Joey Graham of the Denver Nuggets, JamesOn Curry of the Chicago Bulls, and former New York Knicks guard John Starks. NFL players Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas also attended OSU. MMA fighter and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture wrestled at OSU. PGA professional golfer Rickie Fowler.

Interviews with OSU Alumni can be viewed and heard through the O-State Stories Project of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program.^[30]

Campus buildings

Academic buildings

• Advanced Technology Research Center
• Agriculture Hall
• Architecture
• Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts
• Classroom Building
• Classroom Building North
• Colvin Center
• Cordell
• Edmon Low Library
• Engineering North
• Engineering South
• Food and Agricultural Products Research & Technology Center
• Gundersen
• Hanner Hall
• Human Environmental Sciences
• Human Environmental Sciences West
• Life Sciences East
• Life Sciences West
• Math Statistics Computer Science
• Morrill Hall
• Murray Hall
• Noble Research Center
• North Murray
• Old Central (Home of the Honors College starting Fall 2009^[31])
• Paul Miller School of Journalism and Broadcasting Building
• Physical Sciences
• Seretean Center for the Performing Arts
• Spears School of Business
• Thatcher Hall
• Whitehurst
• Willard, home of the College of Education

Residential buildings

• Bennett Hall
• Bost Hall
• Davis Hall
• Drummond Hall
• Kamm-Peterson-Friend
• Kerr Hall
• Morsani-Smith
• Parker Hall
• Patchin-Jones Hall
• Scott Hall
• Stout Hall
• Booker Hall (formerly known as Suite A)
• Stinchcomb Hall (formerly known as Suite B)
• The Village Suite Halls A-F
• Wentz Hall
• Young Hall
• Zink-Allen

Other buildings

• Allie P. Reynolds Stadium - Baseball
• Bennett Memorial Chapel
• Boone Pickens Stadium - Football stadium named after T. Boone Pickens
• Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
• ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center
• Colvin Center- Largest Student Recreation Center in the nation.
• Historic Gallagher-Iba Arena - Named top collegiate venue in the United States by CBS Sportsline. It is named after Edward C. Gallagher and Henry Iba. It is home to practice facilities, weight and locker rooms as well as the original white maple wood basketball court. The court has recently been named Eddie Sutton Court, in honor of OSU's recently retired Men's Basketball Coach.
• National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
• Old Central - The oldest building on campus; currently under renovation.
• Student Union - Known as the largest student union in the world.^[32] Portions of the 1992 film All-American Murder were filmed at the Student Union.^[33]
• Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum
• Oklahoma Museum of Higher Education

See also

• Oklahoma State Cowboys – Football, basketball, & other athletic programs
• Johnny Bright Incident – An incident that occurred during a football game on Saturday, October 20, 1951
• Innovative Multi-Cultural Curricula (IMCC) – an exchange and educational program with several European and American partner universities
• List of forestry universities and colleges

References

External links

• Oklahoma State University Homepage
• Oklahoma State University Alumni Association
• Official Oklahoma State Athletics Site
• The Daily O'Collegian

Oklahoma State University Academics College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources · College of Arts & Sciences · CEAT · College of Education · College of Human Environmental Services · Edmon Low Library · William S. Spears School of Business Athletics OSU Athletics · Cowboy Football · Cowboy Basketball · Cowboy Wrestling · Bedlam · Boone Pickens Stadium · Gallagher-Iba Arena · Allie P. Reynolds Stadium · Karsten Creek · Sherman E. Smith Training Center · Bullet · Pistol Pete · National Wrestling Hall of Fame · In the NFL Draft Campuses Center for Health Sciences · Oklahoma City · Okmulgee · OSU Medical Center · Stillwater · Tulsa History History · Old Central People List of OSU people · List of OSU Olympians · List of OSU Greeks Student life Colvin Center · Cowboy Marching Band · Daily O'Collegian · Homecoming · Orange Peel · Student Union

Institutions of higher education in Oklahoma Public institutions Cameron University · University of Central Oklahoma · East Central University · Langston University · Northeastern State University · Northwestern Oklahoma State University · Oklahoma Panhandle State University · Oklahoma State University–Stillwater · Rogers State University · Southeastern Oklahoma State University · Southwestern Oklahoma State University · University of Oklahoma · University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma · Private institutions Bacone College · Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College · Mid-America Christian University · Oklahoma Baptist University · Oklahoma Christian University · Oklahoma City University · Oklahoma Wesleyan University · Oral Roberts University · Phillips Theological Seminary · St. Gregory's University · Southern Nazarene University · Southwestern Christian University · University of Tulsa Community colleges Carl Albert State College · Connors State College · Eastern Oklahoma State College · Murray State College · Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College · Northern Oklahoma College · Oklahoma City Community College · Redlands Community College · Rose State College · Seminole State College · Tulsa Community College · Western Oklahoma State College

Big 12 Conference North Division Colorado Buffaloes (leaving in 2011) • Iowa State Cyclones • Kansas Jayhawks • Kansas State Wildcats • Missouri Tigers • Nebraska Cornhuskers (leaving in 2011) South Division Baylor Bears • Oklahoma Sooners • Oklahoma State Cowboys • Texas Longhorns • Texas A&M Aggies • Texas Tech Red Raiders