| Oklahoma State University-Stillwater | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1890 |
| Type | Public Sun-grant Land-grant |
| Endowment | $350.7 million[1] |
| President | V. Burns Hargis |
| Admin. staff | 1,857 |
| Students | 23,522[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 & White |
| Mascot | Pistol Pete |
| Affiliations | Big 12 Conference |
| Website | www.okstate.edu |
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater (also referred to informally as Oklahoma State, O-K-State, O-State and OSU) is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was 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. Official enrollment for the fall 2010 semester system-wide was 35,073, with 21,149 students enrolled at OSU-Stillwater.[4] Unofficial enrollment shows the Freshman class of 2011 to be the largest on record, but the official number has yet to be released. OSU is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity.[5]
Oklahoma State University is listed by the Princeton Review as one of 120 “Best Western Colleges” for 2011, and as one of 50 "Best Value Colleges – Public" for 2010.[6] It is ranked by U.S. News & World Report No. 66 among "Top Public Schools:National Universities" and No. 132 among all National Universities for 2011.[7] For 2009–10, Kiplinger listed OSU among its "100 Best Values in Public Education," with an in-state ranking of No. 91 and an out-of-state ranking of No. 93.[8]
The Oklahoma State Cowboys' athletic heritage includes 50 national championships, a total greater than all but three NCAA Division I schools in the United States, and first in the Big 12 Conference.[9] OSU's Homecoming celebration, begun in 1913, draws more than 40,000 alumni and over 70,000 participants each year to campus and is billed by the university as "America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration." [10]
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On December 25, 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, which at the time was flat plowed prairie.[11] In 1896, Oklahoma A&M held its first commencement with six male graduates. The first Library was established in Old Central in one room shared with the English Department. The first campus building to have electricity, Williams Hall, was constructed in 1900. With its turreted architecture it was referred to as the "Castle of the Prairies";[12] It remained standing until 1969. One of the earliest campus buildings was also a barn, used as part of an agricultural experiment station, which was served by a large reservoir pond created in 1895. The barn burned in 1922, but the pond, enlarged and remodeled in 1928 and 1943, is now known as Theta Pond, a popular campus scenic landmark.[13] In 1906, Morrill Hall was completed and became the principal building on campus. A fire gutted the building in 1914, but the outside structure survived intact, and the interior was reconstructed. The first dormitory for women was completed in 1911. It contained a kitchen, dining hall, some classrooms, and a women's gymnasium. It is now the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts and houses the Gardiner Art Gallery. By 1919 the campus included Morrill Hall, the Central Building, the Engineering Building (now Gunderson Hall), the Women's building, the Auditorium (replaced later by the Seretean Center for Performing Arts), the Armory-Gymnasium (now the Architecture Building) and the Power Plant.[14]
Much of the growth of Oklahoma A&M and the campus architectural integrity 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. The plan was adopted in 1937 and his vision was followed for more than fifty years, making the university what it is today, including the Georgian architecture that permeates the campus. The focal point of his vision was a centrally located library building, which became a reality when the Edmon Low Library opened in 1953. Another major addition to the campus during the Bennett years was the construction of the Student Union, which opened in 1950. Subsequent additions and renovations have made the building one of the largest student union buildings in the world at 611,000 sq ft (56,800 m2).[15] A complete renovation and further expansion of the building began in 2010.
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. (Oklahoma Gov. Raymond Gary signed the bill authorizing the name change passed by the 26th Oklahoma Legislature on May 15, 1957. However, the bill only authorized the Board of Regents to change the name of the college, a measure they voted on at their meeting on June 6. The official name - Oklahoma State University of Agricultural and Applied Sciences - took effect July 1. The latter portion of the name was dropped in 1980.) Subsequently, the Oklahoma State University System was created, with the Stillwater campus as the flagship institution and several outlying branches: OSU-Institute of Technology in Okmulgee (1946), OSU-Oklahoma City (1961), OSU-Tulsa (1984) and the Center for Health Sciences also in Tulsa (1988).[16]
In 2005, OSU announced its "Campus Master Plan", a campaign to enhance academic, athletic, and administrative facilities. Over $800 million is ear-marked for campus construction and renovation over 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 property owners.[17] 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.[18] The 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.
In 2006, OSU become the recipient of a gift of $165 million from alumnus T. Boone Pickens to the university's athletic department, and in 2008 received another gift from Pickens of $100 million for endowed academic chairs. It was the largest gift for academics ever given in the state.[19] In February, 2010, Pickens announced that he was contributing another $100 Million to fund a scholarship endowment as part of a $1 Billion fund-raising campaign titled "Branding Success." The gift brought the total contributed to OSU by Pickens to over $500 Million.[20] The "Branding Success" campaign seeks to raise about $500 Million for endowed scholarships and fellowships for students, $200 million toward attracting and retaining professors and researchers, $200 million for the construction and upgrading of educational and research facilities and $100 million to create and sustain programs and services to benefit Oklahomans.[21] One of the first endowed professorships established through the campaign is the Temple Grandin Endowed Professorship in Animal Behavior and Well-Being, named in honor of animal scientist and autistic expert Temple Grandin.[22]
Oklahoma State has hosted a number of high-profile speakers throughout the years, including several sitting presidents. Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush all gave commencement addresses while they were in office.[23]
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater offers nearly 200 undergraduate degree majors through six Colleges:
OSU provides further opportunities for select students to study, conduct research, and exchange ideas in a more challenging and supportive academic environment through the Honors College.
The graduate degree programs of all colleges are administered through the Graduate College.
The Center for Veterinary Health Sciences(CVHS) has three academic Departments: Veterinary Pathobiology, Physiological Sciences, and Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Each of the three academic departments share responsibility for the four-year professional curriculum leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree. The interdepartmental Veterinary Biomedical Sciences graduate program offers MS and PhD degrees. It also offers ECFVG and PAVE programmes for foreign trained veterinarians.
| University rankings (overall) | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Forbes[24] | 138 |
| U.S. News & World Report[25] | 132 |
| Washington Monthly[26] | 145 |
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.
Oklahoma State University provides information about the university that is easily accessible on its Ledger website,[35] 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.
Current university-owned housing options include 26 residence halls, more than 15 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 were demolished and replaced with the Village suites on its site. Iba Hall, another traditional dorm, was closed in 2007 but is being reopened in 2011 due to an increase of incoming freshman. 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), James Building (Young Engineers House), 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).
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-one fraternities make up the Interfraternity Council. Member fraternities include: Alpha Gamma Rho, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, FarmHouse, Kappa Alpha Order, 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, Theta Chi, and Kappa Alpha Order.
NPHC member organizations are historically black fraternities and sororities. As of the 2010 - 2011 school year, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, and Zeta Phi Beta have chapters at OSU.
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
Organizations are available to students through the university that serve any interest. A complete list of campus organizations can be found here.[36]
Stats:
10 conference titles – 19 bowl games played – 1988 Heisman trophy winner and single season rushing record (Barry Sanders).
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.
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.[37] 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.
Since the 1924 Olympics, 55 Oklahoma State University Olympians have won a total of 24 medals: 21 gold, two silver, and one bronze.
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:Audio
Waving Song:Audio
OSU Chant:Audio
"ORANGE POWER" yell:
Alma Mater:Audio
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.
Today, there are more than 200,000 living OSU alumni worldwide.[38] Prominent alumni include oil tycoon and billionaire philanthropist T. Boone Pickens, "The father of the personal computer" Ed Roberts, country singers Garth Brooks and Hoyt Axton, US Senator Tom Coburn, Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin, former acting Surgeon General of the United States Robert A. Whitney, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Steven W. Taylor, 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 formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies, James Anderson of the San Antonio Spurs, Joey Graham of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Stephen Graham of the New Jersey Nets, JamesOn Curry of the Chicago Bulls, and former New York Knicks guard John Starks. NFL players Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas also attended OSU, as did baseball All Star pitcher Joe Horlen. Also in the NFL are former Cowboys Dez Bryant and Dan Bailey of the Dallas Cowboys, Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings and Dexter Manley of the Washington Redskins, who also testified before Congress that he was able to graduate from Oklahoma State University while being functionally illiterate. MMA fighter and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture wrestled at OSU. MMA fighter Mark Munoz also wrestled at OSU. PGA professional golfers Rickie Fowler, Scott Verplank, Bo Van Pelt, Charles Howell III, and Hunter Mahan also attended OSU.
Interviews with OSU Alumni can be viewed and heard through the O-State Stories Project of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program.[39]
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