1.0 THE UNIVERSITY:
HISTORY AND INTRODUCTION
Seventeen years before Oklahoma became a state, the University of Oklahoma was founded through action of the first legislature of the Territory of Oklahoma. Approved in 1890 and adopted in its main provisions by the first legislature of the state in 1907, the act said the purpose of the university was "to provide the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the various branches of learning connected with scientific, industrial and professional pursuits."
Norman was selected as the original site for the university on condition that Cleveland County residents would donate a 40-acre campus within a half mile of downtown Norman and vote bonds to provide $10,000 to help finance the construction of a building. When the territorial legislature refused to accept the bonds and demanded cash, the bonds were sold for $7,200. The remaining $2,800 requirement was promised by Norman business people, and the 40-acre site was purchased for $1,500. Students were accepted for the first time in the fall of 1892, and the first two graduates received the degree of pharmaceutical chemist in 1896.
Over time, the university has experienced tremendous growth. The Norman campus has expanded from its original 40 acres to approximately 3,000 acres on which are located about 200 permanent buildings. The Oklahoma City campus was added in 1910. It is the state's principal center for health sciences and has coordinated programs with private and public health-care organizations occupying a 200-acre location near the state capitol. The university serves as the nucleus for the Oklahoma Health Center. In 1974, the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Tulsa accepted its first students. It is housed on 11 acres of land located south of downtown Tulsa. Other research and study facilities include the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma, the Oklahoma Geophysical Observatory at Leonard near Tulsa, and the Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Research Center in Noble near Norman. back / next To Index
