Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma)

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Oklahoma State University was founded on December 25, 1890, as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, just twenty months after the Land Run of 1889. When the first students assembled for class on December 14, 1891, there were no buildings, no books, and no curriculum.

In 1894, two and one-half years after classes began in local churches, 144 students moved into the first academic building, later known as Old Central, on the southeast corner of campus. In 1896, Oklahoma A&M held its first commencement with six male graduates.

On July 1, 1957, Oklahoma A&M College became Oklahoma State University. Technical branches were established in Okmulgee in 1946 and in Oklahoma City in 1961. (In 1990 their names were changed to OSU-Okmulgee and OSU-Oklahoma City.) In July of 1988, the Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery became the College of Osteopathic Medicine of OSU. At present, OSU has four campuses: Stillwater (main campus), Oklahoma City (Center for Health Sciences), Tulsa, and Okmulgee.

Location. OSU is located in Stillwater, a north-central Oklahoma community with a population of approximately 42,000. Stillwater is approximately 60 miles west of Tulsa and 60 miles northeast of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, and it is accessible by interstate highway.

The university is coeducational and has an enrollment of approximately 26,000 students on its four campuses. It offers a variety of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Specialist in Education degrees are also offered in selected fields.

OSU's Colvin Center is a newly-renovated, state-of-the-art recreation center. Sports are strongly valued at OSU, and following a recent $100 million gift earmarked for sports enhancement, the university plans to significantly expand its already excellent sports and exercise facilities.