Skip to Main Content

UCO History

Library Special Collection | About the Archives | View All Collection Guides

University Timeline

 

Events by decade:

Date Event
1890 Land donated for Territorial Normal School of Oklahoma by Anton Classen
1890  December 24 First Territorial Normal School of Oklahoma is founded at Edmond by Council Bill #106
1891  October 1 Richard Thatcher is elected 1st President of Territorial School of Oklahoma
1891  November 9 1st class held in Methodist Church building
1891  December Plans for North Building are drawn up by Architect William Gall for Normal regent H.J. Whitely. Work on the building begins the following summer.
1893 Architect J.G. Haskell is selected to design Old North tower and wings, work begins Jan. 1894
1893 George W. Winans replaces Thatcher as President
1893 Ok Territorial Legislature appropriates $15,000 to add tower & wings to North Building
1894 School's first library is purchased with $26
1894  June 20 Entire exterior of the Old North Building is completed
1894  July E.R. Williams is appointed to succeed Winans as Normal School President
1895 First school catalogue was issued
1895 The Normal School adopts Bronze and Blue as its colors
1895  July Edmund D. Murdaugh becomes President after E.R. Williams resigns
1896 Central's first baseball team established, the following year President Murdaugh would personally coach the team
1897  January The Philomath, Central's first school paper is published
1897  June 4 The Normal School honors its first graduating class
1899 First boy's and girl's basketball teams organized
Date Event
1901 Central athletes attended their first track meet held in Guthrie
1901 Frederick Howard Umholtz becomes Normal's 5th President
1901  September The Model Training school opens
1902  June 16 The Alumni Association is formed by graduates of the Territorial Normal School
1903 Legislature passes bill for a second building at the Normal School
1903  November The first issue of the Vista was published by the senior class
1903  June 8-18 The Normal's first summer school session-faculty taught without pay
1904 the B.A. degree is offered for the first time, the degree was then discontinued and not offered again until 1921
1904  January The School's name changed from Territorial Normal School of Oklahoma to Central State Normal School
1904  October Central's first regular Football team is organized
1904  September 6 The new Administration Building "Old South" is opened
1906 Thomas Walter Butcher of Kansas becomes sixth President of Central
1908 James Argyle McLauchlin becomes the seventh President of Central
1909 The Browser Towser, the first school yearbook is published by the senior class
Date Event
1911 Charles Evans becomes the eighth President of Central
1912  June 20 Clock and Chimes in the North Building Tower are dedicated
1913 First Bronze Book is published
1915 Historical Society is organized and Historical Museum established
1915  April 15 Governor Williams signs a bill allowing $50,000 to Central for new building
1916 New library building is completed and named Evans Hall
1916 Grant B. Grumbine becomes CSN President after Evans resigns
1917 James W. Graves becomes 10th President of Central
1918 Student Army Training Service begins; barracks are on the top floor of Old North
1918 The president's house is completed and occupied
1919 The name is changed from Central State Normal School to Central State Teachers College
1919 Made a 4-yr college by the State Board of Education, Central offers B.A. and B.S. degrees
1919 John G. Mitchell becomes the 11th President of Central
Date Event
1922 Mrs. Wantland suggests the name "Bronchos" for the football team
1926  June 29 The newly completed auditorium is named Mitchell Hall, & is dedicated June 29
1928  February 7 Wantland Hall, the Physical Education Bldg, is dedicated on Feb 7
Date Event
1930 Otto W. Jeffries, head of the Latin dept, becomes 1st Dean of the College
1931 Malcolm A. Beeson becomes 12th President of Central
1935 Dr. John O. Mosely becomes the 13th President of Central
1936 School is organized on junior and senior college level; term is replaced by semester system
1937 Thatcher and Murdaugh residential halls are completed and occupied
1937 The stadium was erected, no longer in standing
1939 Name changes from Central State Teachers College to Central State College
1939 A law passed by the State Legislature makes Central a 4 year Liberal Arts College
1939 Roscoe R. Robinson becomes 14th President of Central
Date Event
1940  November 9 Homecoming, Central begins year long Golden Jubilee celebration (Semi-Centennial)
1941  October 11 Homecoming, groundbreaking for the "Y" Chapel of Song
1942 Students vacate Thatcher & Murdaugh Halls-600 soldiers move in
1942 Central opens Army Air Force Training Detachment for clerks
1942 U.S. enters WWII-wartime schedule cuts semester to 16 weeks
1946 Barracks for veterans & their families secured through the Federal Housing Agency
1946 Two GI Bills passed by Congress provide for education of veterans
1947 Central is formally accepted into the North Central Association of Secondary Schools & Colleges
1948  October 1 President Robinson dies of heart attack, Dr. George P. Huckaby becomes acting president
1948  November 1 Construction of Y Chapel of Song begins
1949 New science building is officially named "Howell Hall"
1949  November 13 Max Chambers becomes 15th President of Central
1949  June 26 The "Y" Chapel of Song is dedicated
Date Event
1951 Central State College is approved to offer a limited amount of graduate work
1952 The Student Union is occupied, today the Art Building
1953 Infirmary opens: doctors & nurse available for emergencies on 24 hour call
1956 Max Chambers Library is completed, today it is the Communications Building
Date Event
1960 Dr. Garland Godfrey is elected 16th President of Central
1961 CSC enrollment breaks 5,000 mark
1961 Two new dormitories, East and West Halls are completed and occupied
1963 Broncho Fieldhouse completed
1963 Auxiliary Enterprises completes construction on married students housing
1966 Old Stadium comes down to make room for new Home Economics Building
1966 Ground Breaking for University Center
1966 New 450-seat cafeteria is dedicated
Date Event
1971 Central State College becomes Central State University
1972  November 9 Old North Tower is dedicated as a national historic site
1975 Dr. Bill Lillard is named seventeenth president of Central State
Date Event
1982 The Oklahoma Collection opens in the Max Chambers Library, now part of the Archives and Special Collections
1983 CSU's Dixieland Jazz Band ranked No.1 in nation
1984 The Health Sciences Building is completed
1989 Newly renovated Evans Hall is displayed during December Open House
Date Event
1990 Centennial Celebration continues at CSU
1990 CSU Debaters ranked No 1. In nation
1991 Name changes from Central State University to The University of Central Oklahoma
1992 George Nigh named eighteenth President of Central
1996 New Max Chambers Library Addition opens
1996  October 11 New Education building is dedicated
1997 Roger Webb is named nineteenth president of Central
Date Event
2002  March The UCO jazz lab opened to the public, offering classes during the day and live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night
2003  March 07 Wellness Center opened to fill the recreational needs of the campus
2003  April 22 UCO Announces formation of the Oklahoma Center for Arts Education
2003  July 15 UCO released a redesign of the university logo
2003  July Enrollment schedules are no longer printed they are available online only
2004 UCO's Graduate College celebrates 50th anniversary
2004  July UCO begins globalization program titled UCO Passport focusing on one country each year to expand understanding of different cultures
2006 UCO is awarded the Oklahoma Quality Award
2006  April 01 UCO became the first major Oklahoma university to have 100 percent of it's electricity supplied by wind power
2006  November UCO opened new center for Executive Education and Distance Services
2006  November UCO offers a minor in leadership
2006  November UCO named Olympic community partner and Olympic/Paralympic training site
2007  January 29 UCO sophomore Lauren Nelson crowned Miss America 2007
2007  February EPA recognizes UCO as a national leader in energy efficiency
2008  January UCO honored with 2008 Environmental Excellence Awards winning both the Earth Care Award and the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Award
2008  December UCO Debate Team scores "Top 10" national ranking status by both the National Debate Tournament organization and the Cross Examination Debate Association
2008  December UCO offers first Master's Program for autism specialization
2009  January 01 UCO Drops the "k" in its website address, moving from www.ucok.edu to www.uco.edu