University of Tulsa
Encyclopedia
The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private university
awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by the Princeton Review. The university is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA.
, Grant C. Stebbins, Rev. Charles W. Kerr
, C. H. Nicholson. The offer included $100,000, 200 acres of real estate and a guarantee for utilities and street car service.
The school opened to 35 students in September, 1907, two months before Oklahoma became a state. These first students attended classes at First Presbyterian Church
until permanent buildings could be erected on the new campus. This became the start of higher education in Tulsa. Kendall Hall, the first building of the new school, was completed in 1908. It was quickly followed by two other buildings. All three buildings have since been demolished. In 1972, Kendall Hall was the last to be razed. The bell that once hung in the Kendall Building tower was saved and displayed in Bayless Plaza.
According to the TU Alumni Website, the Kendall College presidents during 1907-1919 were: Arthur G. Evans, Levi H. Beeler, Seth R. Gordon, Frederick W. Hawley, Ralph J. Lamb, Charles Evans, James G. McMurtry and Arthur L. Odell.
. The proposed college was to be named Mc Farlin College. However, it was soon apparent that Tulsa could not support two such schools. In 1920, Henry Kendall College merged with the proposed Mc Farlin College to become Tulsa University. The McFarlin library of Tulsa University was named for the principal donor of the proposed college. The name of Henry Kendall has lived on to the present as the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences.
The Great Depression
hit the university hard. By 1935, the school was about to close because of its poor financial condition. It had a debt of $250,000, enrollment had fallen to 300 students (including many who could not pay their own tuition), the faculty was poorly paid and morale was low. It was then that Waite Phillips
offered the school presidency to Clarence Isaiah ("Cy") Pontius, a former investment banker. His primary focus would be to rescue the school's finances. A deans' council would take charge of academic issues.
However, Pontius' accomplishments went beyond raising money. During his tenure the following events occurred:
|+University of Tulsa Presidents
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
! scope="col" width="200" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Years served
! scope="col" width="250" | Comments
|-
| James Marcus Gordon
| 1921-1924
| First president after formation of the University of Tulsa
|-
| Franklin G. Dill
| 1924-1927
| Acting president
|-
| John D. Finlayson
| 1928 - 1935
| TU Alumni web site lists Finlayson as #9.
|-
| Ralph Langenheim
| 1935 (Interim)
|
|-
| Clarence I. Pontius
| 1935 - 1959
| Longest serving president (24 years).
|-
| Ben Graf Henneke
| 1959 - 1968
| Only University of Tulsa alumnus to serve as president.
|-
| Eugene L. Swearingen
| 1967 - 1968
| Previously was vice president of Oklahoma State University. Resigned from University of Tulsa presidency to become president of Bank of Oklahoma. In 1982, he joined Oral Roberts University, where he remained until his death in 2002.
|-
| J. Pascal Twyman
| 1968 - 1990
| Second longest serving president (22 years); died in office.
|-
| Robert Donaldson
| 1990 - 1995
|
|-
| Robert Lawless
| 1996 - 2004
|
|-
| Steadman Upham
| 2004 - 2012
| Retirement effective in 2012 was announced during 2011.
|-
|}
, and has distinguished programs in English
, computer science
, natural sciences, Clinical and Industrial/Organizational Psychology
, and several engineering
disciplines. The university also maintains a school of law
, which is one of the few to specialize in Native American
legal issues. The University of Tulsa College of Law Review ranks in the top 15% of most cited legal periodicals as ranked by Washington and Lee University
.http://law.wlu.edu/library/mostcited/index.asp In its focus on energy, the University of Tulsa maintains both the National Energy Policy Institute and the National Energy-Environment Law and Policy Institute.
The University has a strong undergraduate research program, evidenced by 44 students receiving Goldwater Scholarships since 1995. The Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) allows undergraduates to conduct advanced research with the guidance of top TU professors.
Currently, there are six colleges, programs, and departments at the University of Tulsa:
U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 edition of Best Colleges ranked The University of Tulsa as 75th. TU’s No. 75 ranking is TU’s highest position ever in the U.S. News survey. This 2012 ranking was the 9th consecutive year that TU has been listed in the Top 100 national universities, and TU is the only Oklahoma university to be included within the top 100. The U.S. News & World Report 2012 rankings also show TU as 46th among the nation’s private doctoral universities.
In 2008, Tulsa was ranked ninth in "Quality of Life" by the Princeton Review's "The Best 366 Colleges" guide. The University of Tulsa also placed sixth among all colleges for "Happiest Students," was ranked eleventh in the "Lots of Class/Race Interaction" category, and in "Town-Gown Relations" Tulsa was ranked fifth in the country. In the 2006 edition, the university was described as follows: “The University of Tulsa is one of the sleeper gems of the Great Plains
, a private school large enough to house numerous top-flight programs but small enough to facilitate one-on-one instruction provided in a homey atmosphere.”
The University of Tulsa is one of 150 colleges to be included in the inaugural edition of “Colleges of Distinction” and is also included in "The Unofficial Biased Guide to the 331 Most Interesting Colleges, 2005 edition." Cosmo Girl magazine named TU one of the top 50 schools in the country for women in its October 2004 edition.
The University of Tulsa is known for the large number of National Merit Scholarship winners in attendance, approximately one in every ten undergraduate students. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, for 2004 The University of Tulsa's freshman class ranked 9th nationally among research universities in the number of National Merit Scholars per capita.
from Tennessee
interspersed with stone quarried in Arkansas
. Other materials include Bedford limestone
from Indiana
and slate
quarried in Vermont
.
At the top of The U sits one of the campus' most notable landmarks, the McFarlin Library, which is named after Robert and Ida McFarlin, the library's primary benefactors. The McFarlins had only one stipulation with their gift, the view of Downtown Tulsa from McFarlin can never be blocked. Ground breaking ceremonies took place on May 3, 1929 and the edifice was dedicated on June 1, 1930. The library continued to grow over the years, adding two five-story additions by 1979. Currently, the library houses over three million items and is noted for its collections of twentieth-century British
, Irish
, and American literature
, including the world's second largest collection of materials by James Joyce
. It also houses the papers of Nobel Prize
winner V.S. Naipaul. The library also contains a vast collection of books on Native American
history. Renovations began in the spring of 2007 on a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) addition that consolidated the library's computing and technology resources into one location. The library's reading rooms were restored to provide quiet areas for student and faculty study. Construction was completed in 2009.
houses office and meeting space, practice and weights facilities, as well as the main basketball arena. Commencement Exercises are held in the Reynolds center in December and May.
Named for its principal donors, Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Sharp, Sharp Chapel was completed on November 27, 1959. It replaced the university's original chapel that was located in Kendall Hall before its destruction and replacement by the current Kendall Hall theater building. Sharp Chapel houses the Offices of University Chaplain and serves the religious needs of multiple denominations present on campus as well as hosting many awards ceremonies and weddings.
Additions to Sharp Chapel were completed in the spring of 2004, including the Westminster Room, an atrium, kitchen, and a second floor including administrative offices and a conference room.
Residence halls:
Apartment Complexes:
in a public-private partnership with the City of Tulsa. The museum has one of the largest collections of American Western art in the world and how growing collections in artifacts from Central and South America. The museum sits on 460 acres (1.9 km²) of ground in northwest Tulsa a considerable distance from the main university campus.
Traditionally, the Student Association coordinates Homecoming activities, including cross campus competitions and the homecoming game tailgate. Another traditional event is Springfest, a week long series of events including food, various on campus activities, and a concert bringing in such names as Cake, Guster, and Ben Folds. Activities organized by Student Association are free to all TU students.
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There are also a number of historically black sororities and fraternities on campus that fall under the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Currently, there are five active organizations:
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Fraternities:
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Sororities:
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Other fraternities on campus that do not fall under the National Pan-Hellenic Council include:
Tulsa's sports teams participate in NCAA
Division I as a member of Conference USA
; its football team
is part of the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Tulsa has the smallest undergraduate enrollment of any FBS school.
The university's nickname is the Golden Hurricane. The Sound of the Golden Hurricane marching band plays at all home football and basketball games as well as traveling to championships in support of the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa has won six national championships (three NCAA), four in women's golf and two in men's basketball
. The University of Tulsa currently fields a varsity team in eight men's sports and ten women's sports. Tulsa's current interim athletic director
is Ross Parmley.
Athletic facilities are distributed throughout a number of buildings on campus. Mabee Gym houses an extensive indoor rowing facility, an indoor golf practice facility, and volleyball practice gyms. Renovations in Spring 2008 incorporated FieldTurf into an indoor practice field for the soccer, softball, and football programs. The tennis teams are housed in the Michael D. Case Tennis Center
, which includes a number of indoor and outdoor courts. The Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium
is home to the track and field and soccer programs.
The university's motto used to read, in full, "Faith, Wisdom, Service: For Christ, For State."
The University of Tulsa Collegian
is the long-standing independent and student-run newspaper on campus. New to the campus is the 631, another independent and student-run publication offering a conservative alternative to the Collegian.
The following scholarly journals are published by the University:
The Tulsa Institute for Trauma, Abuse and Neglect (TITAN) is an interdisciplinary institute committed to evidence-based education, scholarship, research, and service that reduce the incidence and impact of trauma and adversity. This group is composed of students and professors primarily in Psychology, Sociology, and Nursing. The group is contributing to the fields through presentations at local and major conferences and publications.
In 2003 Tulsa joined the efforts of Brown University
on the Modernist Journals Project
, an online archive of early twentieth-century periodicals. Tulsa has contributed various modernist texts from McFarlin Library’s Special Collections to the project's website.
Dr. Sean Latham, editor of the James Joyce Quarterly
, brought the 2003 North American James Joyce Conference to the University of Tulsa.
Tulsa is one of the first universities in the United States to have a mosque located on campus.
, psychologist Robert Hogan
, political scientist Robert Donaldson
, Catholic philosopher F. Russell Hittinger, computer scientist Sujeet Shenoi, former US Congressman Brad Carson
, and "2010 Big Brother of the Year" Art Rasher.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by the Princeton Review. The university is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA.
Henry Kendall College
The Presbyterian School for Girls was founded in Muskogee, Indian Territory to offer a primary education to Creek girls. In 1894, it was renamed Henry Kendall College in honor of Reverend Henry Kendall, secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions. The first president was William A. Caldwell, who served until 1896. He was succeeded by William Robert King. Kendall College, while still in Muskogee, granted the first post-secondary degree in Oklahoma in June, 1898. However, in its thirteen years in Muskogee, Kendall College had only 27 graduates. Struggling financially, the school decided to relocate.Move to Tulsa
The Tulsa Commercial Club (a forerunner of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce) decided to bid for the college. Club members who packaged a bid in 1907 to move the college to Tulsa included: B. Betters, H. O. McClure, L. N. Butts, W. L. North, James H. Hall (sic)J. M. Hall
James Monroe Hall came to the town of Tulsa in what was then known as Indian Territory. James and his brother, Harry C. Hall, operated a tent store that had followed the route of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad and selected the site where the road would stop at Tulsa...
, Grant C. Stebbins, Rev. Charles W. Kerr
Charles William Kerr
Charles William Kerr was a Moderator of the General Assembly for the Presbyterian Church in the United States, as well as the longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the second largest Presbyterian church in the United States...
, C. H. Nicholson. The offer included $100,000, 200 acres of real estate and a guarantee for utilities and street car service.
The school opened to 35 students in September, 1907, two months before Oklahoma became a state. These first students attended classes at First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church (Tulsa)
The First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa was organized in 1885. It originally met in the store owned by James M. Hall and Harry C. Hall. The first permanent minister, Reverend Charles William Kerr and his wife arrived in Tulsa in 1900. Kerr remained at this church for over 40 years...
until permanent buildings could be erected on the new campus. This became the start of higher education in Tulsa. Kendall Hall, the first building of the new school, was completed in 1908. It was quickly followed by two other buildings. All three buildings have since been demolished. In 1972, Kendall Hall was the last to be razed. The bell that once hung in the Kendall Building tower was saved and displayed in Bayless Plaza.
According to the TU Alumni Website, the Kendall College presidents during 1907-1919 were: Arthur G. Evans, Levi H. Beeler, Seth R. Gordon, Frederick W. Hawley, Ralph J. Lamb, Charles Evans, James G. McMurtry and Arthur L. Odell.
Formation of Tulsa University
In 1918, the Methodist Church proposed building a college in Tulsa, using money donated by Tulsa oilman Robert M. McFarlinRobert M. McFarlin
Robert M. McFarlin was an American oilman, cattle rancher, philanthropist, and businessman who is best known for amassing a fortune by drilling for oil near Glenpool, Oklahoma with his nephew and son-in-law, James A. Chapman...
. The proposed college was to be named Mc Farlin College. However, it was soon apparent that Tulsa could not support two such schools. In 1920, Henry Kendall College merged with the proposed Mc Farlin College to become Tulsa University. The McFarlin library of Tulsa University was named for the principal donor of the proposed college. The name of Henry Kendall has lived on to the present as the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences.
Survival and recovery from the Great Depression
Tulsa University opened its School of Petroleum Engineering in 1928.The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit the university hard. By 1935, the school was about to close because of its poor financial condition. It had a debt of $250,000, enrollment had fallen to 300 students (including many who could not pay their own tuition), the faculty was poorly paid and morale was low. It was then that Waite Phillips
Waite Phillips
Waite Phillips was an American petroleum businessman who created a fully integrated operation that combined petroleum producing, refining and marketing. With headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he also developed several office complexes and engaged in banking and ranching...
offered the school presidency to Clarence Isaiah ("Cy") Pontius, a former investment banker. His primary focus would be to rescue the school's finances. A deans' council would take charge of academic issues.
However, Pontius' accomplishments went beyond raising money. During his tenure the following events occurred:
- In 1935, the university opened the College of Business Administration, which it renamed as the Collins College of Business Administration in 2008.
- The Tulsa Law School, located in downtown Tulsa, became part of the university in 1943.
- In 1948, William G. SkellyWilliam SkellyWilliam Grove Skelly , often known as Bill or William G. Skelly, was an entrepreneur who made a fortune in the oil business. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he moved to Kansas in 1916, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1919, where he founded Skelly Oil Company. By 1923, his company was one of the strongest...
donated funds to build the TU radio station, KWGS, which was then managed by Ben Graf HennekeBen Graf HennekeBen Graf Henneke was the president of the University of Tulsa , in Tulsa, Oklahoma,United States, from 1958 to 1967. A professor of speech and theatre, he wrote an early textbook on radio announcing, and was instrumental in the creation of the university's radio station, KWGS...
(Pontius' successor as president of TU).
Presidents of the University of Tulsa
{| class="wikitable"|+University of Tulsa Presidents
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
! scope="col" width="200" | Name
! scope="col" width="100" | Years served
! scope="col" width="250" | Comments
|-
| James Marcus Gordon
| 1921-1924
| First president after formation of the University of Tulsa
|-
| Franklin G. Dill
| 1924-1927
| Acting president
|-
| John D. Finlayson
| 1928 - 1935
| TU Alumni web site lists Finlayson as #9.
|-
| Ralph Langenheim
| 1935 (Interim)
|
|-
| Clarence I. Pontius
| 1935 - 1959
| Longest serving president (24 years).
|-
| Ben Graf Henneke
Ben Graf Henneke
Ben Graf Henneke was the president of the University of Tulsa , in Tulsa, Oklahoma,United States, from 1958 to 1967. A professor of speech and theatre, he wrote an early textbook on radio announcing, and was instrumental in the creation of the university's radio station, KWGS...
| 1959 - 1968
| Only University of Tulsa alumnus to serve as president.
|-
| Eugene L. Swearingen
| 1967 - 1968
| Previously was vice president of Oklahoma State University. Resigned from University of Tulsa presidency to become president of Bank of Oklahoma. In 1982, he joined Oral Roberts University, where he remained until his death in 2002.
|-
| J. Pascal Twyman
| 1968 - 1990
| Second longest serving president (22 years); died in office.
|-
| Robert Donaldson
Robert Donaldson
Robert "Bob" Donaldson was a Scottish football player. He played as a forward.Donaldson played for Airdrieonians and Blackburn Rovers before joining Newton Heath in 1892. He scored 66 goals in 147 appearances for Newton Heath. The first of these goals, scored against Blackburn Rovers on 3...
| 1990 - 1995
|
|-
| Robert Lawless
| 1996 - 2004
|
|-
| Steadman Upham
Steadman Upham
Steadman Upham was named president of The University of Tulsa in June 2004, after having served for six years as president of Claremont Graduate University...
| 2004 - 2012
| Retirement effective in 2012 was announced during 2011.
|-
|}
Academics
The University of Tulsa is noted for having one of the world's premier programs in petroleum engineeringPetroleum engineering
Petroleum engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas. Subsurface activities are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, which are the activities of...
, and has distinguished programs in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, natural sciences, Clinical and Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and several engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
disciplines. The university also maintains a school of law
University of Tulsa College of Law
University of Tulsa College of Law is a private law school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Dean of the College of Law is Janet Koven Levit, a nationally recognized scholar in the field of comparative and international law. Levit was named Interim Dean on October 10, 2007, and permanently appointed as Dean...
, which is one of the few to specialize in Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
legal issues. The University of Tulsa College of Law Review ranks in the top 15% of most cited legal periodicals as ranked by Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
.http://law.wlu.edu/library/mostcited/index.asp In its focus on energy, the University of Tulsa maintains both the National Energy Policy Institute and the National Energy-Environment Law and Policy Institute.
The University has a strong undergraduate research program, evidenced by 44 students receiving Goldwater Scholarships since 1995. The Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) allows undergraduates to conduct advanced research with the guidance of top TU professors.
Currently, there are six colleges, programs, and departments at the University of Tulsa:
- Henry Kendall College of Arts & Sciences
- Collins College of Business (formerly College of Business Administration)
- College of Engineering and Natural Sciences
- College of LawUniversity of Tulsa College of LawUniversity of Tulsa College of Law is a private law school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Dean of the College of Law is Janet Koven Levit, a nationally recognized scholar in the field of comparative and international law. Levit was named Interim Dean on October 10, 2007, and permanently appointed as Dean...
- Graduate School
- Division of Continuing Education
Reputation and rankings
In 2011, Tulsa's Collins College of Business was ranked 33rd in the country among undergraduate business schools by Bloomberg Businessweek based on a student survey. It was ranked 20th by a survey of recruiters.U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 edition of Best Colleges ranked The University of Tulsa as 75th. TU’s No. 75 ranking is TU’s highest position ever in the U.S. News survey. This 2012 ranking was the 9th consecutive year that TU has been listed in the Top 100 national universities, and TU is the only Oklahoma university to be included within the top 100. The U.S. News & World Report 2012 rankings also show TU as 46th among the nation’s private doctoral universities.
In 2008, Tulsa was ranked ninth in "Quality of Life" by the Princeton Review's "The Best 366 Colleges" guide. The University of Tulsa also placed sixth among all colleges for "Happiest Students," was ranked eleventh in the "Lots of Class/Race Interaction" category, and in "Town-Gown Relations" Tulsa was ranked fifth in the country. In the 2006 edition, the university was described as follows: “The University of Tulsa is one of the sleeper gems of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
, a private school large enough to house numerous top-flight programs but small enough to facilitate one-on-one instruction provided in a homey atmosphere.”
The University of Tulsa is one of 150 colleges to be included in the inaugural edition of “Colleges of Distinction” and is also included in "The Unofficial Biased Guide to the 331 Most Interesting Colleges, 2005 edition." Cosmo Girl magazine named TU one of the top 50 schools in the country for women in its October 2004 edition.
The University of Tulsa is known for the large number of National Merit Scholarship winners in attendance, approximately one in every ten undergraduate students. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, for 2004 The University of Tulsa's freshman class ranked 9th nationally among research universities in the number of National Merit Scholars per capita.
Sustainability Ranking
University of Tulsa has participated in efforts towards sustainability including RecycleMania and Adopt a Recycle Bin. Many campus efforts have been led by student groups like the Sustainability Committee, the Student Association, TU Earth Matters, and the TU Food Garden. The Food Garden is a student-run organic garden that is able to provide food to dining services. The University is also striving to have its buildings meet LEED Standards in order to reduce the school’s overall carbon footprint. The university achieved a D+ on the Sustainable College Report Card in 2009, which is up from a D in 2008.Campus
The campus of the University of Tulsa centers on a wide, grassy, quad-like space known as "The U." The predominant architectural style is English Gothic. Most of the buildings are constructed from tan and rose-colored Crab Orchard sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
interspersed with stone quarried in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Other materials include Bedford limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
quarried in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Bayless Plaza
Completed in 2006, Bayless Plaza houses the Kendall Bell, hanging in the cupola of the former Kendall Hall. The plaza lies directly south of Tyrrell Hall, long time home of the School of Music, and serves as the apex of Tucker Drive, the University's main entrance.H. A. Chapman Stadium
TU football played in Skelly Stadium until 2007 when the venue was renamed Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium, following renovations. The Case Athletic Complex in the north end of the field provides office facilities for the football staff, a new locker room and trainer facility, a letterman's lounge and box seating on the top level, and meeting rooms, a computer lab, and study spaces for student-athletes. Renovations are completed and provide renovated seating throughout the stadium, new turf, an updated score board and Jumbotron, and an expanded press box. The changes also include the addition of an extensive plaza area (Thomas Plaza) on the west side of the stadium to accommodate restrooms, food and drink stands, and souvenir shops.McFarlin Library
British literature
British Literature refers to literature associated with the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. By far the largest part of British literature is written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais,...
, Irish
Irish literature
For a comparatively small island, Ireland has made a disproportionately large contribution to world literature. Irish literature encompasses the Irish and English languages.-The beginning of writing in Irish:...
, and American literature
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
, including the world's second largest collection of materials by James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
. It also houses the papers of Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner V.S. Naipaul. The library also contains a vast collection of books on Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
history. Renovations began in the spring of 2007 on a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) addition that consolidated the library's computing and technology resources into one location. The library's reading rooms were restored to provide quiet areas for student and faculty study. Construction was completed in 2009.
Donald W. Reynolds Center
Home to women's volleyball along with the men's and women's basketball programs, the Donald W. Reynolds CenterReynolds Center
Reynolds Center is an 8,355-seat multi-purpose arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The arena opened in 1998 and is named for Donald W. Reynolds. It is home to the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball and volleyball teams. It hosted the 2001-03 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball...
houses office and meeting space, practice and weights facilities, as well as the main basketball arena. Commencement Exercises are held in the Reynolds center in December and May.
Sharp Chapel
Additions to Sharp Chapel were completed in the spring of 2004, including the Westminster Room, an atrium, kitchen, and a second floor including administrative offices and a conference room.
Housing
On-campus housing consists of six residence halls, six sorority houses, and six university-owned apartment complexes, including eight apartments designed like townhouses.Residence halls:
- John Mabee Hall - All male residence hall located at the Northwest end of the U. It is known on-campus as "The John".
- Lottie Jane Mabee Hall - All female residence hall located at the Southwest end of the U. It is known on-campus as "The Jane" or "Lottie".
- LaFortune Hall - Coed residence hall close to the athletics areas.
- William F. Fisher Hall - Coed freshman residence hall immediately adjacent to Twin Towers, first opened to students in the fall of 1984. It was known as Twin South from 1984 to 2009.
- 7th Street House or "The Gyro House" ( was formerly the Honors House) - A coed (by floor) residence hall on Fraternity Row. It was once itself a Fraternity house till the Fraternity was disbanded. It acquired its new name, "The Gyro House" in the fall of 2010 when voted on by its residents. The name comes from the fact that the house is "sandwiched" between two Greek fraternities.
- 5th Place House - Coed residence hall behind the Center for Global Education. It is an alternative living environment, formerly known as the CHOICE house.
Apartment Complexes:
- Brown Village
- Lorton Village (includes townhouses)
- Mayo Village
- Norman Village
- University Square South
- University Square West
Gilcrease Museum
Beginning in July 2008, Tulsa University has taken over management of the Gilcrease MuseumGilcrease Museum
Gilcrease Museum is a museum located northwest of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The museum now houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West as well as a growing collection of art and artifacts from Central and South America...
in a public-private partnership with the City of Tulsa. The museum has one of the largest collections of American Western art in the world and how growing collections in artifacts from Central and South America. The museum sits on 460 acres (1.9 km²) of ground in northwest Tulsa a considerable distance from the main university campus.
Student life
The University of Tulsa is home to more than 200 student organizations, registered with and partially funded by the Student Association.Student Association
The Student Association is the University of Tulsa student government body. It is organized into three branches: the Executive Branch, which includes Cabinet and is in charge of organizing large campus wide events and activities; the Judicial Branch; and the Legislative Branch, or Student Senate, which coordinates funding, oversees student organizations, and addresses general issues impacting student life on campus. Its budget is provided partially by the university and partially by a fee paid by students each semester.Traditionally, the Student Association coordinates Homecoming activities, including cross campus competitions and the homecoming game tailgate. Another traditional event is Springfest, a week long series of events including food, various on campus activities, and a concert bringing in such names as Cake, Guster, and Ben Folds. Activities organized by Student Association are free to all TU students.
Greek Presence
There are 5 IFC fraternities and 6 NPC sororities on campus. The living quarters in the back of the sorority houses are university owned residence halls, but, traditionally, only current members of the sororities live there.{|
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Fraternities:
- Pi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
-est. June 6, 1936 - Kappa SigmaKappa SigmaKappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
-est. November 29, 1948 - Kappa Alpha OrderKappa Alpha OrderKappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
-est. May 8, 1937 - Lambda Chi AlphaLambda Chi AlphaLambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
-est. December 29, 1937 - Sigma ChiSigma ChiSigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
-est. February 3, 1951
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Sororities:
- Kappa Kappa GammaKappa Kappa GammaKappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted that October 13, 1870 should be recognized at the official Founders Day, because no...
-est. October 31, 1946 - Chi OmegaChi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
-est. April 18, 1929 - Delta Delta DeltaDelta Delta DeltaDelta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
-est. May 9, 1931 - Delta GammaDelta GammaDelta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
- Kappa Alpha ThetaKappa Alpha ThetaKappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
-est. February 3, 1951 - Kappa DeltaKappa DeltaKappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
-est. September 11, 1937
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There are also a number of historically black sororities and fraternities on campus that fall under the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Currently, there are five active organizations:
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Fraternities:
- Kappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
- Omega Psi PhiOmega Psi PhiOmega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
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Sororities:
- Alpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
- Delta Sigma ThetaDelta Sigma ThetaDelta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
- Zeta Phi BetaZeta Phi BetaZeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
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Other fraternities on campus that do not fall under the National Pan-Hellenic Council include:
- Alpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
co-ed service fraternity - Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
- Sigma Alpha IotaSigma Alpha IotaSigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity for Women. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public...
- Delta Theta PhiDelta Theta PhiDelta Theta Phi is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. The smallest of the three internationally recognized law fraternities , Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the three major law fraternities to charter chapters in the United States at...
co-ed law fraternity - Phi Alpha DeltaPhi Alpha DeltaΦAΔ , or P.A.D., is the largest co-ed professional law fraternity in the United States of America. Phi Alpha Delta has members who are university students, law school students, lawyers, judges, senators, and even presidents. It was founded in 1902 and today has over 300,000 initiated members...
co-ed law fraternity - Phi Delta PhiPhi Delta PhiPhi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
co-ed law fraternity
Traditions
- Kendall Bell: The Kendall Bell, now housed in Bayless Plaza, is traditionally rung by graduating seniors upon completion of their last final exam at the university. The bell was broken by a group of students in May 2008. They were trying to steal it, and dropped it in the escape.
- Homecoming Bonfire: Traditionally held the Thursday evening prior to the Homecoming football game. The Homecoming court is honored and the Homecoming King is named, the Queen is not named until halftime of the football game on Saturday.
- Alma Mater: "Hail to Tulsa" is sung by alumni and current students prior to major sporting events and at the end of all commencement ceremonies. Alumni and students remain standing as a sign of respect. The melody is played by the Sharp Chapel carillon daily at 5 pm.
-
- Lyrics: "Hail to thee Alma Mater, Gold and Blue, Praise from thy sons and daughters, Old and new. Pride in our hearts, Our voices let us raise, Filled with devotion We will sing thy praise. Alma Mater, now we honor, Loyal, always true, We will lift our voice in chorus. Hail to Tulsa U!"
Athletics
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I as a member of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
; its football team
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
is part of the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Tulsa has the smallest undergraduate enrollment of any FBS school.
The university's nickname is the Golden Hurricane. The Sound of the Golden Hurricane marching band plays at all home football and basketball games as well as traveling to championships in support of the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa has won six national championships (three NCAA), four in women's golf and two in men's basketball
Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team participates in Conference USA. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik....
. The University of Tulsa currently fields a varsity team in eight men's sports and ten women's sports. Tulsa's current interim athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
is Ross Parmley.
Athletic facilities are distributed throughout a number of buildings on campus. Mabee Gym houses an extensive indoor rowing facility, an indoor golf practice facility, and volleyball practice gyms. Renovations in Spring 2008 incorporated FieldTurf into an indoor practice field for the soccer, softball, and football programs. The tennis teams are housed in the Michael D. Case Tennis Center
Michael D. Case Tennis Center
The Michael D. Case Tennis Center is a 2,000-seat tennis arena on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The center officially opened on 2001-12-14 and was named after Mike Case, a local developer and philanthropist...
, which includes a number of indoor and outdoor courts. The Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium
Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium
Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium is a stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma on the campus of the University of Tulsa.The stadium has seating for 2,000, plus standing room if needed. It is home to the Golden Hurricane track and field and soccer teams.-External links:...
is home to the track and field and soccer programs.
Mascot
In September 2009 the university unveiled a new look and back story for its mascot, Captain Cane. He is presented as a muscular, square-jawed superhero clothed in a blue body suit, a mask, golden gloves and boots, and a hurricane flag cape. He carries a "storm summoning sword" shaped like a lightning bolt. Two-thousand coloring books were distributed to children at a September 26, 2009 home football game presenting the story of a brainy TU student's transformation into Captain Cane as the result of an accident involving storm-generated static electricity. Before this, starting in 1994, Captain Cane was depicted as an anthropomorphized golden hurricane with human attributes such as biceps, clothes, and a perpetual smirk on a swirled over-sized inverted cone-shaped golden head. From 1978 to 1994, the mascot was known as "Huffy," who was similar to Captain Cane in appearance.Miscellany
The school's colors are Old Gold (PMS 873), Royal Blue (PMS 280), and Crimson (PMS 032).The university's motto used to read, in full, "Faith, Wisdom, Service: For Christ, For State."
The University of Tulsa Collegian
University of Tulsa Collegian
The Collegian is the official student newspaper at the University of Tulsa. It is a weekly issue in tabloid format.The Collegian is an independently operated, edited, and written by the students apart from the administration, which has occasionally led to conflict with the administration when it...
is the long-standing independent and student-run newspaper on campus. New to the campus is the 631, another independent and student-run publication offering a conservative alternative to the Collegian.
The following scholarly journals are published by the University:
- Nimrod International Journal of Poetry & Prose
- James Joyce QuarterlyJames Joyce QuarterlyThe James Joyce Quarterly is a peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1963 that covers critical and theoretical work focusing on the life, writing, and reception of James Joyce...
- Tulsa Studies in Women's LiteratureTulsa Studies in Women's LiteratureTulsa Studies in Women's Literature , founded in 1982, was the first journal devoted solely to the study of women's and feminist literature...
- Lithic Technology
- Russian Studies in History
- Energy Law Journal
- Tulsa Journal of Comparative & International Law
- Tulsa Law Review
- and several books and periodicals of the Petroleum Abstracts Project
The Tulsa Institute for Trauma, Abuse and Neglect (TITAN) is an interdisciplinary institute committed to evidence-based education, scholarship, research, and service that reduce the incidence and impact of trauma and adversity. This group is composed of students and professors primarily in Psychology, Sociology, and Nursing. The group is contributing to the fields through presentations at local and major conferences and publications.
In 2003 Tulsa joined the efforts of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
on the Modernist Journals Project
Modernist Journals Project
The Modernist Journals Project was created in 1995 at Brown University in order to create a database of digitized periodicals connected with the period loosely associated with modernism. The University of Tulsa joined in 2003...
, an online archive of early twentieth-century periodicals. Tulsa has contributed various modernist texts from McFarlin Library’s Special Collections to the project's website.
Dr. Sean Latham, editor of the James Joyce Quarterly
James Joyce Quarterly
The James Joyce Quarterly is a peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1963 that covers critical and theoretical work focusing on the life, writing, and reception of James Joyce...
, brought the 2003 North American James Joyce Conference to the University of Tulsa.
Tulsa is one of the first universities in the United States to have a mosque located on campus.
Distinguished faculty
Tulsa's faculty includes the famous Russian poet Yevgeny YevtushenkoYevgeny Yevtushenko
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko is a Soviet and Russian poet. He is also a novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, actor, editor, and a director of several films.-Early life:...
, psychologist Robert Hogan
Robert Hogan
Robert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan , American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan American pulp fiction author, creator of G-8 and other works.*Robert Hogan Robert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan (born 1933), American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan (author) American pulp fiction...
, political scientist Robert Donaldson
Robert Donaldson
Robert "Bob" Donaldson was a Scottish football player. He played as a forward.Donaldson played for Airdrieonians and Blackburn Rovers before joining Newton Heath in 1892. He scored 66 goals in 147 appearances for Newton Heath. The first of these goals, scored against Blackburn Rovers on 3...
, Catholic philosopher F. Russell Hittinger, computer scientist Sujeet Shenoi, former US Congressman Brad Carson
Brad Carson
Brad Rogers Carson is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005.-Background:...
, and "2010 Big Brother of the Year" Art Rasher.
External links
- Official university site
- Official athletics site
- Official independent newspaper of TU
- TU Student Government Website
- University Distinguished Alumni Award winners
- Voices of Oklahoma interview with Dr. Ben G. Henneke. First person interview conducted with Dr. Ben G. Henneke on September 10, 2009. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.