University of Tulsa
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The University of Tulsa (TU) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...
in
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...
. It has a historic affiliation with the
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
and the campus architectural style is predominantly
Collegiate Gothic Collegiate Gothic is an architectural style subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture, popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for college and high school buildings in the United States and Canada, and to a certain extent Europ ...
. The school traces its origin to the Presbyterian School for Girls, which was established in 1882 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, then a town in Indian Territory, and which evolved into an institution of higher education named Henry Kendall College by 1894. The college moved to Tulsa, another town in the Creek Nation during 1904, before the state of Oklahoma was created. In 1920, Kendall College was renamed the University of Tulsa. The University of Tulsa is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classified"> University of Tulsa. "History & Traditions." Undated. The University of Tulsa is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classified
among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It manages the Gilcrease Museum, which includes one of the largest collections of American Western art and indigenous American artifacts in the world.
The Bob Dylan Archive The Bob Dylan Archive is a collection of documents and objects relating to American singer Bob Dylan. It was announced on March 2, 2016 that the archive had been acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and The University of Tulsa (TU) ...
TU houses at the Helmerich Center for American Research. TU also hosts the '' Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature'', founded by former TU professor and noted feminist critic Germaine Greer (now at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
). TU's athletic teams are collectively known as the
Tulsa Golden Hurricane The Golden Hurricane are the athletic teams that represent the University of Tulsa. These teams are referred to as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (or variously as TU or Tulsa). Before adopting the name Golden Hurricane in 1922, the University of Tu ...
and compete in Division I of the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
as members of the
American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
(The American).


History


Frontier Origins

The Presbyterian School for Girls (also known as "Minerva Home")Mullins, Jonita. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Muskogee County." Retrieved April 22, 2013. was founded in Muskogee,
Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
, in 1882 to offer a primary education to young women of the Creek Nation. In 1894, the young school expanded to become Henry Kendall College, named in honor of Reverend Henry Kendall, secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions.Logsdon, Guy William. "The University of Tulsa: a history from 1882–1972." Norman, Okla.; 1975.Delfraisse, Betty Dew. "The history of the University of Tulsa." Austin, Tex.: .l. 1929. The first president was
William A. Caldwell William Anthony Caldwell (December 5, 1906 – April 11, 1986)"William A(nthony) Caldwell." ''Contemporary Authors Online''. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Gale Biography In Context. Web. Aug. 9, 2011. was an American journalist and columnist who spent 48& ...
, who served a brief two-year term, which ended in 1896. Caldwell was succeeded by William Robert King, a Presbyterian minister and co-founder of the college, who had come to Oklahoma from
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
, by way of the Union Theological Seminary in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
(affiliated with
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
). Kendall College, while still in Muskogee, granted the first post-secondary degree in Oklahoma in June 1898. Under King, the college was moved from its original location in downtown Muskogee to a larger campus on lands donated by Creek Nation Chief
Pleasant Porter Pleasant Porter (September 26, 1840 – September 3, 1907, Creek), was an American Indian statesman and the last elected Principal Chief of the Creek Nation, serving from 1899 until his death. He had served with the Confederacy in the 1st ...
. Kendall College students, faculty and administrators were instrumental in efforts to get the State of Sequoyah recognized; they wrote most of the proposed constitution and designed the seal among other things. The opening of the new campus coincided with the start of the tenure of the third president,
A. Grant Evans Arthur Grant Evans (September 9, 1858 – November 30, 1928) was the third president of University of Tulsa (then Henry Kendall College) and then the second president of the University of Oklahoma. Born to English parents in India, and educated ...
. Over the next ten years, Evans oversaw the struggling school's growth. In most years, class sizes remained small and although the academy, the attached elementary, middle, and high school was more successful; by the end of the 1906–07 year Kendall College had had only 27 collegiate graduates. At the request of the administration, the Synod of Indian Territory assumed control as trustees and began to look at alternatives for the future of the school. When the administration was approached by the comparatively smaller town of Tulsa and offered a chance to move, the decision was made to relocate."Henry Kendall College Bulletin"


Relocation 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''), Grant C. Stebbins, Rev. Charles W. Kerr, C. H. Nicholson. The offer included $100,000, 20 acres of real estate and a guarantee for utilities and street car service.The University of Tulsa, "Tulsa Commercial Club 'had a hunch and bet a bunch.'"
The college opened to thirty-five students in September 1907, two months before Oklahoma became a state. These first students attended classes at the 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 and was quickly followed by two other buildings. All three buildings have since been demolished, with Kendall the last to be razed in 1972. The bell that once hung in the Kendall Building tower was saved and displayed in Bayless Plaza. The Kendall College presidents during 1907–1919 were Arthur Grant Evans, Levi Harrison Beeler, Seth Reed Gordon, Frederick William Hawley, Ralph J. Lamb, Charles Evans, James G. McMurtry and Arthur L. Odell. In 1918, the Methodist Church proposed building a college in Tulsa, using money donated by Tulsa oilman
Robert M. McFarlin Robert M. McFarlin (July 27, 1866 – August 11, 1942) 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, ...
. The proposed college was to be named McFarlin College. However, it was soon apparent that Tulsa could not yet support two competing schools. In 1920, Henry Kendall College merged with the proposed McFarlin College to become The University of Tulsa. The McFarlin Library of TU was named for the principal donor of the proposed college. The name of Henry Kendall has lived on to the present as the Kendall College of Arts and Sciences.


20th century

The University of Tulsa opened its School of Petroleum Engineering in 1928..Tulsa University Website "History of TU." Accessed February 24, 2011
The
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
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 the oil tycoon and TU-patron 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.Scott Cooper, "Pontius Pilot", Tulsa World, January 12, 1998. 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, oil magnate William G. Skelly donated funds to found the university radio station, KWGS (named for his initials). After William G. Skelly died, his widow donated the Skelly Mansion, at the corner of 21st Street and Madison Avenue, to the University of Tulsa. The school sold the mansion and its furnishings to private owners in 1959. On July 5, 2012, the university announced that it would repurchase the house as a residence for its president. In 1958,
Ben Graf Henneke Ben Graf Henneke (May 20, 1914 – November 13, 2009) was the president of the University of Tulsa ("TU"), in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, from 1958 to 1967. A professor of speech and theatre, he wrote an early textbook on radio announcing, a ...
, a scholar of theater and communications, became the first alumnus to hold the Presidency of the University of Tulsa. During his tenure the university established new doctoral programs, increased the proportion of faculty with doctorates, started new publications including ''Petroleum Abstracts'' and the ''
James Joyce Quarterly The ''James Joyce Quarterly'' (''JJQ'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1963 that covers critical and theoretical work focusing on the life, writing, and reception of James Joyce. The journal publishes essays, notes, reviews, le ...
'', developed a North Campus center for petroleum engineering research, and expanded many main campus facilities. He was succeeded by Dr. Eugene L. Swearingen, a
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
-trained economist and Oklahoma native who served on the National Finance Committee for the
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
Presidential Campaign. Swearingen increased TU's endowment and expanded the footprint of its campus.


21st century

In 2004, anthropologist
Steadman Upham Steadman Upham (April 4, 1949 – July 30, 2017) was an American archaeologist and university administrator who served as president of Claremont Graduate University from 1998 to 2004 and the University of Tulsa (TU) from 2004 to 2016. Prior ...
joined the University of Tulsa as president, having served in faculty and leadership positions at the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc Nike, Inc. ( or ) is a ...
and
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. Within five years of his arrival, TU saw thirteen major construction projects and renovations on campus, ranging from the construction of the Roxana Rozsa and Robert Eugene Lorton Performance Center to the overhaul of Keplinger Hall, and plans for seven more major projects finalized (despite the nationwide recession). The university also launched the Oxley College of Health Sciences, in downtown Tulsa, named in recognition of a major gift from Tulsa's Oxley Foundation. The university also partnered with the George Kaiser Family Foundation to permanently house
The Bob Dylan Archive The Bob Dylan Archive is a collection of documents and objects relating to American singer Bob Dylan. It was announced on March 2, 2016 that the archive had been acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and The University of Tulsa (TU) ...
at TU in 2016. Under Upham's leadership, the University of Tulsa assumed management of the famous Gilcrease Museum in northwest Tulsa. In 2016 President Upham retired and was succeeded by Dr. Gerard Clancy who previously served as a psychiatry professor and held leadership positions at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...
and the
University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...
. About two-and-a-half years into his presidency, in the spring of 2019, President Clancy and Provost Levit announced a restructuring of academic programs at the university that would eliminate several academic programs. The plan was met with resistance from some faculty who believed it was formulated without adequate input from faculty. Although faculty members voted " no confidence" in the president and provost in November, the university's board of trustees publicly affirmed their support of the plan. In January 2020, President Clancy informed the Board that he needed to cut back his activities because of unspecified medical issues. The Board named Provost Levit as Interim President of the school, effective in January 2020. Former Congressman Brad Carson became President of Tulsa University, effective July 1, 2021. He replaced Interim President, Janet K. Levit.


Academics

University of Tulsa offers liberal arts, sciences, and professional programs, including
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
,
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
,
natural sciences Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeat ...
, clinical and industrial/organizational psychology, and other disciplines. The university also maintains a college of law, which is one of the few to specialize in Native American legal issues. The ''Tulsa Law Review'' ranks in the top 15% of most cited legal periodicals as ranked by
Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...
. The university's graduate program in petroleum engineering is ranked #5 among all national universities according to 2021 rankings from U.S. News & World Report The university has an 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. There are six colleges at the University of Tulsa: * Kendall College of Arts & Sciences * Collins College of Business (formerly College of Business Administration) * College of Engineering and Natural Sciences *
College of Law A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, l ...
* Oxley College of Health Sciences * Graduate School Admission to TU is highly competitive; The 2020 incoming freshman class boasted an average ACT score of 30 and an incoming average GPA of 3.9, the highest in the university's history. The Tulsa Institute for Trauma, Adversity and Injustice 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 contributes to the fields through presentations at local and major conferences and publications.


Rankings

''U.S. News & World Report''s 2022 edition of "Best Colleges" ranked the University of Tulsa 136 among "national universities" and tied at 79th for "Best Value". The university's graduate school program in petroleum engineering was ranked #5.


Scholarship and fellowship recipients

TU students have won 66
Goldwater Scholarship The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by the United States Congress in 1986 in honor of former United States Senator and 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. Its goal is to provide a continu ...
s, five
Marshall Scholarship The Marshall Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship for "intellectually distinguished young Americans ndtheir country's future leaders" to study at any university in the United Kingdom. It is widely considered one of the most prestigious sc ...
s, three
Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
s (9 Rhodes finalists), 25
Fulbright Scholarships The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
, and numerous Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and Morris K. Udall Fellowships.


Campus

The campus of the University of Tulsa centers on a wide, grassy, quad-like space known as Dietler Commons, formerly called "The U." The predominant architectural style is English Gothic. Most of the buildings are constructed from tan and rose-colored Crab Orchard
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...
from
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
interspersed with stone quarried in
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
. Other materials include Bedford
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...
from
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
and
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. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
quarried in
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
. The university's campus borders Tulsa's Kendall-Whittier neighborhood and is not far from Tulsa's downtown and mid-town neighborhoods. The campus, in particular its football venue Skelly Field, is located on the historic U.S. Route 66, America's "Mother Road" stretching from
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. 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 Association of International Students, Student Association, TU Earth Matters, and the TU Food Garden. The university strives to have its buildings meet LEED standards in order to reduce the school's overall carbon footprint.


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, longtime 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 has played at
Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the south central United States, located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Commonly known as H. A. Chapman Stadium, it is the ho ...
since 1930. It was renamed from Skelly Stadium following renovations in 2007. 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 provide 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.


Donald W. Reynolds Center

Home to women's volleyball along with the men's and women's basketball programs, the Donald W. Reynolds Center houses office and meeting space, practice and weights facilities, and the main basketball arena. Commencement exercises are held in the Reynolds Center in May.


Sharp Chapel

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.


On-campus student residences

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 Dietler Commons. It is known on campus as "The John". * Lottie Jane Mabee Hall – all-female residence hall located at the Southwest end of Deitler Commons. It is known on campus as "Lottie." * LaFortune Hall – coed residence hall close to the athletics areas. It is home to the university's International Living Community. It is named for the family of three Tulsa mayors. * William F. Fisher Hall – coed freshman residence hall immediately adjacent to the facility formerly known as Twin Towers, first opened to students in the fall of 1984. It was known as Twin South from 1984 to 2009. It is now known on campus as "South" or "Fisher South." * Fisher West Suites – coed residence hall immediately adjacent to the Dining Hall and part of the building formerly known as Twin Towers. It is known on campus as "West" or "Fisher West." * Hardesty Hall – coed residence hall suites close to Allen Chapman Student Union. Apartment complexes include Brown Village, Lorton Village (includes townhouses), Mayo Village, Norman Village, University Square South, and University Square West.


Museums and libraries

McFarlin Library: Resources and Notable Collections At the top of Deitler Commons sits one of the campus' most notable landmarks, the McFarlin Library, named after Robert and Ida McFarlin, the library's primary benefactors. The McFarlins had only one stipulation with their gift: that the view of Downtown Tulsa from McFarlin could never be blocked. Groundbreaking 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 a five-story addition in 1967, an underground stacks area in by 1979, and technology wing in 2007. The library contains over two million items. Currently, the library's Department of Special Collections and University Archives houses over twelve million archival items and has over a thousand collections on a wide-ranging array of topics including 20th-century British, Irish, and
American literature American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
, which includes the world's second largest collection of materials by
James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...
. It also houses the papers of
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winners V.S. Naipaul and
Doris Lessing Doris May Lessing (; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British-Zimbabwean novelist. She was born to British parents in Iran, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she remain ...
, as well as novelists and poets Jean Rhys,
Eliot Bliss Eliot Bliss (12 June 1903 – 10 December 1990) was a Jamaican-born English novelist and poet of Anglo-Irish descent, whose literary friendships encompassed Anna Wickham, Dorothy Richardson, Jean Rhys, Romer Wilson and Vita Sackville-West.Virgi ...
, David Plante, Anna Kavan, and Stevie Smith, just to name a few. In addition to these famous novelists, McFarlin Library's houses the papers of Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson, literary critic Richard Ellmann, comic book innovator
E. Nelson Bridwell Edward Nelson Bridwell (September 22, 1931 – January 23, 1987) was a writer for '' Mad'' magazine (writing the now-famous catchphrase, "What you mean...we?" in a 1958 parody of ''The Lone Ranger'' in Mad) and various comic books published by D ...
, Cherokee Principal Chief J.B. Milam, and writer/sexologist
Edward Charles Edward Charles Edmond Hemsted (born Anacapri, capri, Isola de Capri, 1898), better known by the pen name Edward Charles, was an England, English author, educator, social advocate and sexology, sexologist. His most famous writings are ''The S ...
, among others. The Department of Special Collections also contains a vast collection of books on Native American history.


Partnership with the Gilcrease Museum

In July 2008, the University of Tulsa took over management of the Gilcrease Museum 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 (including famous works by
Frederic Remington Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United Sta ...
, Thomas Moran, and others) and houses growing collections in artifacts from Central and South America. The museum sits on in northwest Tulsa, a considerable distance from the main university campus.


The Bob Dylan Archive

The Bob Dylan Archive The Bob Dylan Archive is a collection of documents and objects relating to American singer Bob Dylan. It was announced on March 2, 2016 that the archive had been acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and The University of Tulsa (TU) ...
is a collection of documents and objects relating to iconic American singer-songwriter
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
(whose mentor was Oklahoman
Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspire ...
). It was announced on March 2, 2016, that the archive had been acquired by the
George Kaiser Family Foundation George Bruce Kaiser (born October 30, 1943) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman of BOK Financial Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As of September 2021, he is the 476th richest person in the world and was, in 2012, one of ...
(GKFF) and the University of Tulsa. The university has since relinquished ownership to GKFF. It will be under the care of the university's Helmerich Center for American Research.


Student body and student life

Students at the University of Tulsa represent 46 states and over 60 foreign countries, of which 54% are
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
residents. Among the most common countries of origin for TU international students are
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
,
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordinat ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. The University of Tulsa is home to more than 150 student organizations, registered with and partially funded by the Student Association.


Diversity and campus life

A number of groups exist to support diversity on the University of Tulsa campus. There at least 25 campus organizations existing to support and sustain a diverse campus community. In addition, TU hosts the Chevron Multicultural Resource Center, funded by a gift from the energy company, which hosts events and programming to promote diversity on campus. Although TU has historic ties to the Presbyterian Church, the university has long embraced religious diversity. In 2002, TU was home to the first
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
built on an American university campus.Lanvanhar, Marvin. "Tulsa, a Divinely Inspired City". Chapter 13 in :Joyce, Davis D. ''Alternative Oklahoma: contrarian views of the Sooner State''p. 213. Available through Google Books. Accessed February 20, 2011. TU also hosts a chapter of
Hillel International Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, also known as Hillel International or Hillel, is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, working with thousands of college students globally. Hillel is represented at more than 550 colle ...
, an organization to support Jewish life on campus. The university also hosts a number of organizations reflecting different streams of Christian spiritual practice, including Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox.


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, supports student organization charters, 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
Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their si ...
,
Panic! At the Disco Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their fi ...
, and Ben Rector. In addition to traditional campus events, Student Association provides smaller campus programs including community service activities, social awareness events, and diversity programming. Activities organized by Student Association are free to all TU students.


College 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 their escape. * Homecoming Bonfire: Traditionally held the Friday evening prior to the Homecoming football game. The Homecoming court is honored along with the Jess Chouteau Top Ten Seniors. * Alma Mater: "Hail to Tulsa U" 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.


Greek life

There are six IFC fraternities and six 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. Other fraternities on campus that do not fall under the various councils include: *
Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25, ...
co-ed service fraternity * Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity * Sigma Alpha Iota music sorority * Delta Theta Phi co-ed law fraternity * Phi Alpha Delta co-ed law fraternity * Phi Delta Phi co-ed law fraternity * Sigma Phi Lambda Christian sorority *
Beta Upsilon Chi Beta Upsilon Chi () is the largest Christian social fraternity in the United States. Since its founding at the University of Texas in 1985, ΒΥΧ has spread to twenty-nine campuses. According to the fraternity's official website, Beta Upsilon ...
Christian fraternity


2015 student speech controversy

In February 2015, after the University of Tulsa suspended a student under its zero tolerance policy for harassment for allegedly threatening and defamatory Facebook postings by his fiancée against other faculty and a female student, administrators attempted to discourage the campus newspaper from publishing confidential information because of the non-disclosure agreement the suspended student and university had entered into. The controversy was picked up by several online sites which criticized the administration for using "threats" and "intimidation" to "cover up" their handling of the disciplinary issue. In January 2016, the former student filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming his dismissal was unfair and was a breach of the institution's commitment to due process. The incident earned the university a spot on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's 2016 "10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech". The lawsuit was dismissed in favor of the university in 2021.


Athletics

Tulsa's sports teams participate in
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...
as a member of the
American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
(The American); its football team is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Tulsa has the smallest undergraduate enrollment of any FBS school. TU has had a rivalry with the slightly larger
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
and a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
rivalry with the substantially larger University of Houston. It also has two current rivalries with D-I schools that do not sponsor football—an in-conference rivalry with Wichita State University, especially in men's basketball, and a crosstown rivalry, most prominently in
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, with Summit League member
Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, evangelist Oral Roberts. Sitting on a campus, ORU offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs ...
. The university's nickname is the Golden Hurricane (it was originally the Golden Tornadoes). 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 seven men's sports and ten women's sports. 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 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. In 2003, t ...
, which includes a number of indoor and outdoor courts (and spectator seating for 2,000). The Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium is home to the track and field and soccer programs.


Symbols

The school's colors are old gold ( PMS 4525),
royal blue Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by clothiers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of whom won a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. Brightness The '' Oxford E ...
(PMS 288), and
crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, '' Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red co ...
(PMS 186). The university's original motto was, in full: "Faith, Wisdom, Service: For Christ, For State."


Publications

The '' University of Tulsa Collegian'' is the long-standing independent and student-run newspaper on campus. The following scholarly journals are published by the university: * '' Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry'' * ''
James Joyce Quarterly The ''James Joyce Quarterly'' (''JJQ'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1963 that covers critical and theoretical work focusing on the life, writing, and reception of James Joyce. The journal publishes essays, notes, reviews, le ...
'' * '' Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature'' * ''Lithic Technology'' * ''Russian Studies in History '' * ''Energy Law Journal'' * ''Tulsa Journal of Comparative & International Law'' * ''Tulsa Law Review'' In 2003 Tulsa joined the efforts of
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
on the Modernist Journals Project, an online archive of early 20th-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 The ''James Joyce Quarterly'' (''JJQ'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1963 that covers critical and theoretical work focusing on the life, writing, and reception of James Joyce. The journal publishes essays, notes, reviews, le ...
'', brought the 2003 North American James Joyce Conference to the University of Tulsa.


Notable people


Alumni

The University of Tulsa counts a number of distinguished individuals among its alumni, including current
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
CEO
Doug McMillon Carl Douglas McMillon (born October 17, 1966) is an American businessman, and the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Walmart Inc. He sits on the retailer's board of directors. Having first joined the company as a summer associate ...
, New York School poet
Ted Berrigan Ted Berrigan (November 15, 1934 – July 4, 1983) was an American poet. Early life Berrigan was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on November 15, 1934. After high school, he spent a year at Providence College before joining the U.S. Army. After ...
, ''The Outsiders'' author
S.E. Hinton Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially '' The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during high school. Hinton is credited with introducing the YA ge ...
, voicemail inventor Gordon Matthews, ''Golden Girls'' actress Rue McClanahan, actor
Peter McRobbie Peter McRobbie (born 31 January 1943) is a Scottish-born American character actor, best known for his roles as John C. Twist in the 2005 romantic drama film ''Brokeback Mountain'', Mike Sheenan in the 2006 action film ''16 Blocks'', Pop Pop Ja ...
, roboticist and author Daniel H. Wilson, radio legend
Paul Harvey Paul Harvey Aurandt (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009) was an American radio broadcaster for ABC News Radio. He broadcast ''News and Comment'' on mornings and mid-days on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays and also his famous ''The Rest o ...
, Kuwaiti Petroleum Company CEO
Hani Abdulaziz Al Hussein Hani Abdulaziz Al Hussein is a Kuwaiti engineer and politician. He served as chief executive officer of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation from 2004 to 2007 and oil minister from February 2012 to May 2013. Education Hussein received a bachelor's d ...
, TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw (who played football for TU but did not graduate),
Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. ...
Chief
Chad "Corntassel" Smith Chadwick "Corntassel" Smith ( Cherokee name Ugista:ᎤᎩᏍᏔ derived from Cherokee word for "Corntassel", Utsitsata:ᎤᏥᏣᏔ; born December 17, 1950, in Pontiac, Michigan) is a former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. He was first el ...
, botanist and ecologist
Harriet George Barclay Harriet George Barclay (31 August 1901 - 25 May 1990) was an American botanist, plant ecologist, nature conservationist, and artist. Biography Barclay was a professor at the University of Tulsa. She later became Chair of the Botany Department in ...
, US Congressman and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent, NBA basketball player
Steve Bracey Stephen Henry Bracey (August 1, 1950 – February 14, 2006) was an American basketball player. Biography Bracey grew up in Brooklyn, where he attended Midwood High School. A 6' 1" guard, he first played at Kilgore Junior College in Texas, wher ...
, and Brazilian billionaire businessman
Ermirio Pereira de Moraes Ermirio Pereira de Moraes Neto (born 1932/1933) is a Brazilian billionaire businessman, co-owner of the privately held Votorantim Group. Early life Ermirio Pereira de Moraes is one of two children of the late Antônio Ermírio de Moraes. Moraes ...
; HE Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy & Industry for the United Arab Emirates, member of the Supreme Petroleum Council, and sits on the executive committee and other sections of Mubadala Investment Company .


Faculty

A number of notable individuals have served on the University of Tulsa's faculty over the years. Current notable faculty members include psychologist Robert Hogan, political scientist Robert Donaldson, Catholic philosopher F. Russell Hittinger, computer scientist Sujeet Shenoi, and former US Congressman Brad Carson. Noted artist Adah Robinson was the founder and first chairperson of the university's Department of Art."Robinson, Ada Matilda (1882–1962).
" ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Everett, Dianna. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
Several renowned literary figures and critics have served on Tulsa's faculty, including feminist pioneer Germaine Greer, Booker-prize winning novelist Paul Scott, author and critic
Darcy O'Brien Darcy O'Brien (July 16, 1939, in Los Angeles – March 2, 1998, in Tulsa, Oklahoma) was an award-winning American author of fiction and literary criticism, most well known for his work in the genre of true crime. His first novel, ''A Way of Life, ...
, and the famous Russian poet and dissident intellectual Yevgeny Yevtushenko until his death in 2017. Other notable former faculty members include legal scholars Paul Finkelman and Larry Catá Backer, psychologist Brent Roberts, painter
Alexandre Hogue Alexandre Hogue (February 22, 1898 – July 22, 1994) was an American artist active from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was a realist painter associated with the Dallas Nine; the majority of his works focus on Southwestern United States and Sou ...
, Catholic Bishop Daniel Henry Mueggenborg, and others.


Notes

Levit thus became the first woman to lead the school in its history.


References


External links

*
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tulsa, University Of American Athletic Conference schools Educational institutions established in 1894 Private universities in Oklahoma Education in Tulsa, Oklahoma Education in Tulsa County, Oklahoma Tourist attractions in Tulsa, Oklahoma Buildings and structures in Tulsa, Oklahoma Cultural institutions in Tulsa, Oklahoma Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) 1894 establishments in Oklahoma Territory Private universities and colleges in Oklahoma