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Northwestern Oklahoma
State University
Former names	Northwestern Territorial Normal School (1897–1919); Northwestern Oklahoma Teachers College (1919–1939); Northwestern State College (1939–1974)
Motto	Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow
Type	Public university
Established	1897
Parent institution	Regional University System of Oklahoma
President	Bo Hannaford
Students	1,789 (2021)
Location	Alva, Oklahoma, United States
Campus	Main campus – Alva; Satellite campuses: Enid; Woodward;
Colors	Red & Black;
Nickname	Rangers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – Great American
Mascot	Rowdy Ranger
Website	www.nwosu.edu

Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) is a public university in Alva, Oklahoma, with satellite campuses in Enid and Woodward. It offers both bachelor's and master's degrees.

History

In 1897, a normal school, or school for teachers, was established in Alva by an act of the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature. It was the second normal school in Oklahoma, charged with preparing teachers to serve the many one-room schoolhouses that covered the prairie. It was called the Northwestern Territorial Normal School. The new school's faculty consisted of the school's first president, James E. Ament, and two teachers. Classes were held in the Congregational Church until construction of the first building, the "Castle on the Hill", was complete on September 20, 1897.

In 1902 biology department head, Professor G.W. Stevens, established The Museum of Natural History at the school. The museum contains a large collection of biological specimens native to Oklahoma, as well as hundreds of Alaskan mammal and bird specimens collected by Stevens during a seven-month trip in 1908. The museum was closed from January 1975 to September 3, 1997, opening after extensive restoration efforts were performed. The museum is located on the second floor of the Jesse Dunn Building, and is the second oldest museum in Oklahoma.^[4]

The school became a four-year teachers college in 1919 and changed its name to Northwestern Oklahoma Teachers College. The school expanded in 1939 to include degrees in liberal arts as well as education, and its name changed again, to Northwestern State College. The final name change occurred in 1974 when the school was given its present name.

Northwestern's greatest tragedy happened on March 1, 1935, when the Castle on the Hill was destroyed by fire. In 1948, a contest was organized to adopt a new school fight song and a new alma mater. The winning submissions were announced in March 1949. Both were made by Floyd McClain, a 1940 graduate of Northwestern who was then attending the Boston Conservatory of Music. The new fight song was entitled "Ride, Rangers, Ride", and the new alma mater was entitled "Oh Northwestern". They are still the official fight song and alma mater, although band directors have altered the arrangements over the years. In 1957, a contest was launched to select a motto for the university. The motto chosen was "Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow", submitted by Kay Hutcheson, a junior student at Northwestern.

In 1951, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education authorized Northwestern to offer courses, transferable to the University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University, applying toward a master's degree in education. In 1954, the board approved a program leading to a master of education degree at Northwestern.

In the fall of 1978 Northwestern implemented a program leading to a master of behavioral science degree. A nursing degree program was established in the fall of 1981 to respond to the nursing shortage in northwest Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Legislature passed legislation that created two new branch campuses at Enid and Woodward. Northwestern became one of the first institutions to establish a bachelor of e-commerce degree in the fall of 2000.

More than 100 years have passed since Northwestern Oklahoma State University opened its doors. Since then, it has progressed from a normal school offering only teaching certificates to an institution offering degrees at the bachelor's and master's levels. The 1897 campus of 40 acres (16 ha) without buildings in one town has now become more than 400 acres (160 ha) and 36 buildings located in three communities. The three faculty members and 68 students have increased to more than 220 faculty and staff members and more than 2,300 students.

Academics

Northwestern offers Bachelor of Arts degrees and Bachelor of Science degrees in more than 40 areas of study. The university's academic programs are set up in two schools—the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Professional Studies.

Athletics

The Northwestern Oklahoma State (NWOSU) athletic teams are called the Rangers. The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great American Conference (GAC) since the 2012–13 academic year. The Rangers previously competed in the Sooner Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2001–02 to 2011–12; in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) from 1998–99 to 2000–01; as an NAIA Independent during the 1997–98 school year; in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference (OIC) from 1974–75 to 1996–97.

NWOSU competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf and rodeo; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, rodeo, soccer, softball and volleyball.

Move to NCAA Division II

On May 11, 2011, Northwestern Oklahoma State announced that they had accepted an invitation to the Great American Conference for all sports in the 2012–13 academic year and would begin their transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. On July 12, 2011, Northwestern Oklahoma State University was denied admittance into the NCAA Division II Membership Process for the 2011–12 cycle; the school was accepted one year later.^[5]

Schools must complete a membership process, spanning 3 years, before gaining active status and becoming eligible for championship competition. On July 17, 2015, the NCAA announced that effective September 1, 2015, the school had become active Division II members.^[6]

Notable alumni

Mike Adenuga, billionaire entrepreneur (founder of Nigeria's Globacom) and philanthropist
Odie Armstrong, professional football player^[7]
Vaughn Ary, Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps^[8]
Patrick Crayton, professional football player
Mike Hargrove, professional baseball player and manager
Joe L. Heaton, Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
Harold Keith, author of Rifles for Watie
Ron Moore, professional football player
Chip Myers, professional football player
Gaylon Nickerson, professional basketball player
Harvey Harlow Nininger, meteoriticist^[9]
Lynn Scott, professional football player
Brian Sochia, professional football player
Stockton Graves, Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association steer wrestler and Head Rodeo Coach at NWOSU
Tim Albin, Head Football Coach at the University of Ohio
Greg Johnson (American football coach), former head football coach at Prairie View A&M University, and Langston University
Ronnie Jones (American football), current head coach of the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers Football team and longtime NFL coach
John B. Doolin, justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Bill Overstreet, mayor of Juneau, Alaska
Mark Steffen, member of the Kansas State Senate
Mike Silva, head baseball coach at Nichols State University
Samuel W. Hayes, Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court
A. DeWade Langley, Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Odie Armstrong, professional football player
Louis Wilke, head football coach at Phillips University

References

^ "Leadership | Northwestern Oklahoma State University".
^ "Northwestern Sees Increases in Graduate, Concurrent Student Numbers".
^ "Mascot". Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on July 31, 2016.
^ "Museum of Natural History". Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
^ "About the Great American Conference". Great american Conference. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ Stark, Rachel (July 17, 2015). "Seven Schools to join Division II". NCAA. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
^ "San Jose SaberCats – Odie Armstrong". arenafootball.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015.
^ "Major General Vaughn A. Ary". Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ FLAGSTAFF PUBLIC LIBRARY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, H.H. Nininger, Interview number NAU.OH.28.34