Cameron University

Last updated
Cameron University
Cameron University seal.png
Former name
Cameron State School of Agriculture (1908–1927)
Cameron State Agricultural College (1927–1971)
Cameron College (1971–1974) [1]
Type Public university
Established1908
Academic affiliations
 Space-grant
President John M. McArthur
Students5,589
Undergraduates 5,202
Postgraduates 387
Location
Lawton
,
Oklahoma
,
U.S.

34°36′31″N98°26′04″W / 34.6087°N 98.4345°W / 34.6087; -98.4345
Colors    Gold and black
Nickname Aggies
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division II – Lone Star
Website www.cameron.edu
Cameron University logo.png

Cameron University is a public university in Lawton, Oklahoma. It offers more than 50 degrees through both undergraduate and graduate programs. The degree programs emphasize the liberal arts, science and technology, and graduate and professional studies. It was founded in 1908, soon after Oklahoma was admitted as a state, as one of six agricultural high schools in the largely rural region. [2]

Contents

History

The Oklahoma Legislature created six agricultural high schools in each judicial district in 1908, a year after statehood. Lawton was chosen over Anadarko in April 1909 to receive a high school; the town had already set aside a portion of land to develop a higher educational institution. The University Improvement Association, under the auspices of the Lawton Chamber of Commerce, organized the effort to acquire 220 acres (89 ha) of land two miles (three kilometers) west of the town. Its original goal was to secure a private Baptist college. Arrangements with the Baptists fell through in the summer of 1908. The Catholic Church approached the Association with an offer to found an all-male institution on the site. This plan was rejected by the town leaders, who were predominantly Protestant.

What was known as the Cameron State School of Agriculture was named for Rev. Evan Dhu Cameron, a Baptist minister and Oklahoma's first State Superintendent of Schools. The first classes were held on Statehood Day, November 16, 1909, in the basement of a bank building, while a new campus building was being constructed. [3]

In 1927 Cameron added junior college-level classes to the school's offerings, when local higher education needs exceeded what was available in southwest Oklahoma. With this expansion, the institution was renamed as Cameron State Agricultural College. By 1941, the high school preparatory classes were dropped. Cameron was classified solely as a junior college that year, when the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education was formed and joined the group of institutions governed by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma A&M Colleges. [3]

Based on additional development of programs and curriculum, in 1966 the Legislature passed a bill authorizing the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to allow the college to award Baccalaureate degrees. The institution's name was shortened to Cameron College in 1971 and, with more program expansion, changed to Cameron University in 1974. As the 1970s continued, Cameron demonstrated its dedication to expanded academic offerings through the construction of a fine arts facility designed to serve students in theatre, music, broadcasting, and speech communication. [3]

Dr. Donald J. Owen served as Cameron's president from 1969 to 1980. A Cameron graduate, Owen worked to build academic programs and develop relationships with the Lawton community, as well as the Oklahoma State University system, under which CU fell during his tenure. Cameron's sports teams, particularly football and basketball, excelled during that time. A new President's residence was constructed on Gore Boulevard, west of the campus. [3]

In 1988, State Regents expanded Cameron's functions to include graduate offerings at the master's degree level. This was the first change granted to an Oklahoma institution since Cameron was given the authority to offer bachelor's degrees more than 20 years earlier. In the 1990s, Cameron University came under the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma. [3]

Don Davis was President of Cameron University from 1980 to 2002. His father, Clarence L. Davis, was President of Cameron from 1957 to 1960. As a child, Davis lived in the President's house on campus with his parents and sister. As a former legislator from Lawton, Davis was able to secure funding for Cameron that supported it in developing as the premier institute for higher education in southwestern Oklahoma. Also during Davis' tenure, a classical radio station, KCCU 89.3, was founded. Numerous renowned scholars, including Richard Leakey and Cornel West, have spoken at Cameron's annual Academic Festival. [3]

In May 2004, Cameron took over the Duncan Higher Education Center in Duncan, Oklahoma. It was renamed as Cameron University - Duncan. [3]

Presidents

Since its founding in 1908, Cameron University has had 17 presidents. [4]

Accreditation

Cameron University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. [5] [6] The Bachelor of Accounting, Bachelor of Business Administration, and Master of Business Administration degrees offered by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. [7]

Campus life

Most courses are offered during weekdays and evenings. Cameron uses television, the internet, and a statewide fiber-optics network to deliver classes around the world. Students may participate in independent study, cooperative education, pre-professional studies, teacher certification, and the Army ROTC program. In addition, Cameron offers an honors program, early admission, advanced standing, and college-level examination programs. Some 58% of entering students require remedial work, as their median ACT scores are at the ninth percentile.

A wide range of organizations and interest groups are located on campus, including departmental, minority, professional, political, and religious organizations, and various honorary and recognition societies. Students can also become involved in student government, choral groups, a jazz ensemble, theater, or Greek life.

Athletics

Cameron's athletic teams, known as the Aggies, are a member of Division II of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Lone Star Conference. Sports offered are men's and women's basketball, baseball, volleyball, softball, spirit team, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field.

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langston University</span> Historically Black college in Langston, Oklahoma, US

Langston University (LU) is a public land-grant historically black university in Langston, Oklahoma. It is the only historically black college in the state and the westernmost HBCU in the United States. The main campus in Langston is a rural setting 10 miles (16 km) east of Guthrie. The University also serves an urban mission, with University Centers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake University</span> Private university in Des Moines, Iowa, US

Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in Business, Education, Law, and Pharmacy. Drake's Law School was founded in 1865, which makes it one of the 25 oldest law schools in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Panhandle State University</span> University in Goodwell, Oklahoma, United States

Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) is a public college in Goodwell, Oklahoma. OPSU is a baccalaureate degree-granting institution. General governance of the institution is provided by the Board of Regents of the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges. Academic programs and financial support are authorized and coordinated through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe College</span> American for-profit college based in New York

Monroe College is a private for-profit college in New York City. It was founded in 1933 and has campuses in the Bronx, New Rochelle and Saint Lucia, with degree programs also available through Monroe Online. The college is named after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Institute of Technology</span> Private university in Fort Wayne, Indiana, US

Indiana Institute of Technology is a private university in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was founded in 1930 as Indiana Technical College by John A. Kalbfleisch, who was also the school's first president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Oklahoma State University</span> Public university in Alva, Oklahoma, U.S.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma</span> Public university in Chickasha, Oklahoma, US

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) is a public liberal arts college in Chickasha, Oklahoma. It is the only public college in Oklahoma with a strictly liberal arts–focused curriculum and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. USAO is an undergraduate-only institution and grants bachelor's degrees in a variety of subject areas. The school was founded in 1908 as a school for women and from 1912 to 1965 was known as Oklahoma College for Women. It became coeducational in 1965 and today educates approximately 800 students. In 2001, the entire Oklahoma College for Women campus was listed as a national historic district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogers State University</span> Public university in Claremore, Oklahoma, United States

Rogers State University (RSU) is a public university in Claremore, Oklahoma. It also has branch campuses in Bartlesville and Pryor Creek.

Snow College is a public community college in Ephraim, Utah. It offers certificates and associate degrees along with bachelor's degrees in music, software engineering, and nursing. Snow College is part of the Utah System of Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern Oklahoma State University</span> University in Durant, Oklahoma, U.S.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public university in Durant, Oklahoma. It had a total enrollment of 5,376 in 2022.

Mid-America Christian University (MACU) is a private Christian university in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. MACU is an endorsed agency of the Church of God and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. MACU was initially founded as the South Texas Bible Institute in 1953 in Houston Heights, Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern Christian University</span> University in Bethany, Oklahoma, U.S.

Southwestern Christian University is a private Pentecostal university in Bethany, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1946 as Southwestern Bible College in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was the first Pentecostal educational institution in the state. While it was established as a Bible college for the training of Christian church leaders within the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, the denomination planned to quickly expand the school into a junior college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIB College of Business</span>

AIB College of Business was an accredited, independent, nonprofit, baccalaureate college of business located in Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. The college closed on June 30, 2016, after 95 years and gifted its property to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. The campus was operated by the University of Iowa from 2016 to 2018 when the University of Iowa announced plans to close down and sell the 17-acre campus. The University of Iowa sold the campus property in August 2019, for $7.5 million. Proceeds from the land and building sale created the AIB College of Business Scholarship Fund, which provides renewable $1,000 scholarship awards to qualified UI students. In the fall of 2020, 40 students received scholarships. All were residents of Iowa and majoring in business-related programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Oklahoma College</span> Community college in Tonkawa, Oklahoma

Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) is a public community college in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, with additional campuses located in Enid, Oklahoma and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Student enrollment is approximately 2,700. NOC bought the former Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma, in 1999 and it became the NOC Enid campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern New Mexico College</span> Public college in Española, New Mexico, U.S.

Northern New Mexico College is a public college in Española, New Mexico.

Adrian Michael Wiggins is an American basketball coach who is currently head boys' basketball coach at Clovis East High School. Prior to that, he was the head women's basketball coach at Fresno State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASA College</span> College in New York and Florida, U.S.

ASA College was a private for-profit college in New York City and Hialeah, Florida. The college had three campuses: Midtown Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn in New York, and Hialeah in Florida. It offered associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and professional certificates in the divisions of business administration, health disciplines, legal studies, and computer technology. Although it was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, that accreditation was removed in 2023 as the college failed to meet several of the commission's standards. The institution closed on March 1, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton State University</span> Public university in Morrow, Georgia, United States

Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia. It serves Metro Atlanta and is a selective Senior Unit of the University System of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Georgia State University</span> Public university in Macon, Georgia, US

Middle Georgia State University is a public university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers programs to students on five campuses in Middle Georgia and online. Middle Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Valree Fletcher Wynn was the first African-American professor at Cameron University from 1966 until her retirement in 1985. Wynn became the first African-American to serve on the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges in 1986 and served as the president from 1988–1989. She was the recipient of many awards and was inducted into both the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

References

  1. ↑ "About Cameron University". cameron.edu. Cameron University. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Soelle, Sally Bradstreet. "Cameron University." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed August 15, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "General Information - Cameron University". Cameron.edu. 1992-06-01. Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  4. ↑ "Past Presidents - Cameron University". Cameron.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  5. ↑ Higher Learning Commission
  6. ↑ Council for Higher Education Accreditation
  7. ↑ Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
  8. ↑ Archived March 30, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Adrian Wiggins. "Adrian Wiggins Bio - The Fresno State Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site". Gobulldogs.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  10. ↑ "Adrian Wiggins Bio - OLEMISSSPORTS.COM - OLE MISS Official Athletic Site". Olemisssports.Com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  11. ↑ "There's a new name (that you've never heard of) in Canadian running". Canadian Running Magazine. Runningmagazine.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-05-20. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.