The Spirit of Northwestern

by Ed Aud

 The opening of the Cherokee Strip within a few hours populated a great prairie land with a courageous, determined people.

 

Northwestern State Teachers College is a true product of these hardy pioneers.  A bill creating the school was signed by Third Territorial Governor William C. Renfrow, about midnight on March 12, 1897.  James E. Ament, an Illinois educator, was appointed president.

 

The cornerstone for the first building, Administration, was laid on July 1, 1898.  Plans for this building were drawn up by Joseph Foucart, a native Frenchman.  Its general outline was that of an old Norman Castle.  In Architectural design and superior workmanship, it was in advance of any other school building in the Southwest.  In June, 1906, a bill was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt appropriating $50,000.00 for the erection of a Science Hall.  In 1918 a palatial president’s home was erected on the campus at a cost of approximately $15,000.00.

 

A $50,000.00 gymnasium was built in 1919.  The seating capacity of the gymnasium is about fifteen hundred.  In 1923 Herod Hall Auditorium, a large structure costing $100,000.00 was erected.  This building also contains nine classrooms.

 

Northwestern was one of the most modern teachers colleges in the Southwest until the destruction of the historic old Administration building by fire on March 1, 1935.  This was an irreparable loss in eyes of the old settlers, but the fighting spirit of Oklahoma’s citizens asserted itself and immediate action was taken to secure its replacement.  A total of $545,000.00 was obtained for the erection of Horace Mann Hall and mammoth Jesse Dunn Hall, named in honor of one of northwestern Oklahoma’s early settlers.

 

Northwestern stands to-day as a monument to the progressive spirit of Oklahoma’s early settlers.