The information provided here has been prepared
by the Library staff from resources located in the "Archives" collection
in the Library Media Center.
A more complete history of Eastern Oklahoma State
College has been prepared by local historian/writer Clyde Wooldridge.
Check this website at a later date for more information on his
book.
Written in 2001 and Updated in June, 2008
EASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE COLLEGE, a
two-year community college, provides a broad range of programs,
services, and resources. Eastern's main campus is located at
Wilburton, the county seat of Latimer County, in a valley between
the San Bois and Winding Stair Mountains. Eastern operates a
second campus, the Wanda Bass Higher Education Center, in McAlester
and a teaching site at the branch campus of Southeastern Oklahoma
State University at Idabel and at Kiamichi Technology Center
in Antlers. In addition to associate degrees, technical and certification
programs are offered. State programs such as the Oklahoma Department
of Corrections Center for Correctional Officer Studies also operate
on campus.
The early twentieth-century coal mining industry in southeastern
Oklahoma created a need for technical courses in mining and related
subjects such as chemistry and math. Oklahoma's first state legislature
established the college on May 26, 1908, as the Oklahoma School
of Mines and Metallurgy. Local citizens donated sixty acres one
mile west of Wilburton. The school opened January 11, 1909, with
one hundred students and Dr. George E. Ladd as president. The first
graduates received diplomas in 1912.
Although the college had to close briefly due
to low enrollment during World War I, the School of Mines (Eastern)
continued to add liberal arts programs. The State Legislature renamed
and somewhat reorganized the college several times. In 1927, the
name was changed to Eastern Oklahoma College, and the mining programs
were gradually phased out. The campus, however, still houses the
Oklahoma Miner Training Institute, an important reminder of the
college's origins. In 1941, the State Legislature put the college
under the control of the State Board of Agriculture and renamed
it Eastern Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. Accreditation
by North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
came in March, 1954. In 1972, the college officially became Eastern
Oklahoma State College with its own governing board. In the fall,
1998, Eastern's branch campus in McAlester opened. In addition
to Eastern classes, other colleges offer courses at the branch
campus, thus making it possible to earn bachelor's degrees in McAlester.
Eastern has had distinguished alumni in all areas,
from Broadway directors and award-winning artists to prominent
athletes, businesspeople, and politicians. Among the alumni are
former Oklahoma Governor George Nigh, American Indian artist Merline
Little Thunder, and Dr. Robert Purcell, head of the hepatitis viruses
section at the National Institutes of Health. Eastern continues
to offer quality and comprehensive instruction in southeastern
Oklahoma.
written by Mary Edith Butler, Director of
Library Media Services
Bibliography:
Miller, Florence. "The History of Eastern Oklahoma State College."
written in 1940; archival file. Archives Room, Raymond Gary Library
Media Center, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Wilburton, OK.
The Oklahoma Red Book, Volume 2. Tulsa, OK: Tulsa
Daily Democrat, 1912.
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
Do you have memorabilia and precious things from
your days at Eastern? Perhaps you have your dad’s letter
jacket or an 8 mm film of a play? Or maybe you have some
photos of the good old days. We realize that you will want to keep
some photos in the family, but perhaps you would let us borrow
them long enough to scan and make copies. The Library Media Center
is always looking for new donations to Eastern’s archives.
We feel it is very important to preserve our heritage and fine
history. Any artifacts donated will be preserved and stored
in the appropriate, safe, true archival manner. If you would
like to help us in this preservation effort please call us at 918.465.1783
or 918.465.1781. Thank you for all of your support.
Be sure and visit
the ::Building
Timeline and the ::Building
Timeline Photo Page for more campus history.
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