College Celebrates Anniversaries At McAlester Campus
(Press Release 04-17-09)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Eastern Oklahoma State College is hosting a “10 and 100” celebration at the McAlester campus from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, to commemorate Eastern’s 100 years of service to southeastern Oklahoma and the 10 year anniversary of the McAlester campus.

Eastern President Dr. Steve Smith says the program will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Clark Bass Auditorium and is expected to last just over one hour. Several speakers are slated for the program including McAlester Mayor Kevin Priddle, Lance Woodliff who was on the original board of trustees that organized and built the Wanda Bass Building on the campus and Oklahoma Chancellor for Higher Education, Glen Johnson.

Other speakers include Dr. Duane Anderson, East Central University interim president; Dr. Michael Turner, Southeastern Oklahoma State University president; Representatives Brian Renegar, Terry Harrison and Ed Cannady and State Senator Richard Lerblance.

“We would like to extend a warm invitation for everyone in the area to attend the celebration,” Smith said. “It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the first building on the campus opened.

“Eastern has been able to offer associate degree classes in Pittsburg County encompassing several degree programs with bachelor’s and graduate programs on the campus with the aid of ECU and SOSU.

“We are looking toward the future and plans are to increase class and program offerings at the campus,” he said.

An open tour of the facilities and refreshments will follow the program.

Eastern was established in Wilburton as the Oklahoma School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1908 by the Oklahoma legislature offering degrees in mining engineering. Several name changes have occurred since then. In 1972, the legislature established the name Eastern Oklahoma State College and created a separate Board of Regents to govern the college.

Since that time, Eastern has been a comprehensive community college providing instruction in a wide range of curricula in college transfer and career programs. The college now offers classes in Idabel, Antlers and McAlester.

Although Eastern had been offering classes in McAlester for some time, it was not until the dedication of the Wanda Bass Building in May 1998 that Eastern had a place to offer classes it could call home.

The new facility was a joint effort of the Clark and Wanda Bass family; the City of McAlester, through a sales tax extension; the Puterbaugh Foundation and other local civic organizations.

At the dedication of the Wanda Bass Building a challenge was made by the Bass Family for an additional gift to $2 million to construct a second facility if an additional $2 million for construction could be raised.

The Clark Bass Building, the second McAlester campus building, was dedicated April 15, 2005 as a result of the challenge grant by the Bass family and bonds issued by Eastern.

The second building more than doubled the campus floor space and higher educational capability for the area.

The new 28,000 square foot facility included seven interactive television classrooms for distance learning opportunities, a computer laboratory, a conference room, offices and a 120 seat seminar center.

Caption info:
The Wanda Bass Building was dedicated in May 1998 as the first building on the McAlester campus of Eastern Oklahoma State College.