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University of Tulsa
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The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[7] It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church, although it is now nondenominational, and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls, which was established in 1882 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, then a town in Indian Territory, and which evolved into an institution of higher education named Henry Kendall College by 1894. The college moved to Tulsa, another town in the Creek Nation in 1904, before the state of Oklahoma was created. In 1920, Kendall College was renamed the University of Tulsa.[8]
Key Information
The University of Tulsa is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[9] It manages the Gilcrease Museum, which includes one of the largest collections of American Western art and indigenous American artifacts in the world.[10] TU also hosts the Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, founded by former TU professor and noted feminist critic Germaine Greer (now at the University of Cambridge).
TU's athletic teams are collectively known as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and compete in Division I of the NCAA as members of the American Athletic Conference (The American).[11] The University of Tulsa is designated as a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in both Information Assurance and Cyber Defense. The McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering is ranked 6th among petroleum engineering graduate schools and 10th among undergraduate PE schools by U.S. News & World report.
History
[edit]Frontier Origins
[edit]The Presbyterian School for Indian Girls (also known as "Minerva Home")[12] was founded in Muskogee, Indian Territory, in 1882 to offer a primary education to young women of the Creek Nation.[13]
In 1894, the young school expanded to become Henry Kendall College, named in honor of Reverend Henry Kendall, secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions.[14][15] The first president was William A. Caldwell, who served a brief two-year term, which ended in 1896.
Caldwell was succeeded by William Robert King, a Presbyterian minister and co-founder of the college, who had come to Oklahoma from Tennessee, by way of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City (affiliated with Columbia University). Kendall College, while still in Muskogee, granted the first post-secondary degree in Oklahoma in June 1898.[16] Under King, the college was moved from its original location in downtown Muskogee to a larger campus on lands donated by Creek Nation Chief Pleasant Porter.
Kendall College students, faculty and administrators were instrumental in efforts to get the State of Sequoyah recognized; they wrote most of the proposed constitution and designed the seal among other things.[17]
The opening of the new campus coincided with the start of the tenure of the third president, A. Grant Evans. Over the next 10 years, Evans oversaw the struggling school's growth. In most years, class sizes remained small and although the academy, the attached elementary, middle, and high school was more successful; by the end of the 1906–07 year Kendall College had had only 27 collegiate graduates. At the request of the administration, the Synod of Indian Territory assumed control as trustees and began to look at alternatives for the future of the school. When the administration was approached by the comparatively smaller town of Tulsa and offered a chance to move, the decision was made to relocate.[14][15][18][19]
Relocation to Tulsa
[edit]The Tulsa Commercial Club (a forerunner of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce) decided to bid for the college. Club members who packaged a bid in 1907 to move the college to Tulsa included: B. Betters, H. O. McClure, L. N. Butts, W. L. North, James H. Hall (sic), Grant C. Stebbins, Rev. Charles W. Kerr, C. H. Nicholson. The offer included $100,000, 20 acres of real estate, and a guarantee for utilities and street car service.[20]
The college opened to 35 students in September 1907, two months before Oklahoma became a state. These first students attended classes at the First Presbyterian Church until permanent buildings could be erected on the new campus. This became the start of higher education in Tulsa. Kendall Hall, the first building of the new school, was completed in 1908[14][15][18] and was quickly followed by two other buildings. All three buildings have since been demolished, with Kendall the last to be razed in 1972.[21] The bell that once hung in the Kendall Building tower was saved and displayed in Bayless Plaza.
The Kendall College presidents during 1907–1919 were Arthur Grant Evans, Levi Harrison Beeler, Seth Reed Gordon, Frederick William Hawley, Ralph J. Lamb, Charles Evans, James G. McMurtry and Arthur L. Odell.[22]
In 1918, the Methodist Church proposed building a college in Tulsa, using money donated by a Tulsa oilman Robert M. McFarlin. The proposed college was to be named McFarlin College. However, it was soon apparent that Tulsa could not yet support two competing schools. In 1920, Henry Kendall College merged with the proposed McFarlin College to become the University of Tulsa. The McFarlin Library of TU was named for the principal donor of the proposed college. The name of Henry Kendall has lived on to the present as the Kendall College of Arts and Sciences.
20th century
[edit]The University of Tulsa opened its School of Petroleum Engineering in 1928.[23]
The Great Depression hit the university hard. By 1935, the school was about to close because of its poor financial condition. It had a debt of $250,000, enrollment had fallen to 300 students (including many who could not pay their tuition), the faculty was poorly paid and morale was low. It was then that the oil tycoon and TU-patron Waite Phillips offered the school presidency to Clarence Isaiah ("Cy") Pontius, a former investment banker. His primary focus would be to rescue the school's finances. A dean's council would take charge of academic issues.[24]
However, Pontius' accomplishments went beyond raising money. During his tenure, the following events occurred:
- In 1935, the university opened the College of Business Administration, which it renamed the Collins College of Business in 2008.[23]
- The Tulsa Law School, located in downtown Tulsa, became part of the university in 1943.[23]
- In 1948, oil magnate William G. Skelly donated funds to found the university radio station, KWGS (named for his initials), now known as Public Radio Tulsa.

After William G. Skelly died, his widow donated the Skelly Mansion, at the corner of 21st Street and Madison Avenue, to the University of Tulsa. The school sold the mansion and its furnishings to private owners in 1959. On July 5, 2012, the university announced that it would repurchase the house as a residence for its president. TU sold the property in 2021.
In 1958, Ben Graf Henneke, a scholar of theater and communications, became the first alumnus to hold the presidency of the University of Tulsa. During his tenure, the university established new doctoral programs, increased the proportion of faculty with doctorates, started new publications including Petroleum Abstracts and the James Joyce Quarterly, developed a North Campus center for petroleum engineering research, and expanded many main campus facilities. He was succeeded by Eugene L. Swearingen, a Stanford University-trained economist and Oklahoma native who served on the National Finance Committee for the Jimmy Carter Presidential Campaign.[25] Swearingen increased TU's endowment and expanded the footprint of its campus.
21st century
[edit]In 2004, anthropologist Steadman Upham joined the University of Tulsa as president, having served in faculty and leadership positions at the University of Oregon and Arizona State University. Within five years of his arrival, TU saw 13 major construction projects and renovations on campus, ranging from the construction of the Roxana Rozsa and Robert Eugene Lorton Performance Center to the overhaul of Keplinger Hall, and plans for seven more major projects finalized (despite the nationwide recession).
The university also launched the Oxley College of Health Sciences, in downtown Tulsa, named in recognition of a major gift from Tulsa's Oxley Foundation.[26] In 2023, the unit was renamed the Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences. The university also partnered with the George Kaiser Family Foundation to temporarily house The Bob Dylan Archive at TU in 2016. Under Upham's leadership, the University of Tulsa assumed management of the famous Gilcrease Museum in northwest Tulsa.
In 2016, President Upham retired and was succeeded by Gerard Clancy, who previously served as a psychiatry professor and held leadership positions at the University of Iowa and the University of Oklahoma. About two and a half years into his presidency, in the spring of 2019, President Clancy and Provost Janet K. Levit announced a restructuring of academic programs at the university that would eliminate several academic programs. The plan was met with resistance from some faculty who believed it was formulated without adequate input from faculty. Although faculty members voted "no confidence" in the president and provost in November, the university's board of trustees publicly affirmed their support of the plan.[27]
In January 2020, President Clancy informed the board that he needed to cut back on his activities because of unspecified medical issues. The board named Provost Levit as interim president of the school, effective in January 2020.[a]
Former Congressman Brad R. Carson became president of the University of Tulsa on July 1, 2021.
Academics
[edit]The University of Tulsa offers liberal arts, music, film, and professional programs, including engineering, English, computer science, natural sciences, social sciences, health sciences, business, law, and other disciplines.[28]
The university has an undergraduate research program, evidenced by 45 students receiving Goldwater Scholarships since 1995.[29] The Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) allows undergraduates to conduct advanced research with the guidance of top TU professors.[30]
Rankings
[edit]| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Forbes[31] | 307 |
| U.S. News & World Report[32] | 179 |
| Washington Monthly[33] | 365 |
| WSJ/College Pulse[34] | 240 |
| Global | |
| QS[35] | 701–750 |
| THE[36] | 501–600 |
| U.S. News & World Report[37] | 1291 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 6 |
| Law | 120 |
| Clinical Psychology | 146 |
| Computer Science | 176 |
| English | 113 |
| Psychology | 194 |
| Speech–Language Pathology | 159 |
U.S. News & World Report's 2025 edition of "Best Colleges" ranked the University of Tulsa tied for 179th among "national universities" and tied at 90th for "Best Value".[39]
Scholarship and fellowship recipients
[edit]TU students have won 67 Goldwater Scholarships, 5 Marshall Scholarships, 3 Rhodes Scholarships (9 Rhodes finalists), 28 Fulbright Scholarships, and numerous Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and Morris K. Udall Fellowships.[40]
Campus
[edit]The campus of the University of Tulsa centers on a wide, grassy, quad-like space known as Dietler Commons, formerly called "The U." The predominant architectural style is English Gothic. Most of the buildings are constructed from tan and rose-colored Crab Orchard sandstone from Tennessee interspersed with stone quarried in Arkansas. Other materials include Bedford limestone from Indiana and slate quarried in Vermont. The university's campus borders Tulsa's Kendall Whittier neighborhood and is not far from Tulsa's downtown and midtown neighborhoods. The campus, in particular its football venue Skelly Field, is located on the historic U.S. 66, America's "Mother Road" stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium
[edit]Tulsa Golden Hurricane football has played home games at Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium since 1930.
Museums and libraries
[edit]
McFarlin Library: Resources and Notable Collections
The library's Department of Special Collections and University Archives houses over 12 million archival items and has over 1,000 collections on a wide-ranging array of topics including 20th-century British, Irish, and American literature, which includes the world's second-largest collection of materials by James Joyce. It also houses the papers of Nobel Prize winners V.S. Naipaul and Doris Lessing, as well as novelists and poets Jean Rhys, Eliot Bliss, David Plante, Anna Kavan, and Stevie Smith, just to name a few. In addition to these famous novelists, McFarlin Library houses the papers of Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson, literary critic Richard Ellmann, comic book innovator E. Nelson Bridwell, Cherokee Principal Chief J.B. Milam, and writer/sexologist Edward Charles, among others. The Department of Special Collections also contains a vast collection of books on Native American history.[41]
Partnership with Gilcrease Museum
[edit]In July 2008, the University of Tulsa took over management of Gilcrease Museum in a public-private partnership with the City of Tulsa. The museum has one of the largest collections of American Western art in the world (including famous works by Frederic Remington, Thomas Moran, and others) and houses growing collections of artifacts from Central and South America. The museum sits on 460 acres (1.9 km2) in northwest Tulsa.[42]
The Bob Dylan Archive
[edit]The Bob Dylan Archive is a collection of documents and objects relating to iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan (whose mentor was Oklahoman Woody Guthrie). It was announced on March 2, 2016, that the archive had been acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and the University of Tulsa. The university has since relinquished ownership to GKFF.[43]
Student body and student life
[edit]| Race and ethnicity[44] | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 53% | ||
| Other[b] | 12% | ||
| Hispanic | 9% | ||
| Foreign national | 9% | ||
| Black | 7% | ||
| Asian | 6% | ||
| Native American | 3% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[c] | 26% | ||
| Affluent[d] | 74% | ||
Students at the University of Tulsa represent 47 states and over 79 foreign countries, of which 58% are Oklahoma residents.[45] The most common countries of origin for TU international students are China, Saudi Arabia, Oman, India, and Canada.[46]
The University of Tulsa is home to more than 150 student organizations, registered with and partially funded by the Student Government Association.
Diversity and campus life
[edit]Several groups exist to support diversity on the University of Tulsa campus. There are at least 25 campus organizations existing to support and sustain a diverse campus community.[47] In addition, TU hosts the Chevron Multicultural Resource Center, funded by a gift from the energy company, which hosts events and programming to promote diversity on campus.
Although TU has historic ties to the Presbyterian Church, the university has long embraced religious diversity. In 2002, TU was home to the first mosque built on an American university campus.[48][49] TU also hosts a chapter of Hillel International, an organization to support Jewish life on campus.[50] The university also hosts several organizations reflecting different streams of Christian spiritual practice, including Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox.[51]
2015 student speech controversy
[edit]In February 2015, after the University of Tulsa suspended a student under its zero-tolerance policy for harassment for threatening and defamatory Facebook postings by his fiancée against multiple faculty members and a female student, administrators attempted to discourage the campus newspaper from publishing information the university deemed "confidential".[52] The controversy was picked up by two websites that claimed the administration used "threats" and "intimidation" to "cover up" their handling of the disciplinary issue.[53][54] In January 2016, the former student filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming his dismissal was unfair and was a breach of the institution's commitment to due process.[55] The incident earned the university a spot on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) 2016 "10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech".[56] By 2023, however, the University of Tulsa had received a "green light" rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression in recognition of the university's commitment to free speech.[57]
Athletics
[edit]Tulsa's sports teams participate in NCAA Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American); its football team is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Tulsa has the smallest undergraduate enrollment of any FBS school.[58] TU has had a rivalry with both Rice University and the University of Houston. It also has two current rivalries with D-I schools that do not sponsor football—an in-conference rivalry with Wichita State University, especially in men's basketball, and a crosstown rivalry, most prominently in basketball, with Summit League member Oral Roberts University.
The university's nickname is the Golden Hurricane (it was originally the Golden Tornadoes). The Sound of the Golden Hurricane marching band plays at all home football and basketball games as well as traveling to championships in support of the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa has won six national championships (three NCAA): four in women's golf and two in men's basketball. The University of Tulsa currently fields a varsity team in seven men's sports and ten women's sports.[11]
Symbols
[edit]The school's colors are old gold (PMS 7502), royal blue (PMS 661C), and crimson (PMS 186).[59]
The university's original motto was, in full: "Faith, Wisdom, Service: For Christ, For State."
Media
[edit]The University of Tulsa Collegian is the long-standing independent and student-run newspaper on campus.
The following scholarly journals are published by the university:
- Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry
- James Joyce Quarterly
- Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature
- Energy Law Journal
- Tulsa Law Review
In 2003 Tulsa joined the efforts of Brown University on the Modernist Journals Project, an online archive of early 20th-century periodicals. Tulsa has contributed various modernist texts from McFarlin Library's Special Collections to the project's website.
Sean Latham, then-editor of the James Joyce Quarterly, brought the 2003 North American James Joyce Conference to the University of Tulsa.
The university is the owner of the Tulsa region’s National Public Radio station, KWGS, as well as KWTU, which airs a classical music format.
Notable people
[edit]TU students have won 67 Goldwater Scholarships, 5 Marshall Scholarships, 3 Rhodes Scholarships (9 Rhodes finalists), 28 Fulbright Scholarships, and numerous Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and Morris K. Udall Fellowships.[60]
Alumni
[edit]
The University of Tulsa counts a number of distinguished individuals among its alumni, including current Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, New York School poet Ted Berrigan, The Outsiders author S.E. Hinton, voicemail inventor Gordon Matthews, Golden Girls actress Rue McClanahan, actor Peter McRobbie, roboticist and author Daniel H. Wilson, radio legend Paul Harvey, Kuwaiti Petroleum Company CEO Hani Abdulaziz Al Hussein, TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw (who played football for TU but did not graduate), Cherokee Nation Chief Chad "Corntassel" Smith, botanist and ecologist Harriet George Barclay, U.S. Congressman and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent, NBA basketball player Steve Bracey, and Brazilian billionaire businessman Ermirio Pereira de Moraes; HE Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy & Industry for the United Arab Emirates,[61] member of the Supreme Petroleum Council, and sits on the executive committee and other sections of Mubadala Investment Company.
Faculty
[edit]Several notable individuals have served on the University of Tulsa's faculty over the years. Current notable faculty members include psychologist Robert Hogan, political scientist Robert Donaldson, Catholic philosopher F. Russell Hittinger, computer scientist Sujeet Shenoi,[62] and former U.S. Congressman Brad Carson. Noted artist Adah Robinson was the founder and first chairperson of the university's Department of Art.[63] Several renowned literary figures and critics have served on Tulsa's faculty, including feminist pioneer Germaine Greer, Booker-prize winning novelist Paul Scott, author and critic Darcy O'Brien, and the famous Russian poet and dissident intellectual Yevgeny Yevtushenko until he died in 2017. Other notable former faculty members include legal scholars Paul Finkelman and Larry Catá Backer, psychologist Brent Roberts, painter Alexandre Hogue, Catholic Bishop Daniel Henry Mueggenborg, and others.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Levit thus became the first woman to lead the school in its history.
- ^ Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
- ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
- ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.
References
[edit]- ^ NAICU – Member Directory Archived November 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ As of June 30, 2021. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2021 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY20 to FY21 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 18, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "University of Tulsa appoints Rick Dickson as interim president".
- ^ "TU Fast Facts". University of Tulsa. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
- ^ "IPEDS – University of Tulsa".
- ^ University of Tulsa Graphic Style Guide (PDF). September 20, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Carnegie Research Classification: University of Tulsa". The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
- ^ University of Tulsa. "History & Traditions." Undated. Archived October 25, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Center for Postsecondary Education. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ "About US". The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "TU Athletics Points of Pride". CSTV Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2008.
- ^ Mullins, Jonita. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Muskogee County." Retrieved April 22, 2013.
- ^ "History page". Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c Logsdon, Guy William. "The University of Tulsa: a history from 1882–1972." Norman, Okla.; 1975.
- ^ a b c Delfraisse, Betty Dew. "The history of the University of Tulsa." Austin, Tex.: [S.l.], 1929.
- ^ "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture: Muskogee". Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ Junior League of Tulsa (February 7, 1980). "Interview with Guy Logsdon". Tulsa City-County Library. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ a b "Henry Kendall College Bulletin"
- ^ Carlson, Marc. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ The University of Tulsa, "Tulsa Commercial Club 'had a hunch and bet a bunch.'" Archived April 16, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Campbell, Joshua. "TU's history highlights change." The Collegian. October 16, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2011."The Collegian Online: TU's history highlights change". Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ "TUAlumni 1907–1919". Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ a b c .Tulsa University Website "History of TU." Accessed February 24, 2011 Archived March 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Scott Cooper, "Pontius Pilot", Tulsa World, January 12, 1998.
- ^ "Ex-TU chief, banker Swearingen, 82, dead". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ KREHBIEL, Randy. "TU to locate Oxley College of Health Sciences downtown". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Fisher, Lauren (November 14, 2019). "How a Radical Restructuring Plan Fractured a Campus and Fueled a No-Confidence Vote". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Explore Programs". utulsa.edu. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Student Recipients". Archived from the original on December 2, 2014.
- ^ "Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge". March 30, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009.
- ^ "America's Top Colleges 2025". Forbes. September 6, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ^ "2025-2026 Best National Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ^ "2024 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ "2025 Best Colleges in the U.S." The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse. September 4, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ^ "QS World University Rankings 2026". Quacquarelli Symonds. June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ "World University Rankings 2025". Times Higher Education. October 9, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ "2025-2026 Best Global Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "University of Tulsa – U.S. News Best Grad School Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "University of Tulsa Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ "Student Recipients". November 1, 2016. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ "Special Collections". University of Tulsa. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ The University of Tulsa. "City of Tulsa, TU celebrate Gilcrease Museum partnership." July 2, 2008."City of Tulsa, TU celebrate Gilcrease Museum partnership – University of Tulsa". Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ Tramel, Jimmie (March 2, 2016). "Kaiser Family Foundation, TU acquire Bob Dylan Archive". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^ "College Scorecard: University of Tulsa". United States Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Undergraduate Admission". Archived from the original on November 10, 2014.
- ^ "Countries Represented Spring 2018". University of Tulsa. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Diversity & Engagement". University of Tulsa. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ Lanvanhar, Marvin. "Tulsa, a Divinely Inspired City". Chapter 13 in Joyce, Davis D. Alternative Oklahoma: contrarian views of the Sooner Statep. 213. Available through Google Books. Accessed February 20, 2011.
- ^ "TU Breaks Ground for New Mosque". KOTV News 6. September 20, 2002. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Hillel of Northeastern Oklahoma". Hillel of Northeastern Oklahoma- University of Tulsa chapter. Archived from the original on January 7, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Student Organizations". University of Tulsa. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ Viera, Mariana (February 12, 2015). "U. of Tulsa administrator threatens to punish student journalists for investigating student's punishment over Facebook posts". Student Press Law Center. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Soave, Robby (February 12, 2015). "Student Expelled Over Husband's Facebook Posts, Newspaper Censored for Asking Questions". Reason.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Kitroeff, Natalie (February 17, 2015). "University of Tulsa Creates 'Atmosphere of Fear' to Silence Criticism, Students Say". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Vicent, Samantha (January 20, 2016). "Former University of Tulsa student sues after suspension for alleged social media harassment". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ Lukianoff, Greg (February 17, 2016). "The 10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2016". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
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- ^ Merrick, Amy (September 20, 2004). "Another Money-Losing Season". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
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External links
[edit]University of Tulsa
View on GrokipediaHistory
Presbyterian Origins in Indian Territory
The origins of the University of Tulsa lie in Presbyterian missionary efforts in Indian Territory, beginning with the establishment of the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls as a boarding school in Muskogee in 1882 by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions to educate Native American girls through evangelization and basic instruction.[11] In 1894, William Robert King, superintendent of the academy department, petitioned the Presbyterian Church's general assembly to advance the institution to college level, resulting in its chartering as Henry Kendall College on September 24, named for Henry Kendall, the board's first general secretary and a key Presbyterian figure.[11] [1] First classes opened on September 12, 1894, initially under president William A. Caldwell, with King assuming the presidency in 1896.[11] [1] Henry Kendall College's mission centered on providing higher education to both Native American and white settler youth in a region lacking established institutions, prioritizing classical liberal arts subjects such as languages, mathematics, and sciences alongside mandatory religious instruction to foster moral character and intellectual rigor.[11] [1] This approach stemmed from Presbyterian principles emphasizing comprehensive formation in underserved frontier areas, where education served dual evangelistic and civilizing aims amid tribal lands and nascent settlements.[11] Opening with just 25 students—men and women drawn primarily from local Native and settler communities—the college faced inherent constraints of low enrollment due to the sparse population and limited infrastructure of Indian Territory.[11] Operations depended almost entirely on grants from the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions and the Synod of Indian Territory, as tuition and local donations proved insufficient in the economically underdeveloped context.[11] [1] These financial vulnerabilities, compounded by competition from other mission schools and the challenges of sustaining faculty in remote conditions, highlighted the causal reliance on denominational backing for viability, with the inaugural graduating class of three students in 1898 illustrating the modest scale during this formative decade.[11] [12]Relocation to Tulsa and Early Expansion
In 1907, Henry Kendall College relocated from Muskogee, Indian Territory, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, immediately following the territory's admission as a state on November 16. The decision stemmed from chronic financial difficulties under Presbyterian Synod oversight and an enticing offer from Tulsa's civic leaders, who promised land and funding amid the city's explosive growth from the 1905 Glenpool oil strike, which transformed Tulsa into a key mid-continent energy center. Classes began on September 10, 1907, initially in temporary quarters at local churches and buildings, before dedicated campus structures were erected for the 1908–09 term.[13][11][1] The move capitalized on Tulsa's oil-driven prosperity, enabling expanded facilities and broader student recruitment beyond the Synod's original focus on ministerial training. Enrollment surged in the ensuing years, reaching 632 students by 1920, as the college attracted locals and regional applicants drawn to vocational preparation in a boomtown economy. This growth facilitated initial diversification into practical curricula, including preparatory engineering and commerce courses tailored to the petroleum sector's demands for skilled labor in drilling, refining, and management.[14][11][1] By 1921, Henry Kendall College rechartered as the University of Tulsa on February 8, incorporating elements of a proposed Methodist-affiliated McFarlin College to consolidate resources in a city unable to sustain duplicate institutions. This renaming, approved via state charter on November 9, 1920, accelerated the institution's evolution from denominational seminary roots toward nondenominational status, with formal independence from Presbyterian control achieved in 1926 through a self-perpetuating board of trustees. The transition broadened access, emphasizing secular professional education amid Tulsa's "Oil Capital of the World" moniker, though full specialization in fields like petroleum engineering awaited later decades.[15][11][1]20th-Century Institutional Growth and Independence
In 1928, the University of Tulsa established itself as an independent school corporation governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees, severing direct oversight by the Presbyterian Synod while maintaining a historic affiliation rooted in its origins.[1][11] This transition, formalized through changes to its articles of incorporation in 1926, provided operational flexibility amid evolving cultural and economic conditions in Oklahoma, enabling the institution to prioritize secular academic expansion over ecclesiastical constraints.[11] The university's academic diversification accelerated with the establishment of the School of Petroleum Engineering in 1928, capitalizing on Tulsa's emergence as a hub for the oil industry during Oklahoma's energy boom.[11] This program, housed in newly constructed facilities dedicated shortly thereafter, addressed the demand for specialized training in resource extraction and production, drawing students and funding from the region's petroleum sector. Complementing this, the Tulsa Law School—founded independently by local attorneys in 1923—integrated into the university's structure by the mid-20th century, evolving into the College of Law by 1966 and bolstering legal education tied to energy-related commerce and regulation.[16][11] The College of Business Administration followed in 1935, further broadening offerings amid the Great Depression's challenges, which had nearly forced closure until salvaged by private oil industry philanthropy.[11] Infrastructure expansions underscored this maturation, including the construction of Skelly Field (later H.A. Chapman Stadium) in 1930, funded by oil magnate William Skelly at a cost of approximately $275,000 without reliance on public funds.[17] This venue supported athletic programs and campus growth, reflecting donor-driven investment in facilities that enhanced institutional capacity. Enrollment, starting at 632 students upon chartering in 1920, expanded through these developments, fostering a focus on technical and professional disciplines aligned with regional economic drivers rather than denominational priorities.[14] By mid-century, such initiatives positioned the university as a key player in Oklahoma's industrial education landscape, independent yet historically informed by its Presbyterian foundations.[11]21st-Century Developments, Financial Pressures, and Recovery
In 2019, the University of Tulsa undertook significant program eliminations amid declining enrollment and unsustainable spending patterns, reducing its offerings from 196 degree programs across five colleges to 112, including cuts in liberal arts, business (from 27 to 18 programs), and law school master's degrees.[18][19][20] These measures addressed a $25 million debt from aggressive capital construction and operational deficits, despite an endowment exceeding $1.1 billion supporting approximately 4,000 students, prompting faculty criticisms that the decisions reflected mismanagement rather than necessity, with some viewing the shifts as prioritizing vocational focus over broad academic breadth.[21][22][19] Following these austerity steps, the university adopted a 2021 strategic plan emphasizing research in cyber systems and sustainable energy, fostering industry collaborations through entities like the Center for Energy Studies to leverage regional strengths in petroleum engineering and innovation without heavy dependence on federal funding.[23][24] This refocus aimed to enhance fiscal independence by aligning resources with high-demand fields, including private partnerships for experiential learning and research in energy transitions.[25][26] Post-2020, these adjustments correlated with improved national standings, as the university climbed 21 positions to tie for #158 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, following a 16-spot gain to #179 in the prior cycle, driven by strengths in undergraduate engineering (e.g., petroleum engineering ranked #3 overall and #1 among private doctoral programs) and research emphasis.[27][28] The endowment grew modestly to around $1.26 billion by recent fiscal years, supporting targeted investments that stabilized operations and boosted outcomes in core disciplines.[29]Academics
Degree Programs and Academic Strengths
The University of Tulsa offers undergraduate degrees including Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Music Education, alongside graduate options such as Master of Science, Master of Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy across its primary colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering and Computer Science, Health and Natural Sciences, and Law, with additional oversight from the Graduate School and Honors College.[30][31][32] The institution maintains strengths in STEM fields, particularly petroleum engineering through the McDougall School, where the Bachelor of Science program holds ABET accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission and emphasizes practical applications in reservoir engineering and drilling, contributing to high alumni placement in Oklahoma's energy industry.[33][34][35] The College of Law, accredited by the American Bar Association since 1950, reports a 93.4% employment rate for graduates within ten months of graduation and an 85% two-year bar passage rate, with alumni securing positions in firms, government, and judiciary roles.[36][37] In cybersecurity, the Bachelor of Science program, the only ABET-accredited such degree in Oklahoma and designated an NSA Center of Excellence in Cyber Operations, equips students with skills in network defense and information assurance, leading to advanced technical roles.[38][39][40] Interdisciplinary programs in energy business and management, spanning business, engineering, and geosciences, align with Tulsa's economy, which supports over 24,000 direct energy jobs and a $10 billion impact; these offerings, including the Master of Energy Business, achieve 100% employment rates for graduates in upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors with median annual pay exceeding $120,000.[41][42][43] Supporting these programs, the university sustains an average class size of 13 students and a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, fostering direct interaction and emphasis on technical proficiency over non-core emphases.[2][44]Rankings, Research Output, and Endowment Utilization
In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, the University of Tulsa placed #158 among national universities, reflecting a 21-position improvement from the prior year, attributed to factors including graduation rates and faculty resources.[45][27] Its undergraduate engineering programs, particularly petroleum engineering, ranked #3 overall and #1 among private doctoral institutions.[28] The College of Engineering and Computer Science also earned recognition in Forbes' top 25 STEM colleges, emphasizing return on investment in technical fields.[4] Globally, the QS World University Rankings positioned the university in the #1001-1200 band for 2026, consistent with prior assessments focused on academic reputation and citations.[46] Research productivity at the University of Tulsa centers on energy, artificial intelligence, and health-related applications, with outputs including federal grants and patents. The institution secured a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant in 2025 for produced water research in energy sectors, alongside National Science Foundation funding for AI frameworks in smart grid cybersecurity and advanced battery electrolytes for extreme environments.[47][48] Patent assignments to the university include innovations such as photovoltaic devices enhancing solar thermal power output, demonstrating applied contributions in energy efficiency.[49] Federal R&D expenditures support these efforts, though aggregate figures remain modest compared to R1 peers, aligning with Carnegie Classification as an R2 doctoral university with high research activity.[50][51] The university's endowment stood at approximately $1.26 billion as of recent fiscal assessments, providing per-student resources exceeding $300,000, yet operational deficits persisted into the late 2010s, prompting program eliminations and halted faculty retirement contributions despite the fund's scale.[29][52] Critics, including faculty and observers, highlighted underutilization of endowment returns to buffer against enrollment declines and revenue shortfalls, as evidenced by 2019 cuts to liberal arts majors and graduate offerings that reduced academic breadth without proportional endowment drawdowns.[19][9] This approach fueled concerns over long-term sustainability, with annual deficits averaging tens of millions, underscoring inefficiencies in allocating quasi-endowment assets amid strategic shifts toward STEM priorities.[18][53]Scholarships, Fellowships, and Admission Practices
The University of Tulsa admissions process is holistic, evaluating applicants based on high school academic records, standardized test scores, and extracurricular involvement, with automatic consideration for merit scholarships upon application. For the 2023-2024 cycle, the institution admitted 3,845 of 6,631 applicants, yielding an acceptance rate of 57.99%; admitted students typically present median SAT composite scores of 1220 and ACT scores of 26, with 25% submitting SAT results and 52% submitting ACT scores.[54][55] Merit-based awards predominate, with 73.4% of aid recipients receiving such gifts averaging $20,291 annually, including full-tuition coverage via the Presidential Scholarship for qualifying students maintaining a 4.0 GPA over eight semesters. National Merit Semifinalists receive full tuition (excluding summers), Tier I housing, and at least $750 in additional corporate-sponsored aid. Need-based grants supplement these, awarded to 65% of first-year students at an average of $29,789, though the institution meets only 59% of demonstrated need on average. In STEM disciplines, graduate fellowships and assistantships provide stipends from $15,000 yearly plus 18-19 credit hours of tuition remission, supporting research in engineering, natural sciences, and mathematics; undergraduates pursue national awards like the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, which funds excellence in these fields.[56][57][58][59][60][61][62] A July 2025 civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education accuses the university of Title VI and Title IX violations through race-, gender-, and national origin-based preferences in scholarships and programs, including racially restricted awards, the Tulsa Girls' Math Circle (a free weekly enrichment initiative limited to Tulsa-area girls in grades 6-8 hosted on campus), and targeted assistance for Chinese international students such as airport pickups and orientation. Submitted by Joshua P. Thompson, a former Trump administration education official, the filing cites six specific examples of alleged discrimination post-Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), prompting potential federal investigation into empirical equity versus exclusionary practices.[7][8][6][63][64]Campus and Facilities
Physical Campus and Infrastructure
The University of Tulsa occupies a 209-acre urban campus in midtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, centered on Dietler Common, a wide grassy quadrangle that serves as the academic heart of the institution.[45][65] The layout integrates historic brick structures from the 1920s, such as the Administration Building with its classrooms and laboratories, alongside contemporary facilities amid landscaped grounds.[66][67] Positioned along U.S. Route 66, the campus benefits from direct adjacency to Tulsa's commercial districts, enabling seamless access to energy, aerospace, and technology sectors for practical student engagements like internships.[65][68] Infrastructure enhancements emphasize advanced technological capabilities, including specialized research laboratories for cybersecurity and engineering, supported by the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute's $75 million commitment to cyber research commercialization and deployment.[69][70] Recent acquisitions, such as Fab Lab Tulsa in 2024, expand digital fabrication resources for prototyping and innovation.[71] Maintenance practices prioritize operational efficiency, with ongoing updates to support high-performance computing and data infrastructure essential for STEM disciplines.[67] Sustainability measures focus on resource conservation, including solar panel installations, water usage reductions, and paper elimination programs, yielding measurable outcomes like a 25% average decrease in utility consumption through behavioral and operational optimizations via the Cenergistic partnership initiated in 2019.[72][73][74] These initiatives align with empirical efficiency goals rather than regulatory mandates, contributing to lower operational costs without compromising functionality.[75] Accessibility infrastructure includes dedicated ramps, elevators, and low-slope pathways mapped for mobility-impaired users, with a Campus Access Committee overseeing compliance and improvements across buildings and grounds.[76][77] The urban setting further aids connectivity, as proximity to public transit and industry corridors reduces reliance on extensive on-campus transport systems.[68]Athletic and Recreational Facilities
Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium serves as the primary venue for University of Tulsa football, with a seating capacity of 30,000 following major renovations completed in 2008 that included updated seating, a new press box, luxury suites, and enhanced concessions.[78] [17] These improvements, supported by private donations including from oil magnate H.A. Chapman after whom the stadium is named, modernized the 1930-opened facility to meet competitive standards in the American Athletic Conference.[79] The Donald W. Reynolds Center, a 138,000-square-foot multi-purpose arena opened in December 1998 at a cost of $28 million, hosts basketball, volleyball, and indoor track events with an 8,355-seat capacity.[80] It features state-of-the-art athletic training equipment, including rehabilitation modalities, supporting both varsity programs and student-athlete development.[81] Recreational facilities emphasize student fitness through the Collins Fitness Center, spanning 67,192 square feet with an indoor track, three convertible basketball courts usable for volleyball or badminton, and more than 200 pieces of cardio and strength equipment.[82] Additional options include Mabee Gymnasium's four racquetball courts and annex spaces for intramurals, promoting broad campus engagement in physical activity.[83] These amenities, accessible via student fees, facilitate personal training, group fitness classes, and wellness assessments.[84]Libraries, Museums, and Special Collections
The McFarlin Library functions as the central academic library on the University of Tulsa campus, supporting research and instruction through extensive print, digital, and multimedia resources.[85] Its Department of Special Collections and University Archives maintains over 140,000 rare books and more than 9,000 linear feet of manuscripts, focusing on literary, historical, and cultural materials that attract scholars worldwide.[86] Access to these holdings is available by appointment, emphasizing preservation and targeted scholarly use.[87] Through a public-private partnership established in 2008, the University of Tulsa manages the Gilcrease Museum on behalf of the City of Tulsa, integrating its vast collections into university research initiatives.[88] The museum holds one of the world's leading assemblages of Native American art and artifacts, alongside Western American paintings and historical documents. The adjacent Helmerich Center for American Research, operated by the university, curates the Gilcrease Library and Archive, encompassing over 100,000 rare books, manuscripts, maps, and unpublished works pertinent to American history and culture.[89] A cornerstone of these resources is the Bob Dylan Archive, acquired by the University of Tulsa in 2016 and comprising approximately 100,000 items such as notebooks, lyrics drafts, artwork, and recordings that chronicle the musician's creative process.[90] Housed within the Helmerich Center, the archive supports musicology and cultural studies research via restricted access for credentialed applicants, fostering publications and interdisciplinary projects while upholding strict custodial standards to prevent public dissemination of unpublished materials.[91] This collection, alongside complementary archives like those of Woody Guthrie, enhances Tulsa's role as a hub for American music scholarship.[92]Student Body and Campus Life
Enrollment Demographics and Diversity Metrics
As of fall 2024, the University of Tulsa enrolls 2,852 undergraduates and 1,062 graduate students, for a total enrollment of 3,914 students.[45] The gender distribution among undergraduates stands at 52% female and 48% male.[93] Geographically, approximately 53% of students originate from Oklahoma, 43% from other U.S. states (with significant representation from Texas), and 4% from foreign countries, though recent figures indicate international students comprise up to 11% of the total body, drawn from over 70 nations.[94][2][95] This results in roughly half of the student population being out-of-state or international, reflecting a draw beyond the immediate region.[96] By race and ethnicity, the enrolled student population is 49.6% White, 11.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.95% two or more races, 6.63% Black or African American, and 6.27% Asian, with remaining categories including American Indian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and non-resident aliens.[97] The freshman-to-sophomore retention rate is 85%, while the six-year graduation rate is 73%.[97][98]Student Organizations and Traditions
The University of Tulsa hosts over 150 student organizations, encompassing academic, professional, cultural, recreational, and service-oriented groups that enable voluntary participation in extracurricular activities.[99] These include professional societies aligned with the region's energy sector, such as the TU Midstream Club, which focuses on petroleum and gas processing, transportation, and storage, and the Tulsa Pipeliners Club, dedicated to advancing pipeline engineering practices.[100][101] Such organizations provide hands-on opportunities for skill development in technical fields, networking with industry professionals, and practical application of coursework, independent of administrative mandates.[102] Greek life at the university comprises 15 chapters across National Panhellenic Conference sororities, Interfraternity Council fraternities, National Pan-Hellenic Council groups, and an Independent Greek Council fraternity, offering structured environments for leadership, philanthropy, and social engagement.[103] These chapters emphasize self-governance and member-driven initiatives, contributing to personal growth and community building among participants.[104] Campus traditions center on events that promote historical continuity and collective identity, such as the annual Homecoming weekend, which unites current students, alumni, and families through parades, games, and gatherings held each fall, as exemplified by the November 3-4, 2023, observance.[105] The "Sound of the Golden Hurricane" marching band, open to all students regardless of major, performs at athletic events and reinforces school spirit as a longstanding custom dating back decades.[106] These apolitical rituals foster cohesion by encouraging broad involvement in shared rituals rather than imposed ideologies, sustaining voluntary traditions that enhance the undergraduate experience.[3]Free Speech and Conduct Controversies
In October 2014, University of Tulsa administrators suspended graduate student George "Trey" Barnett from campus until January 2016, citing three Facebook posts authored by his husband that criticized two faculty members and insulted a fellow student.[107] The university deemed the posts harassing and claimed Barnett collaborated in their creation, though no direct evidence of his authorship was presented, and the suspension occurred without a hearing or opportunity to contest the evidence.[108][109] The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned the action as punishing protected off-campus speech by association, violating due process, and exemplifying viewpoint discrimination, as the content targeted perceived liberal biases on campus.[110][111] The university also pressured the student newspaper, The Collegian, to withhold publication of an investigative article on the suspension, threatening funding cuts and access restrictions, which FIRE described as retaliation against journalism exposing administrative overreach.[112] Tulsa later settled with FIRE in February 2015, agreeing to revise policies on social media discipline and press freedom, though it maintained the posts violated conduct codes.[110] On July 8, 2025, Adam Kissel, a former U.S. Department of Education official under President Trump, filed a civil rights complaint with the Office for Civil Rights, alleging University of Tulsa violated Title VI (prohibiting national origin and race discrimination) and Title IX (prohibiting sex discrimination) through race- and gender-exclusive programs, despite receiving federal funds that mandate compliance.[7][6] The complaint cited six examples, including the Chinese Students and Scholars Association's provision of services—such as airport pickups and orientation assistance—exclusively to Chinese nationals, which Kissel argued constitutes national origin discrimination by favoring one group over others.[113][114] It also highlighted gender-specific scholarships, like those restricted to women or girls (e.g., Tulsa Girls' Math Circle for middle school females), and race-preferenced awards, claiming these exclude qualified applicants based on protected characteristics in violation of post-Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) precedents against racial preferences.[8][115] University officials and student leaders, including the Chinese association president, expressed surprise and defended the programs as culturally supportive rather than exclusionary, asserting no intent to discriminate.[114] As a private institution reliant on federal aid, Tulsa faces tension between institutional autonomy in student programming and enforceable anti-discrimination mandates, with the complaint underscoring risks of selective enforcement where ethnic affinity groups receive accommodations not extended universally.[116] No resolution has been reported as of October 2025.[7]Athletics
Varsity Sports Programs
The University of Tulsa fields 18 varsity intercollegiate teams at the NCAA Division I level, with eight men's and ten women's programs sponsored under the Golden Hurricane moniker.[117] The university transitioned to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) on July 1, 2014, after nine years in Conference USA, where it secured 56 league titles; this shift from prior affiliations like the Missouri Valley Conference and Western Athletic Conference aimed to enhance competitive balance, particularly in revenue-generating sports such as football.[118][119] Men's varsity sports include basketball, cross country, football (FBS subdivision), golf, soccer, tennis, and track and field.[120] Women's varsity sports comprise basketball, cross country, golf, rowing (affiliated with the Big 12 Conference), soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.[120] These programs emphasize broad participation, with recent data indicating 528 total student-athletes, including 285 men and 243 women, yielding approximately 46% female involvement that approximates the institution's undergraduate gender ratio for Title IX proportionality.[121]Conference Affiliations and Achievements
The University of Tulsa's athletic programs, competing as the Golden Hurricane in NCAA Division I, transitioned to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) on July 1, 2014, following membership in Conference USA from 2005 to 2014.[122] Prior affiliations included the Western Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2005 and the Missouri Valley Conference from 1935 to 1996 for football, during which Tulsa secured 25 league titles—the most of any program in MVC history. Earlier, the football team participated in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference from 1914 to 1928 and the Big Four Conference from 1929 to 1932.[118] Football achievements highlight Tulsa's sporadic successes across conferences, with 27 total conference championships and a bowl record of 11 wins in 23 appearances as of 2025.[123] Notable victories include the 1941 Sun Bowl, a 6-0 shutout of Texas Tech marking the program's first postseason win, and the 2008 GMAC Bowl, where Tulsa defeated Bowling Green 63-7 in the largest margin of victory in NCAA bowl history.[124][125] In Conference USA, the 2008 team finished 11-3 and claimed the Western Division title with a 7-1 league record.[126] However, performance has shown inconsistency after conference shifts; for instance, the inaugural AAC season in 2014 ended 2-10 overall and 2-6 in conference play. Tulsa's athletics operate without public subsidies, relying on private boosters, donations, and an endowment fund bolstered by significant contributions such as a $30 million anonymous gift in 2024 from former student-athletes and supporters to perpetually fund scholarship costs.[127] This donor-driven model supports operations amid competitive challenges in power conferences, where win-loss records reflect limited sustained contention for AAC titles post-2014.[128]Athletic Facilities and Funding
The University of Tulsa's primary athletic facilities include H.A. Chapman Stadium for football, with a capacity of approximately 30,000, and the Donald W. Reynolds Center for basketball and volleyball.[129] Renovations to Chapman Stadium, completed in phases including a $24 million project adding luxury suites, a new press box, and improved seating, were funded through private donations such as contributions from the H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Trust.[130] [131] The adjacent Case Athletic Complex, opened in 2015 at a cost of $10 million, supports football operations and training.[129] These investments, largely donor-driven, have been credited by athletic directors with enhancing recruitment by providing modern amenities that appeal to prospective student-athletes.[132] Athletic department revenues and expenses balanced at $47.4 million for the most recent reporting period, indicating operational self-sufficiency without direct university subsidization.[121] Funding derives from ticket sales, corporate sponsorships managed through multimedia rights holders like Learfield and recently Playfly Sports, and significant philanthropic gifts, including a $30 million anonymous donation in 2024 earmarked for athletic enhancements and an $8 million estate gift for facilities development.[133] [134] [127] [135] Local energy sector ties, prevalent in Tulsa's economy, contribute indirectly via alumni donors and sponsorships, though specific energy firm deals remain limited in public records.[136] Title IX compliance is maintained through dedicated oversight, ensuring equitable participation opportunities across men's and women's programs, with no major enforcement actions reported against the department.[137] However, the department's financial equilibrium occurs amid broader university fiscal pressures, including a $9.6 million operating deficit in 2023, raising questions about long-term sustainability if donor support wanes or enrollment declines further impact auxiliary revenues.[138] Upgrades like those at Chapman Stadium demonstrably aid talent acquisition by signaling program commitment, yet their return on investment hinges on consistent on-field success to boost gate receipts and media exposure, factors historically variable for Tulsa athletics.[132]Governance and Administration
Leadership Structure and Key Administrators
The University of Tulsa is governed by a Board of Trustees that establishes long-term strategic plans, appoints the president, and ensures fiduciary oversight of the institution's operations. The board consists of approximately 30 members, including alumni, community leaders, and professionals with strong private sector ties, such as executives from energy, technology, and finance industries; for instance, members include Sean Alexander, Senior Vice President at Lumen Technologies, and Tom Bloomfield, Managing Partner at Don Thornton Auto Group.[139] This composition reflects a deliberate emphasis on business acumen to guide university decisions, particularly amid financial pressures, with the board chair, Dana Weber, leading efforts to align governance with operational efficiency.[140] In recognition of its proactive leadership, the board received the 2025 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.[141] The president serves as the chief executive officer, reporting directly to the Board of Trustees and collaborating with an executive staff that includes the provost, chief operating officer, and vice presidents for key areas like administration and student affairs. This structure has evolved from historical models rooted in Presbyterian origins toward a modern, corporate-style management framework, prioritizing data-driven restructuring and accountability to sustain the private institution's viability.[142] [143] As of June 18, 2025, Rick Dickson holds the position of interim president; a University of Tulsa alumnus with degrees in business administration and law, Dickson previously served as vice president for administration and finance from 2012 to 2017 and as athletic director, bringing expertise in operational leadership and Tulsa community ties to stabilize the university during its presidential transition.[144] His predecessor, Brad Carson, who assumed the presidency in July 2021 after serving as interim, focused on innovation in AI and energy research but departed effective May 31, 2025, to lead an external AI organization.[145] Under prior leadership, notably President Gerard Clancy (2016–2020), the administration and board implemented significant academic restructuring in 2019, eliminating about 40% of degree programs to consolidate disciplines and enhance interdisciplinary focus, a decision upheld by trustees despite faculty opposition and a no-confidence vote against Clancy and Provost Janet Levit.[146] This move underscored the board's fiduciary emphasis on adapting to enrollment declines and market demands, marking a shift from traditional departmental silos to streamlined, efficiency-oriented governance.[18]Financial Management and Endowment Challenges
The University of Tulsa's endowment reached $1.264 billion as of June 30, 2023, reflecting steady growth supported by investment returns of $56.1 million (4.44%) in fiscal year 2023.[97] This value positioned the institution among mid-tier private universities in endowment size relative to enrollment, with net assets totaling $1.564 billion amid a challenging higher education landscape marked by enrollment pressures and rising costs.[53] In April 2019, amid concerns over declining enrollment and revenue, the university administration launched the "True Commitment" initiative, which proposed eliminating approximately 40% of academic programs, primarily in the liberal arts and sciences, and consolidating departments into interdisciplinary units. Critics, including faculty and academic societies, questioned the opacity of the financial justifications, noting that the plan's Program Prioritization and Resources Committee (PPRC) lacked representation from affected disciplines and that detailed cost analyses were not publicly shared despite the endowment exceeding $1.1 billion at the time.[18][147][148] The move drew accusations of prioritizing administrative efficiencies over shared governance, with some observers attributing it to a corporate-style overhaul rather than transparent fiscal necessity.[149] Operating revenues for fiscal year 2023 totaled approximately $186 million, with net student tuition and fees contributing $65.1 million (about 35%), auxiliary enterprises $32.6 million, endowment income $45.5 million, and gifts/grants $17.7 million forming key streams; research and other services added the balance.[53] Long-term debt stood at $85.1 million, primarily bonds payable ($74.4 million), secured by revenues from facilities like student housing. Bond ratings included an 'A-' issuer credit rating from S&P Global in August 2023 (stable outlook) and Baa3 from Moody's in July 2025 (negative outlook revision), reflecting moderate leverage but vulnerabilities to enrollment volatility.[150][151] Post-2020, the university pursued operational efficiencies and a transformation program, including cost controls and revenue diversification, which BCG analysis credited with reversing prior declines in financial health and contrasting with peer institutions burdened by administrative bloat.[152] Total expenses reached $222.8 million in fiscal year 2023, with net assets growing despite pandemic-era disruptions, underscoring a focus on sustainability over expansion.[53] These measures addressed criticisms of pre-2019 fiscal opacity by emphasizing audited accountability, though ongoing rating pressures highlight persistent challenges in balancing endowment drawdowns with debt service and program investments.Partnerships and External Affiliations
The University of Tulsa maintains longstanding research consortia with energy industry partners, exemplified by the Tulsa University Fluid Flow Projects (TUFFP), established in 1973 and comprising members such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Baker Hughes, Halliburton, SLB, Saudi Aramco, and others that contribute annual fees to fund collaborative studies on fluid dynamics in petroleum reservoirs.[153] These joint industry projects, numbering in the dozens over more than 40 years, facilitate sponsored research agreements where external funding supports targeted experimentation, yielding practical advancements in upstream oil and gas technologies without reliance on ideologically motivated criteria.[154] In cultural preservation, the university has operated the Gilcrease Museum under a public-private partnership with the City of Tulsa since July 1, 2008, handling daily management, curation of its American art and history collections, and scholarly initiatives through the Helmerich Center for American Research, which supports interdisciplinary projects utilizing the museum's archives.[155] This arrangement, extended through at least 2029, provides TU students with paid and volunteer roles in museum departments, fostering hands-on training in curation and research, while enabling joint exhibits such as the 2019 "Recall/Respond" collaboration with local artists interpreting historical artifacts.[156] [157] The partnership has driven fundraising efforts, including a $50 million campaign launched by TU to sustain expanded operations and research outputs like internal grants for collection-based studies.[158] International affiliations emphasize reciprocal student exchanges and institutional ties geared toward STEM fields, particularly energy and engineering. A January 2024 memorandum formalized collaboration with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, building on prior engagements to enable faculty and student exchanges focused on petroleum engineering and sustainable energy research.[159] Additional agreements support semester-long exchanges with partners including Mines Albi-Carmaux in France for materials science and engineering curricula, and reciprocal programs with institutions like Université Laval in Canada, prioritizing technical disciplines over broader cultural or policy-oriented alliances.[160] These arrangements, governed by equal-exchange protocols, have facilitated over a dozen active partner universities for STEM-oriented mobility without documented ideological preconditions.[161]Notable Individuals
Alumni Achievements and Contributions
Alumni of the University of Tulsa have achieved prominence in fields such as energy, law, and engineering, reflecting the institution's historical ties to Tulsa's oil industry and professional programs. In the energy sector, graduates have advanced drilling technologies, renewable innovations, and corporate leadership; for instance, petroleum engineering alumni secure positions at major firms including ConocoPhillips, Chevron, and Devon Energy.[162] Notable energy leaders include Antonio Pietri (BS '87), president and CEO of AspenTech, a software firm specializing in industrial asset optimization, inducted into TU's Engineering Hall of Fame in 2023-24 for contributions to energy management systems.[163] Tim Latimer (BS mechanical engineering '12), CEO of Fervo Energy, developed heat-resistant drilling tools to expand geothermal power, addressing equipment failures in high-temperature wells and earning Hall of Fame recognition in 2023-24.[163][164] In law, graduates have served in high-level public roles and judiciary positions. William Andrew "Drew" Edmonson (JD '78) prosecuted major cases as Oklahoma's Attorney General from 1995 to 2011, including environmental and antitrust litigation.[165] The Honorable John Reif (BA '73, JD '78) advanced as a federal judge, contributing to appellate decisions on civil rights and commerce.[165] Engineering and business alumni demonstrate strong career outcomes, with 91% of 2020-21 graduates employed full-time, in graduate school, or military service within six months.[166] TU Law ranks first in Oklahoma and 15th nationally for bar-required job placement, with emphasis on full-time roles in firms and government.[167] Alumni philanthropy sustains university initiatives, including a $30 million anonymous endowment gift to athletics in July 2024 to support scholarships and facilities.[168] In 2022-23, alumni and donor contributions funded $11.7 million in scholarships, with over 1,600 first-time gifts averaging under $100 each bolstering accessibility.[169]Faculty and Staff Noted for Research or Influence
In the College of Engineering and Computer Science, eight faculty members were ranked among the top 2% of the world's most highly cited scientists in 2023, based on Scopus metrics from Stanford University and Elsevier analyses of career-long impact.[170] This recognition highlights contributions in petroleum engineering, energy storage, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, with outputs including hundreds of peer-reviewed papers advancing multiphase flow modeling, erosion mitigation, and security economics. James P. Brill, Jeffrey J. McDougall Eminent Chair Professor of Petroleum Engineering and National Academy of Engineering member, has authored approximately 300 technical papers on multiphase flow in pipes, influencing oil and gas production design in challenging environments.[170][171] He founded the Tulsa University Fluid Flow Projects consortium in 1973, which has supported industry-applied research through collaborative funding from petroleum companies.[172] Ram S. Mohan, professor of petroleum engineering, has co-authored over 90 refereed publications and more than 300 conference presentations on multiphase flow separation, oil-water dispersion, and compact separators for high-pressure applications in upstream energy production.[173] He holds 10 patents or invention disclosures and has directed projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and industry partners through the Tulsa University Separation Technology Projects since 1996.[173] Ahmad Amiri, associate professor of chemical and mechanical engineering, maintains an h-index reflective of high impact in energy materials, with over 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, one book, and 12 patents focused on lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and corrosion-resistant composites for advanced energy storage.[174][170] In cybersecurity, Tyler Moore, Tandy Professor and director of the School of Cyber Studies, has amassed over 15,000 citations for work on security economics, cybercrime measurement, and policy interventions, including foundational studies on botnets and online fraud ecosystems.[175][176] He serves as founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cybersecurity and has developed resources quantifying economic incentives in threat modeling.[176] Weiping Pei, assistant professor in cyber studies, received the National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2025 for research on security and privacy in AI-supported crowd work, alongside a three-year SaTC grant to detect generative AI-enabled online scams, addressing misuse risks through empirical analysis of system vulnerabilities and worker safety.[177]Symbols, Traditions, and Media
University Emblems and Mascot
The Golden Hurricane serves as the official athletic nickname and mascot of the University of Tulsa, originating in 1922 under football coach Howard Acher, who proposed it after the team adopted new black and gold uniforms and was likened to "roaring through opponents" during practice.[178] Initially considering "Golden Tornadoes" to evoke the force of the new attire, the team opted for "Golden Hurricane" via vote to avoid duplication with Georgia Tech's moniker, establishing it before a game against Texas A&M.[178] The costumed mascot, Captain 'Cane, embodies this identity through a character narrative of a student transformed by a storm into a super-powered advocate for the university.[178] The university's primary colors—old gold, royal blue, and crimson—tie directly to the "Golden" element, with old gold originating from the 1922 uniforms and reaffirmed in a 2022 rebranding that prioritized royal blue and old gold for core athletic identity.[117][179] These hues appear consistently in branding, including the Hurricane Flag emblem, a crimson flag with a black patch evoking wind-swept motion to symbolize the mascot's dynamic force.[179] The official university seal features the motto "Wisdom, Faith, Service" atop an altar-like base, reflecting the institution's founding in 1894 by Presbyterian ministers as a mission school, though it has since become nondenominational while maintaining a covenant with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).[180][181] This seal is used in formal branding and documents to underscore historical continuity, with no major controversies over modifications reported, preserving its traditional design.[182]Campus Traditions and Events
The ringing of the Kendall Bell represents one of the university's longstanding non-athletic rituals, originating over 50 years ago as a celebratory act following the completion of final examinations.[183] Students and graduates gather at Bayless Plaza to toll the bell, symbolizing academic achievement and the transition to the next phase of life, with the event extending to a Final Bell Party during commencement week that includes family participation and photography opportunities.[184] This tradition fosters a sense of closure and communal relief amid the rigors of semester-end assessments, drawing participation from undergraduates across disciplines without ties to competitive sports.[185] Springfest serves as an annual spring semester highlight organized by student activities, featuring a week of concerts, games, and relaxation events that culminate in outdoor live music performances under the stars.[1] Established as a counterpoint to academic intensity, the event—marking its 70th iteration in 2025—emphasizes peer bonding through non-competitive programming, such as blanket picnics and artist showcases, attracting broad student involvement to unwind before finals.[186] Its evolution reflects the university's commitment to balanced campus life, evolving from simpler gatherings to structured festivities that promote interpersonal connections devoid of ideological overlays. Holiday observances underscore community cohesion through apolitical gatherings, including the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols held in Sharp Chapel each December.[187] Featuring scripture readings by university members and performances by the Cappella Chamber Singers under Dr. Kim Childs, this event adapts a centuries-old European custom to local context, drawing attendees for its emphasis on shared reflection and choral music without contemporary political framing.[188] Complementing this, the Lights On, UTulsa! illumination ceremony activates one million blue and white lights across campus in early December, inviting students, alumni, and Tulsa residents to a free, family-oriented kickoff with Santa visits and seasonal displays that prioritize festive unity.[189] These rituals trace roots to the institution's Presbyterian founding in 1894 as a school for Indian girls, transitioning to secular status by 1920 while retaining chapel-centered practices that affirm enduring values of collective heritage and restraint from external agendas.[1]Student and Institutional Media Outlets
The Collegian serves as the primary student-run newspaper at the University of Tulsa, established in 1898 and published weekly in broadsheet format to cover campus news, sports, opinion, and features.[190] Operated independently by undergraduates under the Department of Media Studies, it has historically distributed approximately 2,500 to 4,000 copies per issue, distributed free on campus, though exact recent print figures are limited due to a shift toward digital platforms.[191] [190] TUTV Media Lab functions as a student-led multimedia cooperative, producing a weekly live-to-tape news program that addresses university events, local stories, sports, and entertainment, with content disseminated via YouTube and social media for broader online reach.[192] [193] Launched in recent years, it emphasizes hands-on production training and has featured episodes on topics like homecoming traditions as of fall 2024.[194] Institutionally, Public Radio Tulsa operates KWGS (89.5 FM) as an NPR affiliate and KWTU (88.7 FM) for classical music, both owned and managed by the university since 1947, serving the Tulsa metropolitan area with news, public affairs, and cultural programming rather than student-specific content.[195] These stations rely on listener support and do not function as student outlets, though they occasionally incorporate university events.[196] The Kendallabrum, the university's former student yearbook, was published annually from 1913 to 1994, documenting campus life, organizations, and graduates before ceasing print production amid rising digital alternatives.[197] [198] Following the 2010s, student media like The Collegian underwent a digital transition, launching updated websites for multimedia integration, including video and interactive elements, and partnering with initiatives like the Tulsa Flyer for enhanced online journalism training as of 2025.[199] [200] This shift has expanded reach beyond print circulation, with content accessible via platforms like Issuu and social media, though subscriber metrics remain internal and modest compared to professional outlets.[201] Instances of editorial tension highlight limits to independence; for example, in 2021, university administrators demanded the permanent removal of a satirical article from The Collegian's online archives, prompting staff defenses of autonomy and concerns over administrative overreach in 2025 editorials.[202] Earlier cases include 2006 thefts of print issues containing controversial inserts and 2015 pushback against reporting on student suspensions without due process, underscoring occasional conflicts between student journalistic freedom and institutional priorities.[191] [203] Despite such pressures, The Collegian maintains operational control through student editors, fostering civil discourse while navigating university funding ties.[190]References
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