# East Central University

East Central University (ECU or East Central) is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Durant, as well as online courses. Founded as East Central State Normal School in 1909, its present name was adopted in 1985. Some of its more prominent alumni include former Microsoft COO B. Kevin Turner, Modernist painter Leon Polk Smith, former NFL player Mark Gastineau, past governors Robert S. Kerr and George Nigh, former U.S. Representative Lyle Boren, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Tom Colbert, and U.S. Army General James D. Thurman.
ECU is approximately 90 miles (140 km) from Oklahoma City, 115 miles (185 km) from Tulsa and 150 miles (240 km) from Dallas. Today the campus consists of 37 buildings on 135 acres (55 ha); the university typically enrolls more than 3,500 students per semester from more than 30 countries and 25 states.

## History

The university was founded as East Central State Normal School in 1909, two years after Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th U.S. state. It was one of the six newly created state funded normal schools that were designed to provide four years of "preparatory" (or high school) study, followed by two years of college work towards teacher certification. The school's establishment was the product of the intense lobbying efforts of the 25,000 Club, a local booster group. The club raised funds for faculty salaries so classes could begin that fall in local churches and public school classrooms. Graduates of the normal school program received lifetime teaching certification statewide. The 1910 Oklahoma Legislature funded faculty salaries and the construction of a building on a 16-acre (65,000 m$^2$) site donated by a Chickasaw allottee. In 1919, the normal schools were authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature to offer four years of teacher education, to offer bachelor's degrees, and were designated teachers' colleges.
From 1910 to 1960, East Central operated Horace Mann Training School, a teacher education program designed to equip prospective teachers with classroom skills. From its inception, the training school focused on elementary and junior high students. In 1925, Horace Mann added older students upon achieving a new four-year high school accreditation. In 1953, a new Horace Mann building was completed where the program was housed until Horace Mann Training School was discontinued in 1960.
Expanding beyond education degrees, in 1939 the school became "East Central State College". Fifteen years later, the regional colleges were allowed to offer graduate degrees. By 1974, the state legislature renamed the state colleges, and it became "East Central Oklahoma State University"—a name it retained until 1985 when it gained its present name.

## Academics

ECU serves around 4,000 students and is perhaps best known for its Environmental Health Science Program, one of only 30 programs nationally accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council.
East Central is divided into 5 academic units (three colleges and two schools) with 70 degree programs. They are:
* College of Education and Psychology
* College of Health and Sciences
** School of Nursing
* College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
** School of Fine Arts
* The Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business
* School of Graduate Studies

## Other campuses

East Central is no longer one of four participating institutions offering courses at the Ardmore Higher Education Center. There are Distance Education sites located in Shawnee, OK, through the Gordon Cooper Technology Center and McAlester, OK through the Eastern Oklahoma State College. ECU offers online graduate and undergraduate courses.

## Student life

East Central hosts nearly eighty student organizations. Among them are a local chapter of Alpha Psi Omega and Pi Kappa Delta as well as the Student Government Association and Campus Activity Board. In addition, there are five Greek organizations at ECU divided among the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (PHA):
* Chi Omega Phi Theta Chapter Est. December 12, 1964
* Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Theta Chapter Est. April 16, 1966
* Phi Kappa Tau - Gamma Xi Chapter - Est. April 15, 1966
* Pi Kappa Alpha - Epsilon Omega Chapter - Est. October 25, 1963
* Sigma Tau Gamma Tau Chapter Est. 1938

## Athletics

East Central's athletic teams (the "Tigers") have competed in the NCAA Division II Great American Conference (GAC) since 2011, after competing in the Lone Star Conference of the NCAA from 1997 to 2011. The university hosts 13 sports, 6 men's athletic programs and 7 programs for women. The school's football team won the NAIA national football championship in 1993. Athletics offices are located within the Kerr Activities Center.

## Notable alumni
### Politics

ECU has had several graduates move to political office, including five of alumni who were elected to the position of governor.
* Bill Anoatubby, Chickasaw Nation Governor
* Charles W. Blackwell (Class of 1964), first Ambassador of the Chickasaw Nation to the United States from 1995 until 2013.
* Lyle Boren, former U.S. Congressman
* Cindy Byrd, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector
* Rudolph Hargrave, Former Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court
* Frank W. Davis (Oklahoma politician) (Class of 1958), late member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
* Robert S. Kerr, former Governor of the State of Oklahoma, and U.S. Senator
* Ernest McFarland, former Arizona Governor
* George Nigh, former Governor of the State of Oklahoma
* Dustin Rowe, current Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court

### Professional sports

Several ECU grads have excelled in the area of professional sports:
* Harry Brecheen, former baseball player
* Armonty Bryant, former professional football player
* Brad Calip, College Football Hall of Fame football player
* Mark Gastineau, former professional football player
* Todd Graham, former Arizona State Sun Devils Head Football Coach
* Dewey McClain, football player
* David Moore, Chicago Bears wide receiver
* Trinity Benson, Detroit Lions wide receiver
* Caleb Holley, Canadian Football League wide receiver
* Gil Morgan, professional golfer
* Clifford Thrift, former San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams professional football player
* Jerry Walker, former major league baseball player and front-office executive
* Lloyd Waner, baseball hall-of-famer
* Paul Waner, baseball hall-of-famer

### Other notable alumni

* Wade Burleson, author, historian, and teacher
* Hallie Brown Ford, philanthropist
* Aaron Gwyn, professor and author
* Lillard Hill, broadcast journalist
* Kenneth Hite, professional author and game designer
* Jennifer McLoud-Mann, mathematician
* Leon Polk Smith, Artist
* Harland Stonecipher, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Founder, Chairman & CEO
* B. Kevin Turner, Former COO of Microsoft, CEO of Sam's Club and CIO of Walmart
* La Vern E. Weber, United States Army Lieutenant General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau