Oklahoma State University – Stillwater Oklahoma State University – Stillwater ( also referred to informally as Oklahoma State , O - K - State , O - State and OSU ) is a land - grant , sun - grant , coeducation al public research university located in Stillwater , Oklahoma , USA . OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act . Originally known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College ( Oklahoma A & M ) , it is the flagship institution of the Oklahoma State University System . Official enrollment for the fall 2010 semester system - wide was 35 , 073 , with 23 , 459 students enrolled at OSU - Stillwater . Enrollment shows the Freshman class of 2012 was the largest on record with 4 , 298 students . OSU is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity . Oklahoma State University is listed by the Princeton Review as one of 120 “ Best Western Colleges ” for 2011 , and as one of 50 " Best Value Colleges – Public " for 2010 . Oklahoma State University is one of the highest rated veterinarian colleges in the US . It is ranked by U . S . News & World Report No . 66 among " Top Public Schools : National Universities " and No . 132 among all National Universities for 2011 . For 2009 – 10 , Kiplinger listed OSU among its " 100 Best Values in Public Education , " with an in - state ranking of No . 91 and an out - of - state ranking of No . 93 . The Oklahoma State Cowboys ' athletic heritage , a primary focus of the institution , includes 51 national championships , a total greater than all but three NCAA Division I schools in the United States , and first in the Big 12 Conference . Students spend most of the fall semester preparing for OSU ' s Homecoming celebration , begun in 1913 , which draws more than 40 , 000 alumni and over 70 , 000 participants each year to campus and is billed by the university as " America ' s Greatest Homecoming Celebration . " History . On December 25 , 1890 , the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature finally gained approval for Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical ( A & M ) College , the land - grant university established under the Morrill Act of 1862 . It specified that the college was to be within Payne County . Such an ambiguous description created rivalry between towns within the county , with Stillwater ultimately winning out . Upon statehood in 1907 , " Territorial " was dropped from its title . The first students assembled for class on December 14 , 1891 . Classes were held for two and one - half years in local churches until the first academic building , later known as Old Central , was dedicated on June 15 , 1894 , on the southeast corner of campus , which at the time was flat plowed prairie . In 1896 , Oklahoma A & M held its first commencement with six male graduates . The first Library was established in Old Central in one room shared with the English Department . The first campus building to have electricity , Williams Hall , was constructed in 1900 . With its turreted architecture it was referred to as the " Castle of the Prairies " ; It remained standing until 1969 . One of the earliest campus buildings was also a barn , used as part of an agricultural experiment station , which was served by a large reservoir pond created in 1895 . The barn burned in 1922 , but the pond , enlarged and remodeled in 1928 and 1943 , is now known as Theta Pond , a popular campus scenic landmark . In 1906 , Morrill Hall was completed and became the principal building on campus . A fire gutted the building in 1914 , but the outside structure survived intact , and the interior was reconstructed . The first dormitory for women was completed in 1911 . It contained a kitchen , dining hall , some classrooms , and a women ' s gymnasium . It is now the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts and houses the Gardiner Art Gallery . By 1919 the campus included Morrill Hall , the Central Building , the Engineering Building ( now Gundersen Hall ) , the Women ' s building , the Auditorium ( replaced later by the Seretean Center for Performing Arts ) , the Armory - Gymnasium ( now the Architecture Building ) and the Power Plant . At the beginning of World War II , Oklahoma A & M was one of six schools selected by the United States Navy to give the Primary School in the highly unusual Electronics Training Program ( ETP ) . Starting March 1942 , each month a new group of 100 Navy students arrived for three months of 14 - hour days in concentrated electrical engineering study . Cordell Hall , the newest dormitory , was used for housing and meals ; lectures and laboratoies were held in the Engineering Building . Professor Emory B . Phillips was the Director of Instruction . ETP admission required passing the Eddy Test , one of the most selective qualifying exams given during the war years . At a given time , some 500 Navy students were on the campus , a significant fraction of the war - years enrollment . The training activity continued until June 1945 , and served a total of about 7 , 000 students ; among these was Robert B . Kamm , a future professor and president of Oklahoma State University . During some of the war years , the Navy also had a Yeoman training activity for WAVES and SPARS on the campus . Much of the growth of Oklahoma A & M and the campus architectural integrity can be attributed to work of Henry G . Bennett , who served as the school ' s president from 1928 to 1950 . Early in his tenure Dr . Bennett developed a strategic vision for the physical expansion of the university campus . The plan was adopted in 1937 and his vision was followed for more than fifty years , making the university what it is today , including the Georgian architecture that permeates the campus . The focal point of his vision was a centrally located library building , which became a reality when the Edmon Low Library opened in 1953 . Another major addition to the campus during the Bennett years was the construction of the Student Union , which opened in 1950 . Subsequent additions and renovations have made the building one of the largest student union buildings in the world at . A complete renovation and further expansion of the building began in 2010 . On May 15 , 1957 , Oklahoma A & M changed its name for the final time to Oklahoma State University to reflect the broadening scope of curriculum offered . ( Oklahoma Gov . Raymond Gary signed the bill authorizing the name change passed by the 26th Oklahoma Legislature on May 15 , 1957 . However , the bill only authorized the Board of Regents to change the name of the college , a measure they voted on at their meeting on June 6 . The official name - Oklahoma State University of Agricultural and Applied Sciences - took effect July 1 . The latter portion of the name was dropped in 1980 . ) Subsequently , the Oklahoma State University System was created , with the Stillwater campus as the flagship institution and several outlying branches : OSU - Institute of Technology in Okmulgee ( 1946 ) , OSU - Oklahoma City ( 1961 ) , OSU - Tulsa ( 1984 ) and the Center for Health Sciences also in Tulsa ( 1988 ) . In 2005 , OSU announced its " Campus Master Plan " , a campaign to enhance academic , athletic , and administrative facilities . Over $ 800 million is ear - marked for campus construction and renovation over twenty years . The Plan calls for an " athletic village " where all of the university ' s athletic facilities will be located on the main campus . To accomplish this goal , the athletic department bought all ( or nearly all ) the property north of Boone Pickens Stadium up to McElroy between Knoblock and Washington streets . This drew criticism from the city of Stillwater and property owners . While the vast majority of the real estate was rental property targeting college students , a few owners were longtime residents . There was a lone holdout in this parcel of land , who sued OSU over their right to use eminent domain . The case was decided in favor of the University . The project includes the construction of an indoor practice facility for most sports , a soccer stadium / outdoor track , a tennis complex , and a baseball stadium . In 2006 , OSU become the recipient of a gift of $ 165 million from alumnus T . Boone Pickens to the university ' s athletic department , and in 2008 received another gift from Pickens of $ 100 million for endowed academic chairs . It was the largest gift for academics ever given in the state . Ethical concerns have been raised in media reports about the propriety of how some of the Pickens gifts have been made , immediately returned to Pickens , and then placed in hedge funds owned by Pickens ' companies In February , 2010 , Pickens announced that he was pledging another $ 100 Million to fund a scholarship endowment as part of a $ 1 Billion fund - raising campaign titled " Branding Success . " The pledge brought the total pledged or contributed to OSU by Pickens to over $ 500 Million . The " Branding Success " campaign seeks to raise about $ 500 Million for endowed scholarships and fellowships for students , $ 200 million toward attracting and retaining professors and researchers , $ 200 million for the construction and upgrading of educational and research facilities and $ 100 million to create and sustain programs and services to benefit Oklahomans . One of the first endowed professorships established through the campaign is the Temple Grandin Endowed Professorship in Animal Behavior and Well - Being , named in honor of animal scientist and autistic expert Temple Grandin . Oklahoma State has hosted a number of high - profile speakers throughout the years , including several sitting presidents . Richard Nixon , George H . W . Bush , and George W . Bush all gave commencement addresses while they were in office . Colleges . Oklahoma State University – Stillwater offers nearly 200 undergraduate degree majors through six Colleges : OSU provides further opportunities for select students to study , conduct research , and exchange ideas in a more challenging and supportive academic environment through the Honors College . The graduate degree programs of all colleges are administered through the Graduate College . Center for Veterinary Health Sciences . The Center for Veterinary Health Sciences ( CVHS ) has three academic Departments : Veterinary Pathobiology , Physiological Sciences , and Veterinary Clinical Sciences . Each of the three academic departments share responsibility for the four - year professional curriculum leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine ( D . V . M . ) degree . The interdepartmental Veterinary Biomedical Sciences graduate program offers MS and PhD degrees . It also offers ECFVG and PAVE programmes for foreign trained veterinarians . Awards and distinctions . Oklahoma State has garnered many awards and distinctions . As a land - grant university , historically renowned programs include its College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the College of Veterinary Medicine . The College of Engineering is internationally renowned , particularly in the fields of architecture and mechanical engineering . The School of Entrepreneurship is internationally renowned at both the practical and academic levels . Ledger . Oklahoma State University provides information about the university that is easily accessible on its " Ledger " website , which provides a thorough look at OSU , its colleges and its departments , helping prospective students and their parents make informed decisions about their college choice . The ledger is divided into three sections : Academic Ledgers contain a five - year history of student , faculty , research , and financial information , as well as tuition / mandatory fee rates . The academic ledgers are available for the entire university , as well as broken down by academic college , and within each college by department . Student Profile contains additional student information including the geographic origins of OSU students , enrollment trends , academic information and enrollment projections . Diversity Ledger is a five - year history that provides a more detailed breakdown of the student , faculty and staff of Oklahoma State University . Student life . Housing . Current university - owned housing options include 26 residence halls , more than 15 dining options , and seven family - first apartment complexes . In recent years , on - campus housing has been undergoing significant transformation . Student living was previously dominated by traditional dormitories ; however , apartment - style buildings now comprise approximately half of the living quarters . In 2005 , the high - rise Willham North and South residential halls that once dominated the Stillwater skyline were demolished and replaced with the Village suites on its site . Iba Hall , another traditional dorm , was closed in 2007 but is being reopened in 2011 due to an increase of incoming freshman . Parker Hall is also slated to be closed at the end of the 2008 – 2009 school year for temporary use as offices for departments that will be displaced by renovations of the Student Union . Kerr - Drummond , Parker , Wentz and Stout Halls continue to offer traditional dormitory accommodations . Apartments for single students are Bost , Davis , Morsani - Smith , Peterson - Friend , Kamm , Sitlington and Young Halls . Housing in suite - style accommodations are provided in the named Village CASNR ( College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources ) , Village HES ( Human and Environmental Science ) , Village C , Village D , Village E and Village F . Deluxe suites are provided in Patchin & Jones , Bennett , Zink & Allen , and Stinchcomb & Booker Halls . Graduate students and families are offered accommodations in seven apartment " neighborhoods " with a variety of floor plans and amenities : Brumley , Demaree , Morrison , Prosser , Stevens , West and Williams . Additionally , a number of learning communities and special interest housing options are available , providing opportunity for students who share interests or majors to live together . Most of these communities occupy certain floors of buildings or halls , rather than consisting of separate buildings . Included among the options are : FIT ( Freshman in Transition , College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources ) , athletic training , career exploration ( College of Arts and Sciences ) , computer science house , engineering houses , health and sciences house , HES house ( College of Human and Environmental Sciences ) , journalism and broadcasting house , Kamm Leadership House , Ketchum House ( Native American interests ) , James Building ( Young Engineers House ) , Maude ' s Quad ( Women in Engineering House ) , Recovery House ( students recovering from drug and / or alcohol dependence ) , Spanish House ( language immersion ) , Spears School of Business House , Stout Honors housing ( University ' s Honors Program ) , Uhuru House ( African Centered Cultural House ) , Wellness House , and The Transfer Zone ( transfer students ) . Greek life . Oklahoma State University ' s fraternities and sororities celebrated 100 years of existence at OSU in 2008 . Social fraternities and sororities at Oklahoma State are divided among four councils : Panhellenic , Interfraternity , National Pan - Hellenic and Multicultural . twelve national Panhellenic sororities have chapters at OSU . They are : Alpha Chi Omega , Alpha Delta Pi , Alpha Omicron Pi , Chi Omega , Delta Delta Delta , Gamma Phi Beta , Kappa Alpha Theta , Kappa Delta , Kappa Kappa Gamma , Phi Mu , Pi Beta Phi , and Zeta Tau Alpha . Twenty - one fraternities make up the Interfraternity Council . Member fraternities include : Alpha Gamma Rho , Alpha Tau Omega , Beta Theta Pi , Delta Tau Delta , FarmHouse , Kappa Alpha Order , Kappa Sigma , Lambda Chi Alpha , Phi Delta Theta , Phi Gamma Delta , Phi Kappa Tau , Pi Kappa Alpha , Sigma Alpha Epsilon , Sigma Chi , Sigma Nu , Sigma Pi , Sigma Phi Epsilon , Tau Kappa Epsilon , and Theta Chi . NPHC member organizations are historically black fraternities and sororities . As of the 2010 - 2011 school year , Alpha Phi Alpha , Alpha Kappa Alpha , Delta Sigma Theta , Kappa Alpha Psi , Omega Psi Phi , Phi Beta Sigma , and Zeta Phi Beta have chapters at OSU . The Multicultural Greek Council is the umbrella organization for additional minority Greek letter groups . Member organizations include Alpha Pi Omega , the nation ' s first Native American sorority ; Delta Epsilon Psi , a south Asian fraternity ; Phi Sigma Nu , the nation ' s first Native American fraternity and a chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma , a Latina sorority . Other Greek letter organizations not affiliated with a governing council include Beta Upsilon Chi , a Christian fraternity ; Omega Phi Alpha , a service - based sorority ; and Sigma Phi Lambda , a Christian sorority . Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honor Fraternity , Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma , ( the national honorary fraternity and sorority for college band members ) were founded at Oklahoma State in 1919 and 1946 , respectively . Alpha Eta Rho , the national aviation fraternity , is going through a trial period to be officiated next semester . See also Notable OSU Greek Alumni Student organizations . Organizations are available to students through the university that serve any interest . A complete list of campus organizations can be found here . Athletics . Stats : Football . 10 conference titles – 19 bowl games played – 1988 Heisman trophy winner and single season rushing record ( Barry Sanders ) . Basketball . Men ' s basketball is tradition rich at Oklahoma State . Oklahoma State made the Final Four in 1995 and 2004 and was the first ever Division 1 basketball program to win back - to - back National Championships in 1945 ~ 1946 . Wrestling . The Cowboy wrestling team brought home their 33rd NCAA championship in spring 2005 , scoring the most points ever by an Oklahoma State wrestling team in the NCAA . OSU won their 34th overall ( and 4th consecutive ) title in 2006 . OSU ' s 34 team titles are the most ever collected by a school in one sport . The Cowboys have also produced 127 individual national champions , including the sport ' s first - ever four - time champion , Pat Smith . Other sports . Since the 1924 Olympics , 55 Oklahoma State University Olympians have won a total of 24 medals : 21 gold , two silver , and one bronze . Fight songs . Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement , convocation , and athletic games are : " The Waving Song " , " Ride ' Em Cowboys " ( the Oklahoma State University fight song ) , and the " OSU Chant " . Fight Song : Audio Waving Song : Audio OSU Chant : Audio " ORANGE POWER " yell : Alma Mater : Audio At the end of every sporting event , win or lose , OSU student - athletes face the student section and sing the alma mater along with other students , faculty , alumni and staff . People . Today , there are more than 200 , 000 living OSU alumni worldwide . Prominent alumni include oil tycoon and billionaire philanthropist T . Boone Pickens , " The father of the personal computer " Ed Roberts , country singers Garth Brooks and Hoyt Axton , US Senator Tom Coburn , Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin , former acting Surgeon General of the United States Robert A . Whitney , Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Steven W . Taylor , legal scholar Anita Hill . Coaching alumni include OSU wrestling head coach John Smith , OSU football head coach Mike Gundy , former OSU basketball coaches Eddie Sutton and Sean Sutton . The Cowboys have produced several NBA players , including Desmond Mason formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder , Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies , James Anderson of the San Antonio Spurs , Joey Graham of the Cleveland Cavaliers , Stephen Graham of the New Jersey Nets , JamesOn Curry of the Chicago Bulls , Terrel Harris of the Miami Heat , and former New York Knicks guard John Starks . NFL players Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas also attended OSU , as did baseball All Star pitcher Joe Horlen . Also in the NFL are former Cowboys Dez Bryant and Dan Bailey of the Dallas Cowboys , Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings . MMA fighter and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture wrestled at OSU . MMA fighter Mark Munoz also wrestled at OSU . PGA professional golfers Rickie Fowler , Scott Verplank , Bo Van Pelt , Charles Howell III , and Hunter Mahan also attended OSU . 2 time gold medalist , ESPN analyst , and ASA Hall of Fame inductee Michele Mary Smith played softball at OSU . Interviews with OSU Alumni can be viewed and heard through the O - State Stories Project of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program .