1904–1941
Founded in 1904, what we know now as Oklahoma City University had several names and locations in its early years. One thing has remained constant; the university has remained firmly attached to its Methodist roots.
The first incarnation of OCU was a little school called Epworth University. Anton Classen was heavily involved with development in his community and had been in love with the idea of a Methodist university in Oklahoma. Classen managed to generate interest in this idea and in 1901 two branches of the Methodist Church embarked on the establishment of a Methodist university. Construction began in 1902 and classes started in 1904 with enrollment growing by almost 100 students during that first year.
Epworth closed in 1911, but classes began at OCU’s second incarnation — Oklahoma Methodist University, in Guthrie — only months later.
In 1919, trustees decided to close the Guthrie location and make a fresh start in Oklahoma City with a new institution called Oklahoma City College. With funding from the Methodist congregations, new college grounds were planned and built-in 1922. The school thrived in its new home and its successful transition was formally acknowledged when OCC changed its name to Oklahoma City University in 1924.
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OCU emerged from the Depression intact. As Dr. Cluster Smith assumed the presidency, new challenges emerged: namely, World War II.
As the country entered the war, OCU was in need of new facilities. Male students abandoned their studies to join the military, and in 1942, about 75 percent of the student body was women. A shortage of players and funds caused many of the athletic programs to shut down, including the beloved football team.
The end of the war in 1945 brought about an unprecedented surge in enrollment. As a result, there was an extraordinary amount of development through the remainder of the ’40s. Construction on a particularly special addition — the Gold Star Building, which memorialized the Americans felled by World War II — began in 1949.
The ’50s got off to a great start with the university achieving its long-time goal of earning accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. They also absorbed the Oklahoma City College of Law and embarked upon the Great Plan – a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed to elevate the academic discourse and thereby deepen the quality of education offered to all students.