The university is located in my home town - Norman, Oklahoma. In 1870, the United States Land Office contracted with a professional engineer to survey much of Oklahoma Territory. Abner E. Norman, a young surveyor, became chairman and leader of the central survey area in Indian Territory. The surveyor's crew burned the words Norman's Camp into an elm tree near a watering hole to taunt their younger supervisor. When the Sooners (those who headed out before the official Land Run date - April 22, 1889) and the other settlers arrived in the heart of Oklahoma, they kept the name Norman. Today, with an estimated 102,195 residents, Norman is the third largest city in the state of Oklahoma. It's a great place to live. We're small enough to still have a small-town feel, but still progressive. And we're part of the Oklahoma City metro area, too.
A few years ago we built the new Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. It is the world's largest university-affiliated natural history museum, which displays the largest dinosaur in the United States and the oldest piece of art found in North America. It's not nearly big enough to showcase all the exhibits we have in storage, but it's a good start. I think it's beautiful.
In the fall of 2000, OU received the largest gift of French Impressionist paintings ever given to a university - the Weitzenhoffer Collection. We also have the largest history of science collection in the world.
Bizzell Library is the only place in the United States where you can hold Galileo's handwriting in your own hands. I love the architecture of the old part of the library.
My favorite study spot was the Great Reading Room. It has east and west bay windows that stretch 30 feet high, carved wooden figures along the ceiling trusses, and elegant cathedral lighting. This picture doesn't begin to do it justice.
was that damn Spike yapping again?
