Cameron University - History

History

Oklahoma Legislature created six agricultural high schools in each judicial district just a year after statehood in 1908. Lawton was chosen to receive a high school over Anadarko in April, 1909, due to their having already set aside a portion of land for a higher educational institution. The University Improvement Association, under the auspices of the Lawton Chamber of Commerce, organized the effort to acquire 220 acres (0.89 km2) of land two miles west of the town. Its original goal was to secure a private Baptist college. Arrangements with the Baptists fell through in the summer of 1908. The Catholic Church approached the Association with an offer to form an all-male institution on the site. This plan was not acceptable to the town leaders. Cameron State School of Agriculture was named for the Rev. E. D. Cameron, a Baptist minister and Oklahoma’s first State Superintendent of Schools. The first classes were held on Statehood Day, November 16, 1909, in the basement of a bank building while a new campus building was constructed.

Cameron added junior college work in 1927 when local higher education needs exceeded what was available in Southwest Oklahoma. With this changed function came a new name — Cameron State Agricultural College. High school courses were dropped and Cameron became solely a junior college in 1941 when the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education was formed and joined the group of institutions governed by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma A&M Colleges.

Baccalaureate degrees were authorized in 1966 by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, following action by the Legislature. The institution’s name was shortened to Cameron College in 1971, then changed to Cameron University in 1974. As the 1970s continued, Cameron demonstrated its dedication to expanded academic offerings through the construction of a fine arts facility designed to serve students in theatre, music, broadcasting and speech communication.

Dr. Donald J. Owen served as Cameron's President from 1969-1980. A Cameron graduate himself, Owen worked to build academic programs and develop relationships with the Lawton community, as well as the Oklahoma State University system, under which CU fell during his tenure. Cameron's sports teams, particularly football and basketball, excelled during that time, and a new President's home was constructed on Gore Blvd west of the campus.

In 1988, State Regents expanded Cameron’s functions to include offerings at the master's degree level. This change in function was the first granted to an Oklahoma institution since Cameron was given the authority to offer bachelor's degrees more than 20 years earlier. In the 1990s Cameron University came under the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma.

Don Davis was President of Cameron University from 1980 to 2002. His father, Clarence L. Davis was President of Cameron from 1957-1960. As a child, Davis lived in the President's house on campus with his mother, father and sister. Where this house once stood now stands a state of the art science center. As a former legislator from Lawton, Davis was able to secure funding for Cameron that allowed it to grow into the premier institute for higher education in southwestern Oklahoma. Also During Davis' tenure a classical radio station, KCCU 89.3, was founded. Numerous renowned scholars, including Richard Leakey, Cornel West, and James Burke have spoken at Cameron's annual Academic Festival.

In May 2004, Cameron took over the Duncan Higher Education Center in Duncan, Oklahoma and renamed it Cameron University - Duncan.

In June 2005 the State Regents approved the first Masters of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies in the state and the first graduate certificate program in the state. The Entrepreneurial Studies program was rated by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 10 limited curriculum programs in the nation. In 2006 the Masters of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies program was the first runner-up behind the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill for the Model graduate program in Entrepreneurship by the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. In 2008 the program was named the model graduate program in entrepreneurship with the Small Business Institute international program. At the core of the program is the SBI model and the academic research process. Program is headed by Dr. Shawn M. Carraher whose research focuses on international strategic issues in entrepreneurial healthcare and hospitality organizations. Over 300 student outreach projects have been completed and over 100 academic presentations coauthored by students.