Langston University

Born in 1900 in Seward, Oklahoma, Harrison attended elementary school in Lawton, high school in Kansas City, Missouri, and college in Ohio. He received his bachelor’s and his master’s degrees at the University of Cincinnati and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1936. He was married to Dorothy Marie Pennman in 1932.

Before going to Langston, Harrison taught at Virginia Union University and West Virginia State College, and was dean of education at Prairie View College in Texas. He was a member of the Board of Trustees at Wilberforce University from 1932 to 1937. He was the author of several studies dealing with Negro rural school systems, and the subject of his doctoral dissertation was the training of black teachers to serve in rural school districts.

G. Lamar Harrison, Ninth President, 1940 -1960

Harrison went to Langston with sound educational credentials. He brought to a politically disruptive situation a philosophy that education “must serve the people of the state at the point of their greatest need.” He arrived at a time when the Langston Alumni Association was beginning to make progress in removing the presidency from political influence — and when the world situation was about to create dramatic social changes.

The burden of securing accreditation fell on Harrison’s new administration. When he was beginning his administration in 1940, Langston had standing only as a “standard four-year college.” During his tenure the school was brought up to par in library, physical plant, and faculty. In the very first year he brought to the campus four new faculty members who had earned doctorates. Changes were made almost at once. The school geared up to participate in the national defense program. The high school became part of the teacher training unit. And finally, in 1941, the name of the school was officially changed from the Colored Agricultural and Normal University to what it had always popularly been called — Langston University.

Because Harrison stabilized the office of president and remained for so many years as head of the school, the expansion of the campus under his administration was widespread. A herd of registered beef cattle was started in 1942 with the purchase of a prize bull, T. Royal Rupert 118th, from the Turner Ranch in Sulphur. In 1943-44 the entire campus was provided heat from the central steam plant. Other major improvements included a modern sewage disposal plant, paved streets, a modern stadium, a new library, and the I. W. Young Auditorium and remodeled gymnasium. Between 1939 and 1954 the value of the physical plant rose from less than $1 million to more than $4 million.

Under Harrison’s guidance the school provided for itself what the legislature did not appropriate. Thus the Trade and Industrial Building was re-roofed; the home economics labs were remodeled; a radio, shoe, and barber shop was started; and the president’s home was completely remodeled — the red brick was covered with white stucco. Jones Hall Science and Agriculture Building was constructed. Langston began printing its own catalogue in the campus print shop.

The curriculum underwent drastic revision. Five divisions were established: agriculture, arts and sciences, education, industrial arts, and home economics. Two-year associate programs were added to the home economics and industrial arts divisions in addition to the four-year degree programs. The accrediting came slowly. In 1948, Langston became a member of the Association of American Colleges. The Veterans’ Administration approved the school for work under the G. I. Bill of Rights. Subsequent accreditation achieved during Harrison’s administration included membership in the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and affiliation with the State Department for training foreign students and nationals. Harrison resigned at the end of fiscal year 1960.

From Langston University: A History, by Zella J. Black Patterson. Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 1979.
Langston Libraries
Langston University Libraries History

New arrivals to Oklahoma Territory, some of them former slaves, gathered to homestead and establish the small, all-black community of Langston near Guthrie, the capital of Oklahoma Territory. They shared a vision: they would build a school that would provide quality higher education for their descendants

The territorial act setting up the school stipulated that the settlers must purchase the forty acres of land on which the school would be built. While they were still living in tents and soddies, the farmers raised the money through auctions, bake sales, and donations. Within a year the land was purchased, and in 1898 the school opened its doors as the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University.

Sometime between 1899 and 1901 the library was established. In November 1907 the Main Building was destroyed by fire, but fortunately the library collection was saved. Following the fire, the library occupied a small class-sized room in the basement of Page Hall. The book collection was extremely small and consisted largely of material that had been donated by well-wishing friends. The first librarian, Mrs. Mayme McDaniel, was hired in 1923. A degreed librarian, Miss Henrietta Beasley, came to CA&NU in 1926 with the title of Librarian and Professor of Library Science. Under her guidance a small collection of curriculum-related books and reference materials was added and the library space soon had to be expanded. As the university began a push for accreditation in the late 1930s, a study of the library facilities showed CA&NU was well below regional standards. Library staff requested upgrades in funding and materials purchase budgets to try to rectify the situation. From 1937-1944 the library expanded to include most of the first floor of Page Hall. The book collection, by this time, had grown to approximately 8,000 volumes, 897 bound periodicals, 256 current periodical subscriptions and 14 newspaper subscriptions. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of the collection was cataloged. In 1940, a group of WPA workers began creating author, title, and shelf list cards. By 1943, the library had its first accurate catalog. During this period the staff consisted of one full-time librarian, an assistant, and several student trainees. The library was open for service 49 1/2 hours per week. In 1941, the name of the institution was officially changed to Langston University.

G. Lamar Harrison Library in the mid-twentieth century

In the person of the 9th University president, Generale Lamar Harrison, the library had a dedicated proponent of expanded facilities and services. Through his continued requests to the state legislature Dr. Harrison finally gained approval of a resolution to grant $175,000 to build Langston’s first dedicated library building. The G. Lamar Harrison Library was completed in 1948 and was dedicated on Founders Day, March 12, 1950. The new structure contained reading rooms, a browsing room, two faculty study lounges, offices and workrooms. The collection quickly increased to 35,000 volumes and 7,000 bound periodicals. By 1955, an additional 20,000 volumes had been added, and by 1961 the total volume count was approximately 90,000. In 1970, the Melvin B. Tolson Black Heritage Center was established with the mission of collecting resources concerning Africans, African-Americans, and the African diaspora. The Tolson Center also houses a collection of African art and artifacts. Harrison library was remodeled in 1990 and reopened for full public services in July 1991.

With the rapid advance of technology and its adoption by all levels of education, the LU Libraries have gone through a series of transitions from paper, microformat, and CD-ROMs; to the implementation of an online catalog, complete Internet access, and a myriad of electronic resources and services.

G. Lamar Harrison Library in the mid-twentieth century

Currently the G. Lamar Harrison Library, the Melvin B. Tolson Black Heritage Center,the branch library at the LU-OKC campus, and the LU-Tulsa Learning Resource Center make up the Langston University Libraries and serve as the primary research collections for Langston University.