Oral Roberts University

Main entrance to campus and The Billy Joe Daugherty Circle

Ground was officially broken for Oral Roberts' university in 1962 in the southern part of the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The university received its charter the following year from the State of Oklahoma and Oral Roberts University officially opened in 1965 with an enrollment of 300 students and with seven major completed buildings.[10] The university was founded by Oral Roberts "as a result of the evangelist Oral Roberts' obeying God’s mandate to build a university on God’s authority and the Holy Spirit. God’s commission to Oral Roberts was to 'Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased'."[11] Oral Roberts placed special importance on the Prayer Tower, even though the concept of a building specifically dedicated to prayer located at the center of the campus caused some considerable tension, as some academic leaders were afraid the school would be unable to receive accreditation with such a building. However, the tower, designed by architect Frank Wallace, was completed in 1967 at a cost of two million dollars, a further source of contention. After the tower's completion, Roberts called for a three-day period of prayer and fasting.[10] At the university's dedication ceremony in 1967, the evangelist Billy Graham was the keynote speaker.[10]

The first partial graduation took place in 1968 and the first full graduation in 1969.[10] In 1971, Oral Roberts University was accredited by the North Central Association.[12]

The school was accredited in 1971 by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[13] It is also accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.[14]

During the first decade of the school's existence many of the campus' iconic structures were completed, such as the Howard Auditorium, the Graduate Center, the Mabee Center, and Christ's Chapel among others.[10]

The university built the City of Faith Medical and Research Center hospital, which opened in 1981, and started the Oral Roberts University School of Medicine in 1978, but severe financial difficulties with both of these institutions led to their closure in 1989.

The O. W. Coburn School of Law opened in 1979. In 1986 the university "shut down its ailing law school and sent its library to Pat Robertson's Bible-based college in Virginia", which subsequently founded the Regent University School of Law.[15]

Oral Roberts' son Richard was named president in 1993.

In January 1996 Golden Eagle Broadcasting, a small digital satellite Christian and family programming television network owned and operated by Oral Roberts University, was founded.[16] Programming includes the Oral Roberts University Chapel Service, called The Gathering, ORU sports, and other Christian programs not associated with ORU.

In early 2007, an Oral Roberts business class scored in the top five percent in a national field test. The 46 seniors in the Strategic Management Class scored an average of 95 percent on the test, which was carried out by 181 universities across the United States.[17] The university announced in the same month that it would begin teaching new art degrees.[18]

In February 1997, on the 28th day of Ramadan, several students from Oral Roberts University reportedly disrupted services at a mosque in the city of Tulsa near the University of Tulsa. The students mistakenly thought it was the 27th night of Ramadan, which is the holiest night of the Muslim calendar. Mujeeb Cheema, the chairman of the Islamic Society of Tulsa at that time, told The New York Times that "Some 20 Oral Roberts students put their hands on the exterior doors and walls of the mosque and prayed for the conversion of the Muslims." The students left after police had been summoned to the scene.[19]

A few days after the event, the society received a written apology from the Reverend Bill Shuler, who was the director of religious services on the ORU campus. A university spokesman indicated that the students would not be disciplined and that officials from the university were discussing with the students their accounts of the events, which differed from what was reported by the Muslims attending the religious services. Another Oral Roberts official, Jesse Pisors, further stated that despite the fact that students were praying for the conversion of Muslims, "their purpose specifically was not to proselytize or to intimidate."[19]

Citing alleged discrimination against LGBT students at ORU, in 2006 Soulforce placed the university on its 2006 Equality Ride route and the rally took place on March 20, 2006.[20] University administration refused the activists the right to enter the campus and several were arrested after they entered the campus in spite of the university administration's decision. Soulforce members object to the university's honor code pledge's ban on homosexual activity (i.e. homosexual intercourse). All students are required to sign and abide by the honor code which places the same restriction on all sexual activity performed outside of "traditional marriage of one man and one woman."[21]

While homosexual activity is against the school's honor code, many LGBTQ students have still attended the school due to family or personal choice. Over time, ORU alumni have made groups such as ORU-OUT and gay-straight alliances to allow LGBTQ students and alumni to have social support groups.[22][23]

In October 2007, a lawsuit was filed in Tulsa County by three former professors who claimed to have been wrongfully terminated. The professors also alleged university president Richard Roberts misused university assets and illegally ordered the university to participate in Republican candidate Randi Miller's political campaign for Tulsa mayor.[24][25][26][27][28]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Swails, Brooker, Brooker v. Oral Roberts University

Lindsay Roberts was accused of spending university funds on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to the children of family friends and sending text messages on university-issued cell phones to "underage males."[27] The lawsuit also alleged a longtime maintenance employee was fired for the purpose of giving the job to an underage male friend of Lindsay Roberts.[29][30]

The plaintiffs filed an amended lawsuit adding the university's Board of Regents (Oral and Richard Roberts, along with George Pearsons, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Michael A. Hammer, John Hagee, Marilyn Hickey, Jerry Savelle and Charles Watson) to the suit and alleged that Roberts fired the university's financial comptroller and "voluminous materials and documents were shredded and destroyed, constituting spoilation of evidence." The filing also alleged Lindsay Roberts had spent nights in the ORU guest house with an underage 16-year-old male who also was allowed to live in the Roberts family residence on campus.[31][32]

On October 17, 2007, Richard Roberts announced a "temporary leave of absence" as president of the university, citing the "toll" the lawsuit and attendant allegations have taken on him and his family. Billy Joe Daugherty became Executive Regent of the Board of Regents and Interim President. Chairman of the Board George Pearsons noted the temporary resignation was not an admission of guilt.[33]

In November 2007, the tenured faculty of Oral Roberts University approved by a simple majority a non-binding vote of no confidence in Richard Roberts.[34] Roberts tendered his letter of resignation to the university's board of regents on November 23.[35][36] Pearsons said the university planned to separate its finances and leadership from the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, to the apparent approval of many students and faculty members.[37] On January 10, 2008 ORU settled with lawsuit plaintiff John Swails who was reinstated to his previous teaching position.[38][39] The school also announced a formal search committee for a new president, to be headed by board of regents member and Tulsa resident Glenda Payas.[40]

Tulsa evangelist Billy Joe Daugherty was named interim President and executive regent. That same month, the school was reportedly "struggling financially" with over $50 million in debt.[41]

ORU's operating budget for 2007-2008 was more than $82 million. However, in the second quarter of 2009, the university's debt was reduced to $720,000 as of result of a number of simultaneous efforts including a $70 million gift from the Mart Green family, owners of Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby, and the $25 Million Matching Campaign, a part of the university's Renewing the Vision effort.[42] On September 23, 2009, it was announced at the end of the university's chapel service that all of the university's long-term debt obligations had been met and the school was debt-free.[43]

On January 14, 2008, Oral Roberts University's board of regents voted unanimously to accept $62 million from the Mart Green family, founders of Hobby Lobby and Mardel educational and Christian supply stores. In late October, an ORU spokesman had said ORU was $52.5 million in debt and the school accepted an unconditional $8 million from the Greens in late November. ORU's board of regents has been replaced with a 23-member board of trustees all initially named by the Greens, with Mart Green as chairman. Although Green said in November, two family members would sit on the board, he will reportedly be the only one. Green said he wanted to be involved in ORU because his family "felt like financial stewardship needed to be shored up." [44]

In January 2009, the university's presidential search committee recommended Mark Rutland, President of Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God in Florida, to officially succeed Richard Roberts, which the Board of Trustees approved. Rutland took office on July 1, 2009 as the third president.[45]

Of the $82 million given to Oral Roberts University, around half went toward eliminating the university's $52 million debt. The remaining $32 million was allocated to, "campus renovations, technology upgrades, academic enhancement, financial aid for new and returning students, marketing and operations," according to the university website.[46] During the summer of 2008, $10 million went toward campus upgrades and deferred maintenance. Many of the dormitories on campus received extensive renovations and most of the campus's other buildings received much needed restoration and upgrades.[47]

The Prayer Tower.

In January 2009, the University began to implement the employment reduction plans announced in November 2008, laying off 53 employees and cutting about 40 unfilled positions. According to university sources, these layoffs come as the administration and Board of Trustees seeks long-term financial viability for the university.[48]

On January 29, 2009, it was announced that the Green family would commit an additional $10.4 million to go toward additional campus renovations and upgrades to take place during summer 2009.[49] About the gift, Mart Green, who is chair of ORU's board of trustees, said, "This gift will help to improve the quality of education for students at the new ORU. Our family is excited to continue partnering with ORU financially to ensure this great university continues to provide an excellent, whole-person education."[49]

Following Mart Green's contribution, the university's debt was reduced to $25 million. In February 2008, the Renewing the Vision campaign was initiated in an effort to erase this debt. To free the university from its burgeoning debt, the Board of Trustees announced plans for a $25 million matching campaign,[50] in which the Board agreed that it would match dollar-for-dollar all that was donated to the university as part of the Renewing the Vision campaign, up to a maximum of $25 million. ORU Interim President Ralph Fagin stated, "The goal is in one year to get the debt down. It is a pretty audacious goal. It is a faith goal."[50] In addition to eliminating the debt, funds from the Renewing the Vision campaign contributed to the 2008 summer campus renovations as well as scholarships provided by the university.[50] As of June 3, 2009, donations and pledges had reduced the university's original $50 million debt to $720,000.[51]

On April 15, 2009, a $1 million donation was made to the school's Whole Person Scholarship fund by Chairman of the Armand Hammer Foundation and university trustee Michael Armand Hammer, son of Julian Armand Hammer and grandson of the late industrialist Armand Hammer.[52] Hammer's donation will be matched twice and, in the end, will amount to a $4 million donation to the university. The donation will contribute to a new scholarship initiative that seeks to find potential students who are well-rounded and already exhibit the characteristics of a person who is spiritually alive, intellectually alert, physically disciplined, and socially adept. The Whole Person Scholarship provides scholarships that vary from full-tuition down to $2,500 to students who meet the aforementioned criteria.[53]

In January 2009, it was reported that ORU had selected a new president: Mark Rutland, president of Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.[54] On January 14, Rutland confirmed that he had been offered the position, and intended to accept it.[55] Rutland was formally announced as the new president on January 28, 2009.[56] He officially took office on July 1, 2009.[45]

On September 23, 2009, at the university's twice-per-week chapel service, President Mark Rutland announced that all of the university's long-term debt obligations had been met and the school was now debt-free.[57]

Donations from alumni contributed heavily to the university becoming free: prior to the 2007 scandal, less than 6 percent of alumni donated to the university; however, as a result of the Renewing the Vision campaign, donations from alumni rose from $763,000 in 2007 to $2.3 million in 2009.[57]

The announcement was made two days before the September 25, 2009, inauguration ceremony for Rutland held at the Mabee Center on the university campus.[58] The first ceremony of its kind in ORU's history, it was attended and addressed by many dignitaries and guests, among them Kathy Taylor, the mayor of Tulsa, and Marilyn Hickey, former member of the ORU Board of Regents. Governor Brad Henry declared September 25, 2009, "Dr. Mark Rutland Day". At the ceremony, Rutland received a blessing from the founder and chancellor of the university, Oral Roberts.[59]

In December 2010, ORU announced that the Green family would make another $10 million gift in 2011, to be used for renovations and technology improvements. The gift raised the Greens' total donations to $110 million.[60]

On January 31, 2013, ORU announced that William "Billy" Wilson, executive director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal and vice-chair of the ORU board of trustees, had been selected to succeed Rutland as president, effective on July 1, 2013.[61] A day earlier, the ORU student newspaper had briefly posted an erroneous report on its website, mistakenly identifying a different person as the new president. Rutland criticized the report at a student assembly and the newspaper's longtime faculty adviser left the school the next day.[62]

ORU opened its Global Learning Center and the ONEOK Sports Complex, a track stadium with tennis courts in 2017.[63][64] The campus added its first student housing since 1976, the Niko Njotorahardjo Residence Hall, in 2019, and started a $75 million fund for scholarships and campus expansion.[65][66] According to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education College Rankings, ORU is the fourth highest ranked university nationwide in student engagement.[67] ORU and G12 Vision announced in 2019 they had reached an agreement over a partnership. It was hoped that the agreement would make ORU's theological education more accessible worldwide.[68] ORU moved to virtual classes for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in the United States.[69]

In 2019 ORU agreed to pay $303,502 to settle a Department of Justice lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The school reached a settlement after allegedly violating the federal ban on incentive-based compensation.[72]

ORU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Some programs have additional specialized accreditation as shown in this list of the academic colleges and accreditors:

All students are required to sign a pledge stating they will live according to the university's honor code. Prohibited activities include lying, cursing, smoking, drinking, and a range of sexual acts including homosexual behavior and sex outside marriage.[21] In early 2003, the student dress code was relaxed for the first time in 40 years and described as business casual. For most of the school's history, men were required to wear collared shirts and ties, while women were required to wear skirts (an exception for winter months was added in 2000). In 2006, campus-wide dress code rules were eased further, allowing students to wear jeans to class and dress more casually in non-academic settings. Since 2009, men are allowed to have neatly trimmed facial hair. Restrictions on men concerning hair length were relaxed in 2013.[75][76]

The university has weekly chapel services in Christ's Chapel, which are recorded and broadcast live through the university's television station and also via satellite.[77] The television broadcast, called "ORU Alive," is directed from the television studios in the Mabee Center while the cameras and sound equipment are manned by students.

A typical chapel service features contemporary worship, a missions offering, special music, and a sermon, typically from the President of the University, Dr. William Wilson, as well as special guests, including some of the world's biggest and most well-known pastors, evangelists, and spiritual leaders. Attendance at Chapel is mandatory and attendance is taken by student leadership.[21]

Main campus building, the Learning Resource and Graduate centers

The campus was built beginning in 1963 with a noted futuristic look and architecture. Architects Stanfield, Imel & Walton of Tulsa designed the 1963 master plan but most of the buildings were designed by Tulsa architect Frank Wallace.[78] Interviewed in 2010, Wallace characterized his ORU buildings as "sculptures", noting that an inspiration for his artistic sensibility was "whittling since I was a kid".[79] It has also been suggested that the buildings may have been inspired by Tulsa's art deco architectural heritage[80][81] along with Bruce Goff's individualistic style and creative use of new materials.[82] By 2007 the campus was described as "a perfect representation of the popular modernistic architecture of the time... the set of The Jetsons" but also "shabby" and "dated, like Disney's Tomorrowland."[26][83][84] Maintenance of the many unique but aging buildings, structures and architectural details on campus was cited as a growing problem for the university.[85] In 2008, $10 million was set aside from Green family donations for long deferred maintenance on many campus buildings, along with the prayer tower. Another $10 million was donated by the Green family and budgeted for work during the summer of 2009.[86]

Howard Auditorium and the Prayer Tower (the gas flame at the top of the tower is barely visible in this photograph)

The front entrance onto campus is a divided, landscaped roadway, originally called The Avenue of Flags and now renamed Billy Joe Daugherty circle, lined with lighted flags representing the more than 60 nations from which ORU students have been drawn.

The main academic building is the John D. Messick Learning Resource Center / Marajen Chinigo Graduate Center, an immense 900,000 square foot (80,000 m²) facility with many pylon-like columns, gold-tinted windows and a lozenge shaped footprint that university publicity says was styled after King Solomon's Temple. The Howard Auditorium is a gold, Buckminster Fuller style geodesic dome that is used for movies, theatre productions, classes and seminars. Bi-weekly university chapel services are held in Christ's Chapel, a 3,500 seat building constructed in drape-like fashion as an echo of Oral Roberts' early tent revivals. The Googie style Prayer Tower at the center of campus was intended to resemble "an abstract cross and Crown of Thorns" and also houses a visitor center. The Mabee Center is an 11,000 seat arena on the southwestern edge of campus and is used for basketball games, concerts, church services and satellite television productions. Timko-Barton Hall houses musical and theatrical performance halls as well as classrooms devoted to the university's programs in the performing arts. The building's performance halls are often the scene of concerts and recitals by performing arts students.

The Kenneth H. Cooper Aerobics Center houses basketball courts, an elevated running track, a free-weights and exercise room, a swimming pool and classrooms for students who are enrolled in health fitness courses (a requirement for all students). J.L. Johnson Stadium is a 2,200 seat baseball stadium located on the north of the campus.

The Armand Hammer Alumni-Student Center was designed by KSQ Architects, PC, and constructed and completed in 2013. It is the first building to be built on the ORU campus in decades. It totes the largest TV in Oklahoma, a "living room" for students, a gaming center equipped with Wii's and Xbox's, pool tables, ping pong, and more. The building is a modern design fitting for the campus. Students also enjoy addition restaurants and a coffee shop. The Armand Hammer Student-Alumni Center also houses student government offices as well as board rooms for special meetings. No classes meet in this building; it is strictly for the use and enjoyment of the student body.

The Hamill Student Center is located between Ellis Melvin Roberts and Claudius Priscilla Roberts Halls and houses restaurants on its lower level. Zoppelt Auditorium is located on the ground level and is often used as a lecture hall for classes, forums and special events. Campus Security and the "Fireside Room" are also on ground level with the university cafeteria (called "Saga" by students) on the upper level.[87]

There are eight dormitories on campus.

• Claudius Priscilla Roberts Hall is a seven-story building built in 1965 that can house up to 600 women.[87] Called "Claudius" by students, the building is named after Oral Roberts' mother.
• Ellis Melvin Roberts Hall is a seven-story building also built in 1967 that can house up to 600 men.[87] Called "EMR" by campus residents, this dormitory is similar to Claudius Priscilla Roberts Hall but has some differences, notably walls made of concrete blocks rather than sheetrock, two elevators instead of one and laundry facilities located in the basement instead of every floor. According to the university, these two tri-winged buildings are meant to reflect the Trinity.[88]

The four "Towers" residence halls, Michael Cardone, Wesley Leuhring, Susie Vinson and Frances Cardone.

• Frances Cardone Hall (originally named Ethel Hughes Hall) is a twelve-story building for housing up to 372 women.[87] This is one of the four "Towers" dormitories, which are meant to represent the Star of David.[89] The building is called "Frances" by university students.
• Michael Cardone, Sr. Hall (originally named Edward Hughes Hall) is the twin dormitory to Frances and houses up to 372 men.[87] It is linked to the three other Towers dormitories by a central hallway and the main lobby area, called the "Fishbowl" for its glass exterior walls.
• Susie Vinson Hall is one of two shorter "Towers" housing 244 women on eight stories and known as "Susie."[87]
• Wesley Leuhring Hall, called "Wesley" by students, is the twin dormitory of "Susie" and is much alike in both capacity and design.[87] In the summer of 2017, Wesley was converted into a women's dorm and was to be called "Susie North."
• Gabrielle Christian Salem Hall is a three-story split-level dormitory located west of Timko-Barton Hall and called "Gabby" by the students. It can house up to 240 women and has secured doors that open using university issued cards. There are in-room bathroom facilities on the first and second floors.[87]

The university has strict guidelines concerning student access to the upper floors of residence halls by members of the opposite sex, which is limited to designated occasions called "Open Dorms."

In 1981, the City of Faith Medical and Research Center opened. The buildings are south of the ORU campus, and were originally built as a 60-story clinic, a 30-story hospital, and a 20-story research center. The original tenants left in 1989 because of financial problems and a lack of demand for medical services. As of 2007, some floors (in the 20-story building) have never been leased. The facility is now mostly leased out as commercial office space under the name CityPlex Towers. A 60 ft (18.2 m), 30 ton bronze sculpture Praying Hands, by sculptor Leonard McMurray (cast in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico in 1980) and originally in front of the towers, was moved to the ORU campus entrance in the summer of 1991.[90]

The Golden Eagles are best known for their achievements in basketball. They notably reached three straight NCAA tournaments between 2006 and 2008, during Scott Sutton's tenure as team coach.[92] The women's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA tournaments in the past eight seasons. Sutton left his role after eighteen years in 2017.[92]

The ORU baseball team has played in 21 NCAA regional tournaments. ORU advanced to the College World Series in 1978. In 2006, ORU advanced to the NCAA Super Regional against Clemson. ORU baseball once won 12 consecutive conference championships and played in 12 consecutive NCAA regional tournaments (1998 to 2009).[93]