College History
Langston University (LU) is a four-year diverse public institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. The only historically black college or university (HBCU) in the state, Langston University is also the westernmost HBCU in the United States. Located 12 miles east of Guthrie in Langston, Oklahoma, it can uniquely claim both a rural and urban mission with university centers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Recognized as one of the most affordable HBCUs, Langston consistently is ranked in the Top 30. The university is led by President Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson.
Langston University offers on-campus research laboratories that allow students to perform research projects and present abstracts at appropriate forums throughout Oklahoma and the United States. The institution offers a variety of study and research opportunities designed to spawn innovation, generate new technologies and ideas, and produce talented graduates prepared to compete in tomorrow’s global marketplace.
Established in 1897
The university was founded in 1897 as a land grant college and was known as the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University. Langston University was created as a result of the second Morrill Act in 1890. In 1941, the school was renamed Langston University.
The University is named for John Mercer Langston (1829-1897), a black Virginia educator prominent in public affairs who organized the first Department of Law at Howard University, later serving as vice president and acting president of the university. He was appointed by the U.S. President to serve as resident minister in Haiti and Santo Domingo. He was also president of Virginia State College for Negroes and was elected in Virginia to serve in the House of Representatives from 1890-1891.
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