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Former names | Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University (1897–1941) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Education For Service |
| Type | Publicland-granthistorically black university |
| Established | March 12, 1897 (1897-03-12) |
Parent institution | Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical Colleges |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| Endowment | $49 million (2019) |
| President | Ruth Ray Jackson |
| Students | 1,873[1] |
| Location | ,, United States |
| Campus | Rural |
| Colors | Blue & Orange |
| Nickname | Lions |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA –Sooner |
| Website | langston |
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Langston University (LU) is apublicland-granthistorically black university inLangston, Oklahoma. It is the only historically black college in the state and the westernmost four-year publicHBCU in the United States. The main campus in Langston is a rural setting 10 miles (16 km) east ofGuthrie. The university also serves an urban mission with centers inTulsa (at the same campus as theOSU-Tulsa facility) andOklahoma City. The university is a member-school of theThurgood Marshall College Fund. In March 2025,Langston University was named a Carnegie Research College and University.
The school was founded in 1897 and was known as theOklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University. From 1898 to 1916 its president wasInman E. Page. Langston University was created as a result of the secondMorrill Act in 1890. The law required states withland-grant colleges (such asOklahoma State University, then known as Oklahoma A&M) to either admit African Americans or provide an alternative school for them to attend as a condition of receiving federal funds.[2] The university was renamed asLangston University in 1941 in honor ofJohn Mercer Langston (1829–1897),civil rights pioneer, firstAfrican-American member ofCongress fromVirginia, founder of theHoward University Law School, and American consul-general toHaiti, though it was always referred to as "Langston".
PoetMelvin B. Tolson taught at Langston from 1947 until 1964. Tolson was portrayed byDenzel Washington in the filmThe Great Debaters.
In August 2021, former university President Kent J. Smith Jr announced the university would useCOVID-19 relief money to forgive the debt of students enrolled between spring 2020 and summer 2021, forgiving $4.65 million in student debt.[3]
Langston University commemorated the opening of a new allied health facility on its Tulsa Campus on March 30, 2023. The facility was dedicated as the Jack Henderson Allied Health Facility on August 2, 2024. The 17,000 square-foot building is home of the Langston University School of Nursing and Health Professions.[4]
President Kent J. Smith Jr announced his retirement as the university's 16th president effective at the end of the Spring 2023 semester. The Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical Colleges Board of Regents unanimously appointedRuth Ray Jackson as interim president beginning July 6, 2023. In April 2024, she was appointed the institution's 17th president with the investiture on March 14, 2025.[5]
A law school was established at Langston University in 1948[6] after Langston University graduateAda Lois Sipuel Fisher was denied access to the University of Oklahoma's law school because she was black. She won the case at the U.S. Supreme Court and Oklahoma responded by establishing the law school at Langston University. Because it was not equivalent to the existing law school she sued again and finally won access to the law school at University of Oklahoma.[7]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 76% | ||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 6% | ||
| Hispanic | 5% | ||
| International student | 4% | ||
| White | 4% | ||
| Two or more races | 3% | ||
| Unknown | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 68% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 32% | ||
Six schools house the degree programs of Langston University: Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences; School of Arts and Sciences; School of Business; School of Education and Behavioral Sciences; School of Nursing and Health Professions; and the School of Physical Therapy. A total of 30 undergraduate and six graduate degree programs are offered at LU.[9]
According toUS News and World Report, Langston had an 18% graduation rate within the standard four-year period of study in 2025.[10]
The university offers the Edwin P. McCabe Honors Program for highly motivated undergraduate students with exceptional academic records.[11]
The university was accredited with a Doctorate ofPhysical Therapy (DPT) program in 2005. It is the university's only doctoral program and one of three DPT programs in the state.[12][13]
Langston University is accredited by theHigher Learning Commission.[14]
Langston currently has the lowest total cost per credit hour of any four year university in Oklahoma.[15] Langston was ranked as the #1 value among all HBCUs by BestValueSchools.[16]
The Langston athletic teams are called the Lions. The university is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in theSooner Athletic Conference since the 2018–19 academic year. The Lions previously competed as a member of theRed River Athletic Conference (RRAC) from 1998–99 to 2017–18. They were also a member of theSouthwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) from 1931–32 to 1956–57, which is currently anNCAA Division IFCS athletic conference.[citation needed]
Langston competes in nine intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, football and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cheer, softball, track & field and volleyball.
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Langston's marching band is known as the "Langston University Marching Pride". It is a major ambassador of the university, a supporter at athletic events, and serves as a training center for students interested in pursuing a career in music and/or developing pertinent life skills.Charlie Wilson, ofThe Gap Band, once served as Drum Major. The Marching Pride has performed for the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kansas City Chiefs, and has marched in front of huge crowds at the Georgia Dome, AT&T Stadium, the former Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, and has participated in four Honda Battle of the Bands, often marching in front of crowds of over 40,000. Members of the Marching Pride often receive an out-of-state fee waiver along with additional scholarships based upon their audition.[17]
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice "Mo" Bassett | Formerfullback for theCleveland Browns | ||
| Bessie Coleman | First American woman to obtain an International Pilot's license. Coleman enrolled 1910, but completed only one term. | ||
| Brendan Crawford | 2013 | Footballquarterback | |
| The Delta Rhythm Boys | Jazz vocal group inducted into theVocal Group Hall of Fame | ||
| Robert DoQui | Actor | ||
| Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher | 1945 | Civil rights activist | |
| Larzette Hale | 1940 | First Black woman CPA to earn a Ph.D in Accounting; Department Head at Utah State University School of Accounting | |
| Nathan Hare | 1954 | Founding publisher ofThe Black Scholar (1969-1975) and author | |
| Matthew Hatchette | 1997 | football player | |
| Marques Haynes | basketball player | ||
| Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson | 1975 | football player | [18] |
| Jennifer Hudson | 2003 | singer, actress (did not graduate) | |
| Dr. Austin Lane | former president ofTexas Southern University | [19] | |
| Odell Lawson | football player | [20] | |
| Clara Luper | 1944 | Civil rights leader | |
| Helen Neal | 1962 | first black graduate ofWest Texas State University | |
| Dr. Henry Ponder | former president of several universities | ||
| Nancy Riley | former member of the Oklahoma Senate | ||
| ColonelMichael C. Thompson | 21stAdjutant General of Oklahoma | [21] |
| International | |
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| National | |
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35°56′41″N97°15′41″W / 35.94472°N 97.26139°W /35.94472; -97.26139
