When OU's first president David Ross Boyd stepped off the train in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1892, he was greeted with a barren expanse of prairie, no tree in sight. His only remark at this sight was "What possibilities!" At the University of Oklahoma, we have that same spirit: anything can grow if you have the drive to make it so.
History & Traditions
Crimson & Cream
At OU, only one shade of red will do.
In 1895, OU’s first female faculty member, Mary J. Overstreet, and OU's fourth president, James Buchanan, served on a committee that selected “crimson” and “corn” (yes, corn) as the university’s official colors.
Alas, local merchants found the “corn” color a little tricky for merchandise. We went with the next best thing: crimson and cream.
OU Fight Song
In 1905, OU history and physiology student Arthur M. Alden wrote the lyrics to the university's "Boomer Sooner," borrowing the tune from Yale's "Boola-Boola" but improvising the words. Later, a bit of the University of North Carolina's "I'm a Tarheel Born" made its way into the song.
And somewhere in the middle, the “Boomer Sooner” battle song was born.
OU RUF/NEKs
A staple of OU football games, you’ll find this spirit squad on the sidelines at Owen Field leading the Sooner Schooner around the field.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a group of men and women more passionate about OU athletics. The OU RUF/NEKs have been around for more than 100 years, making them America’s oldest male spirit organization.
