RSU Announces Gala Birthday Celebration Slated for March 25

Rogers State University has announced the celebration of its 100th birthday on March 25, featuring the formal dedication and naming of the new Student Center, a parade down the main street of Claremore and a free public presentation by CBS correspondent Jeff Greenfield.

The university also will premiere a hard-cover coffee table book and documentary film about its history during the gala celebration.

“We are very excited about this historic occasion and would like to invite all students, faculty and the public to join us for the March 25 events, which are all free of charge,” said RSU President Dr. Larry Rice.

The celebration will begin with the Dedication and Naming Ceremony at 11 a.m. on the west terrace of the Student Center. The ceremony will feature remarks by area dignitaries, recognition of contributors, ribbon-cutting and official opening of the new facility. A new name for the building will be unveiled at the event.

Following the ceremony, guests will be invited inside the Student Center for a Birthday Celebration from 12 to 1:30 p.m., featuring free guided tours and food served by a variety of area restaurants. A birthday cake will be ceremoniously cut and served by President Rice, faculty, alumni and students. Miss Oklahoma Kelsey Cartwright also will join in the festivities.

John Wooley, author of “100 Years on the Hill,” the new pictorial book chronicling the history of the institution, will sign copies of the book during the Birthday Celebration. The book, which will cost $29.95, will be available at the RSU Bookstore, area bookstores and various online booksellers. The book is being published by Hawk Publishing of Tulsa.

The RSU Centennial Parade will begin at 2 p.m. at the Claremore Expo Center and continue east on Will Rogers Blvd., through downtown Claremore and ending at the gazebo east of downtown. Spectators are encouraged to line up at any location along Will Rogers Blvd. The parade will feature area high school marching bands, representatives of the institution’s past and floats by RSU student organizations, as well as other participants. Parade marshals will be announced at a later date. The parade will be broadcast on RSU Radio and RSU Public Television, with faculty members Hugh Foley and Carolyn Taylor serving as hosts.

CBS correspondent Jeff Greenfield will give a free public presentation titled “A Political Update with Jeff Greenfield” at 7 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Student Center. This event is free and open to the public.

Greenfield is one of America’s most respected journalists, known for his quick wit and savvy insight into politics, history, the media and current events. Greenfield contributes to “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,” “CBS News Sunday Morning,” and other broadcasts. He hosts “CEO Exchange” on PBS, which features the world’s most innovative CEOs. A three-time Emmy Award-winner, he twice has been named to TV Guide’sAll-Star News “Dream Team” as best political commentator and was cited by the Washington Journalism Review as “the best in the business” for his media analysis.

From 1998-2007 Greenfield was a senior analyst for CNN. Prior to that, he was an ABC News political and media analyst for 14 years. He has covered every national political convention since 1988 and has reported on virtually every important domestic political story of the past 25 years. A former speechwriter for Robert Kennedy, Greenfield has authored or co-authored 11 books including an insider’s account of the contested 2000 presidential election.

A special premiere of the documentary film about the history of the university, titled “Rogers State University: The First 100 Years,” will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in the historic Will Rogers Auditorium. The film is being produced by RSU Public Television. The public is invited to the premiere free of charge. The new Student Center will be open to the public for lunch at a nominal cost on March 29, and the Oklahoma Military Academy Museum, located on the second floor of Meyer Hall, will be open for tours from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Other events will be announced as RSU’s Centennial Celebration continues through 2009.

Sponsors of the RSU Centennial Celebration include the City of Claremore and RSU Foundation, Centenary Sponsors; AT&T and LaFarge Cement, College Hill Sponsors; GRDA, Cherokee Nation Enterprises, Cherokee Nation Business and Phoenix Coal, RSU Hillcat Sponsors; and AEP/PSO, Sponsor.

For more information about the RSU Birthday Celebration, visit www.rsu.edu or call (918) 343-7777.