The University of Tulsa – a private, non-sectarian institution that is formally related to the Presbyterian Church (USA) by a mutually articulated covenant with the Synod of the Sun – has its roots in the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls, a small boarding school in Muskogee, Indian Territory, which was founded in 1882. In 1894, at the request of the Synod of Indian Territory, the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church elevated the academy’s status and chartered it as Henry Kendall College, a name that honored the first general secretary of the Home Missions Board. The first classes in the new college were held on September 12, 1894.

In the years following, financial difficulties prompted school officials to ask the Synod of Indian Territory to assume control, sell the school’s land, and seek a new location. Successfully courted by the business and professional community of Tulsa, which was booming after the discovery of oil at Glenpool, Henry Kendall College moved to Tulsa in 1907, the year of Oklahoma’s statehood.

Several years later, a new college, to be named after oilman Robert M. McFarlin, was proposed for the city. Aware that Tulsa was not large enough to support two competing colleges, the Henry Kendall College trustees proposed that the contemplated McFarlin College and Kendall College affiliate under the common name “The University of Tulsa.” A charter for the university was approved on November 9, 1920. In 1926, the articles of incorporation were amended to create its modern structure as an independent school corporation governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees.

In 1928, the School of Petroleum Engineering opened and soon earned international recognition for its curriculum and faculty. The College of Business Administration was established in 1935. In 1943, the downtown law school, previously affiliated only loosely, became part of the university. In 1966, James A. Chapman died and bequeathed the university $34 million in endowment. In the 1970s, the Dimensions for a New Decade campaign raised an additional $43 million. By the beginning of 2006, total endowment funds and funds held in trust exceeded $800 million. The university currently comprises the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the College of Law, the Graduate School, and the Division of Continuing Education.

After the 1970s, the character of the university changed. Although the programs in engineering and geosciences continued to bring the institution international renown, carefully selected graduate programs were added in other fields; the College of Law, the College of Business Administration, and the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences were strengthened; the number of students living on campus significantly increased; and the student body-which currently hails from 46 states, one U.S. territory, and 73 foreign countries-became increasingly diverse.

During the 1980s, the university established an innovative humanities-based general course of study called the Tulsa Curriculum that emphasizes the development of core skills in writing, mathematics, and foreign languages; increased faculty diversity; enhanced its support for excellent teaching and research; defined its academic programs with greater rigor and clarity; and began recruiting highly qualified students nationwide. In addition, 10 endowed chairs for faculty were established. (To date, 32 chairs and professorships have been created.) The library was strengthened by accelerated development of the rare book and manuscript collections, which regularly draw international scholars and archival materials to the university, expanding the university’s reputation as the home of one History of the University of Tulsa 11 of the leading special collections libraries in the country and bringing international acclaim. In 1988, the University was awarded the Beta of Oklahoma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, recognizing the University's excellence in and commitment to liberal arts education for all students. These trends have continued into the present, advancing the university’s reputation for excellence.

As the university continues into its second century, it has completed the most ambitious capital campaign in its history, the New Century Campaign. Construction of the Donald W. Reynolds Center, a $28 million, 138,000-sq.ft. multi-use facility with an 8,000-seat arena, was completed in 1999, with major funding in the form of a $14.75 million grant from the Reynolds Foundation. Several new buildings located west of Delaware Avenue constitute the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. Completed in 2001, the Michael D. Case Tennis Center includes a 64,000-sq. ft. indoor facility with six courts. In addition, there are 12 outdoor courts with stadium seating around the four center courts. For student recreation, the Fulton and Susie Collins Fitness Center, a 67,000-sq. ft. multipurpose recreation center, opened in the fall of 2002. The Hardesty complex also includes the Hurricane Soccer/Track Facility and a new softball park. Student housing has been greatly expanded over the past five years with the addition of over 400 units in the University Square Apartments. Construction on a $10.5 million Legal Information Center for the College of Law was completed in January 2000. Another addition to the college is the Boesche Law Clinic, a 4,000-sq. ft. building located on 4th Street. These facilities are heavily used by both the university and larger communities. The 2006-08 period will continue to see active campus construction with the completion of Bayless Plaza; Collins Hall, which will house admission, financial aid, alumni relations, and central administration offices; the Case Athletic Administration Building; new campus housing; and a new main entrance commons off Eleventh Street.

In addition to supporting all the traditional liberal arts areas, the university continues to maintain and strengthen its academic standards by internationalizing its programs, developing substantive undergraduate research opportunities, and seeking distinction in several critical fields, including environmental studies and research, computer security, Native American and Indigenous Peoples Law, risk management, and taxation-the better to equip its students for life in a rapidly changing world. Also, elevating the university’s regional accolades for excellence to national prominence is a primary focus of the present administration. As a mark of this success, since 1995, TU students have been successful with the following national competitions:

• 42 Goldwater Scholars
• 4 Marshall Scholars
• 6 Fulbright Scholars
• 27 National Science Foundation Fellows
• 8 Truman Scholars
• 7 Department of Defense Fellows
• 5 Morris K. Udall Scholars
• 1 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow
• 6 Phi Kappa Phi Fellows

In September, 2005, The University of Tulsa was gratified to be designated a Truman Honor Institution by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation for producing graduates dedicated to public service. The freshman class welcomed in the fall of 2005 was distinguished by one out of every eight students being a National Merit Scholar.