Northwestern Normal School, 1895-1935 - Alva's Castle on the Hill

The ad that was placed in the papers read as follows, "Wanted -- Normal College Site. Offers of land in vicinity of Alva for a site for buildings and campus will received until January 15, 1895, by Education Committee."

Mr. H. Clay McGrath, the newly elected sheriff, read the ad and was the first to respond by offering 40 acres for the college's purposed site. He owned 80 acres of land south of the city. The land laid between Church and Normal Street (Okla. Blvd.) and east of the present campus.

James T. Fryer owned 160 acres that joined the city of Alva on the south and west. He offered 20 acres to the committee. At that time Sheriff McGrath had a contest on his title, so he offered and paid Mr. Fryer $250 to deed another 20 acres to the committee's 40 requirement. "These two men thereby sacrificed and contributed real financial assistance to the college."

The next move for the committee was to form a "Push" group to go to the Guthrie, the territorial capital at that time, to lobby for the school. The selected committee was instructed to aid Councilman J. P. Gandy and Representative G. W. Vickers. The committee of L. L. Johnson, James Kelley and C. C. Hudson were the first named and others on the selected committee went to Guthrie on different occasions to relieve others from time to time.

The first round attempts to get the legislature to pass the bill was a failure. Soon after that the committee again began to push their cause through the legislature. It was reported by many that, "A record of all the maneuvers that took place in this fight would fill a large volume, but the bill passed the council by a vote of 8 to 5 on February 26, 1897. Senators D. F. Marcum of Woodward and William Garrison of Grant counties were staunch workers in the cause and passage of the bill."

Following another bitter fight the bill passed the House of Representatives on March 10, 1897. After the passage the opposing parties tried to keep Governor W. O. Renfrew from signing the bill before the end of the session. However, the friendly supporters of the bill refused to sign the appropriations bill until the Governor signed the college bill. It was either sign the bill or to try to run the state affairs without funds for the following year. The bill was signed about midnight just before the sessions closed on March 12, 1897.

Work was actually started on the building before the bill had been passed. This showed such strong intent, purpose and confidence of the local citizens that they would have the educational institution placed here that they intended to be ready with the needed structure. The contract for a building was to have been on July 22, 1897, but the governor and the board of education would not let it go through until they could decide what size of building would be necessary to serve the community.

After finding out that this was a problem the Commercial Club offered to furnish a building in which school could start in the fall of 1897. The Alva Congregational Church building was rented for $150 and classwork was started in that building.

President James E. Ament came to Alva shortly before school opened. On September 20, 1897, with two teachers, Mrs. Sarah Bosworth and Mrs. Mary DeLisie as well as 68 students, Northwestern Normal College was started. By the 1st of November over a 100 student enrollment was listed in the college and by the end of the first year the enrollment totaled 166 students.

President Ament and the Commercial Club started a campaign to convince the governor and board of education that a large building was needed. On December 1, 1897, that board met again and put off the letting of the contract. Immediately the secretary of the board received hundreds of letters from young people all over Woods County and the adjoining counties.

Bids were finally advertised -- On March 10, 1898 the contract was let to John Volk and Company. No appropriations had as yet been made for the building, with all the available funds being $5,000 - in bonds that voted by the city in order to get the school building here.

Mr. Volk held a consultation with the Commercial Club and a number of the local citizens. They assigned a bond to Mr. Volk for $86,018, the amount of the contract. Four of the original signers of the bond were J. W. Monfort, W. F. Hatfield, Anton Shafer and George Crowell.

Dr. Ament, a widely traveled man and educator, furnished the inspiration for the building, assisting the architect. Dr. Ament had visited one of the old Norman castles in France and used the general outline for the college building.

The building was first condemned as a folly due to its appearance but was later herald as a masterpiece of architectural beauty. The building was constructed of native red brick. It was Dr. Ament's plan to reproduce the gigantic castle he had seen in France. However, the huge 3 story school with its towers and turrets with battlements was to be only one wing of the structure and Dr. Ament's vision was never realized even though he carried it with him all his life, even when he left Alva. Dr. Ament died in New York City on July 21, 1936.

Actual work on the building started on April 1, 1898 and progressed forward very rapidly and the cornerstone was laid on July 1, 1898, with a large crowd in attendance with a parade and many notables present. The dedication speech was delivered and written by one of the greatest and most colorful figures in Oklahoma history - Temple Houston, son of Texas Sam Houston.

According to the initial plans the cost was to have been $86,018 but the building actually cost $110,000. The magnificent structure was scorned as the "Prairie Prince's Plight," by thousands.

Alva Adams, Colorado governor, who was an attorney for the Santa Fe Railroad and for whom the city of Alva was allegedly named arranged for a special train to provide transportation for the territorial legislature to come to Alva for the dedication.

The erection of the building was steady and the college grew with no more interruptions until Governor Ferguson replaced President Ament's position with a friend, T. W. Conway, coming here in the summer of 1902.

After Mr. Ament had come to Alva the school and city had no stauncher worker that was connected with the school. The school had the most rapid growth of any other school west of the Mississippi river. The building served the college students as a hall of learning and a meeting place not only for school but many social activities as well. In 1919, Northwestern was expanded to a 4 year teachers college and was titled "Northwestern State Teachers College."

By 1909 the New Science Hall and heating plant were erected. When 1918 rolled around, the President's home had been built and by 1919 the Wyatt Gymnasium was added onto the Normal School. The Herod Hall which included the auditorium was constructed in 1923.

Alva was but a mere village in 1897 when the Commercial Club undertook the job of building the second State Normal School of Oklahoma with James E. Ament as the first President of the Normal School. This was all done without waiting for appropriations from the state. That is how determined the committee and citizens of Alva, Oklahoma were to develop their new school. It was known for it's architectural grace and quality of workmanship far in advance of any other school building in the southwest.

According to "The Alva Daily Record" there were follow-up articles to rebuild and raise the college walls again. That is how determine and proud these citizens of this northwest county were of their "Castle on the Hill." For further articles go to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Newspaper department, and look at the "The Alva Daily Record", Woods County microfilm for the volumes and dates for the following newspaper articles: March 13, 1935, Vol. 33, No. 62; March 16,, 1935, Vol. 33, No. 65; March 20, 1935, Vol. 33, No. 68; April 24, 1935, Vol. 33; April 25, 1935, Vol. 33.

Some have said this about Northwestern, "While many of the changes are of today obvious and in some cases superficial, some of the fundamental facts remain the same. The education of the young people of the northwest area of our state. The students today may be more sophisticated than their comrades of the earlier years, with many enrolled students of the present era from many foreigh countries and from other states in the country their goals remain the same -- an education."

They go on to say, "While the primary concern of the early institution was to prepare teachers, and students that graduate today to go into many different careers or into graduate work in a variety of fields. At the same time, the teacher education program has remained strong and in several respects is setting standards for preparation of all teachers."

On August 16, 1974, the name was changed to "Northwestern Oklahoma State University" and the university has been led since in 1975 by Dr. Joe Struckle as president.

Castle On The Hill

Northwestern State Normal School
Alva, Oklahoma, Woods "M" County

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Castle On The Hill

Northwestern State Normal School Alva, Oklahoma, Woods "M" County

OkieLegacy NSN Pages...

NWOSU Web Sites...

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Northwestern State Normal School
Alva, Oklahoma, Woods "M" County