It’s located right here, in the central part of Edmond. But what do you know about the University of Central Oklahoma? Did you know it is the oldest institution of higher learning in Oklahoma? Did you know it is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with almost 16,000 students? Did you know it offers 112 academic majors? Did you know UCO ranks number one in resident satisfaction among 79 peer universities in a recent survey conducted by the Association of College and University Housing Officers International?

    There’s more. Did you know that the first class consisted of 23 students? Did you know that work started on Old North Tower, the first building on the campus of what was then known as Territorial Normal School, in the summer of 1892, and that it was first occupied on January 3, 1893? Did you know that the first graduating class was 60% female?

    Roger Webb, UCO’s 19th President, has guided the campus through some of its grandest changes. If you haven’t been on the campus lately, you might not recognize it. And it looks better than ever. To be sure, you will still see Old North, Evans Hall, and the Nigh University Center. But now, you’ll also see the Forensic Center, the Forensic Science Institute and Central Plaza, not to mention the Jazz Lab and ACM@,UCO, a couple of off-campus destinations.

    If you know Roger Webb, his many accomplishments at UCO come as no surprise. Roger has been an Oklahoma leader for a long time. He began his career in law enforcement with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety for 12 years, and served as Oklahoma’s Commissioner of Public Safety from 1974-1978. He was president of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah from 1978-1997. And in June 1997, Webb was named president of UCO.

    He serves on numerous boards of directors, including the board of the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Edmond Chamber of Commerce, and Mercy Hospital. He previously served as President and Board Chair of the Oklahoma Academy and member of the Board of Directors of Leadership Oklahoma. In 1995, he was named to the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

    A native of eastern Oklahoma, Webb graduated from Heavener High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oklahoma State University and graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

    This Wednesday, please welcome our fellow Rotary Club of Edmond member, Roger Webb, as our special guest speaker.

    Andy