East Central University

East Central University

Former name	East Central State Normal School (1909–1939) East Central State College (1939–1974) East Central Oklahoma State University (1974–1985)
Type	Public university
Established	1909
Parent institution	Regional University System of Oklahoma
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$35,564,099 [1]
President	Wendell L. Godwin
Provost	Jeffery Gibson
Administrative staff	422 [2]
Students	3,577 (2019) [3]
Location	Ada, Oklahoma , U.S. 34°46′28″N 96°39′53″W / 34.77444°N 96.66472°W / 34.77444; -96.66472
Campus	College town
Colors	Black and orange[4]
Nickname	Tigers
Sporting affiliations	Great American Conference
Mascot	Roary the Tiger
Website	www.ecok.edu

East Central University (ECU or East Central) is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Durant, as well as online courses. Founded as East Central State Normal School in 1909, its present name was adopted in 1985.^[5] Some of its more prominent alumni include former Microsoft COO B. Kevin Turner, Modernist painter Leon Polk Smith, former NFL player Mark Gastineau, past governors Robert S. Kerr and George Nigh, former U.S. Representative Lyle Boren, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Tom Colbert, and U.S. Army General James D. Thurman.

ECU is approximately 90 miles (140 km) from Oklahoma City, 115 miles (185 km) from Tulsa and 150 miles (240 km) from Dallas. Today the campus consists of 37 buildings on 135 acres (55 ha); the university typically enrolls more than 3,500 students per semester from more than 30 countries and 25 states.