Description:
While Oklahoma City University’s Gold Star Memorial Building now stands vigil over the near northwest side of Oklahoma City, it’s progenitor, Epworth University, once ruled Midtown. As early as 1892, young attorney Anton Classen began to promote the idea for a Methodist college in Oklahoma. Classen had been instrumental in securing the Territorial Normal School (now University of Central Oklahoma) for Edmond and he believed a solid Christian institution was a must for the bold new Oklahoma Territory. His initial efforts were squashed through church politics and, although he moved on to Oklahoma City to begin a real estate business, he never lost sight of his dream.
In 1901, Classen came up with a new approach for the Methodist college. The Methodist faith in America had been divided since the 1840s over the issue of slavery, but Classen decided to approach officials of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and convince them to collaborate in support of a university to be built on a windswept field he owned at what is now NW 18th and Douglas. The result was Epworth University (named for John Wesley´s parish in England ) which opened its doors in September, 1904 to 175 students. The University was an immediate success in the area and hundreds of houses sprung up around the campus, now accessible to downtown by a streetcar line extension. By 1907 Epworth could boast 400 students and colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Pharmacy and Business. The schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy would become the seed for the University of Oklahoma medical education system.
In 1911, despite the success of the school, the two church factions again parted ways and the school closed, later to reopen as Oklahoma Methodist University in Guthrie. It would move twice more before finally resting at NW 23rd and Blackwelder in 1921 as Oklahoma City College, later University, where it stands proudly to this day.
The original 1903 Epworth University building was designed by architect J. W. Hawk. It has been said that the white stone stripe along the top of the dark brick building gave the appearance of a priest’s collar – a good sign for a Christian university. The building still stands and houses the Epworth United Methodist Church at 1901 N Douglas. Classen High School was built on campus grounds in 1920.