Bacone College
President Nicky Michael (interim) | | |
Students | 270 | |
---|---|---|
Location | , , United States | |
Campus | Suburban | |
Colors | Red & White | |
Nickname | Warriors | |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – Continental | |
Website | www | |
Bacone College, formerly Bacone Indian University, is a
In 2018, the college was struggling financially. Several tribal nations agreed that year to a consortium and chartered it as a tribal college. This action was intended to secure federal funding under the government's treaty obligations to support Native American education. However, the BIA did not approve conversion, leaving the college with financial issues. The college suspended operations for the Spring semester of 2024, but hopes to reopen.[2]
History
Some accounts credit Almon C. Bacone, a missionary teacher in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, with asking the American Baptist Home Mission Society for support to start a school in the Cherokee Baptist Mission at their capital, Tahlequah in 1867. Bacone had previously taught at the Cherokee Male Seminary established in Indian Territory.[3]
According to historian John Bartlett Meserve, Bacone College can be traced to a Baptist mission school at Valley Town in western North Carolina, which was part of Cherokee homelands. Evan Jones, one of the earliest missionaries to the Cherokee, led the school. After most of the Cherokee were removed to Indian Territory in the late 1830s, the Valley Town school moved to a site near what developed as present-day Westville, Oklahoma.
In 1867, Evan Jones' son, John B. Jones, moved the school to Tahlequah in the Cherokee Nation. In 1885, the mission school moved to Muskogee, Creek Nation, and changed its name to Bacone, after its first teacher.[4]
When Bacone College was founded (at the time more of a seminary or academy in curriculum level) in 1867, Almon C Bacone was the sole faculty and three students were enrolled. By the end of the first semester, students had increased to 12. By the end of the first year, the student population was 56 and the faculty numbered three.
Bacone appealed to the
In 1885, Indian University was moved to a new building at its present site in Muskogee. It continued to develop here. In 1910, it was renamed Bacone College, after its founder and first president.[5]
Conversion to tribal college
In the spring of 2018, the college struggled with severe financial difficulties. It began to lay off most employees following commencement and reported that it needed an immediate infusion of $2 million in order to continue to operate: to complete the 2018–2019 academic year and to open in the fall of 2019.[6] The school reopened after cutting programs, reducing the number of faculty, and selling property. Among the properties sold was Bacone Commons, for $2.85 million as part of the college's 2018-2019 financial restructuring.[7] [8]
The tribal nations in Oklahoma collaborated to take over control of the college as a consortium to revive its history as a tribal college established for Indian education. The tribes hoped that they would be able to control education of their students, and that the arrangement would enable them to secure federal funding from the Bureau of Indian Education (in the BIA) as part of the government's treaty responsibilities to educate American Indian students.[8]
The
Possible closure
An HVAC firm called MHEC LLC (Midgley-Huber Energy Concepts) obtained a judgment of approximately $1 million against the school on November 13, 2022 for installation of materials and energy conservation services.[13][14] The school said it was unable to pay due to debt accumulated under previous administrations, and so Muskogee County District Judge Timothy King authorized having the campus auctioned to satisfy the judgment in April of 2023.[13] MHEC rescinded its request to auction the college at that point, but after declining an offer to be paid over time, pursued foreclosure again in November of 2023, getting an auction date set for December 14, 2023.[13][14] On December 13, 2023, that auction too was called off; however, the school had already laid off the bulk of its teachers in anticipation, and was trying to get its students enrolled in other colleges for the next semester.[15][16] The college then suspended classes for the Spring 2024 semester.[2] The administration hopes the shutdown is temporary, but must raise significant funds in order to avoid permanent closure.[2]
Following a leadership change in April 2024, Bacone announced nine students would be graduating on May 11, and that after production of a “detailed revitalization plan” the school would not be closing.[17]
Campus
One of the first buildings to be erected was Rockefeller Hall, a three-story building made possible by a $10,000 contribution from philanthropist
The campus contains many other reminders of Bacone's history, tradition, and goals. One of these is a small
Other structures on campus include The Indian Room at the Bacone College Library, which holds many of the papers of Almon C. Bacone; and, the McCombs Gallery, which features a large cross-section of Native American art. This includes artwork by
In 2011 Bacone College acquired the Northpointe Shopping Center, which it renamed the Bacone Commons. The college moved the campus library and important offices there.[18]
Centers
Bacone College has three centers to help fulfill its historic mission of American Indian and Christian education.
Center for American Indians:
- Preservation of the American Indian Collections at Bacone College.
- Coordination of American Indian degrees and cultural programs.
- Research related to the future of American Indian education and collections in higher education.
Center for Christian Ministry:
- The broad umbrella for spiritual life on campus that helps the college to fulfill its mission as a four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches.
Center for Church Relations:
- As Baptist churches support the college with students and scholarships, this center develops leaders for evangelization. It also provides training to non-traditional learners through online and off-campus education, assisting churches in their growth, providing music and preaching/teaching ministry to churches for special events, and continuing education for church leaders.
Indian Art Program
Initiated by
Athletics
The Bacone athletic teams are called the Warriors. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing as an NAIA Independent within the Continental Athletic Conference since the 2019–20 academic year. The Warriors previously competed in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) from 2015–16 to 2018–19; and in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) from 1998–99 to 2014–15. The Bacone football team competed in the Central States Football League (CSFL) until the sport was discontinued after the 2018 fall season (2018–19 academic year).
Bacone competes in 11 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball. Former sports included football, wrestling, and rodeo.
Baseball
The Bacone baseball team won the Junior College World Series in 1967; a school with total enrollment of 250 competed with schools that had over 20,000. They were led by coach Enos Semore, who went on to coach at Oklahoma for 23 years.
Decline
Because of financial difficulties, in 2018 Bacone dropped its football, volleyball, golf, wrestling and rodeo teams. After several tribes agreed to charter the college in 2019 and ensure its survival, the college reopened.
Return
As of February 2020, the college has the following sponsored sports returned: men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's cross country teams.
Notable people
Administration and staff
- Dean Chavers (Lumbee), President 1978–81
Alumni
- Jimmy Anderson (Muscogee), artist, musician, and preacher
- Thomas Banyacya (Hopi), traditionalist and activist
- Don Chandler, class of 1954, professional football player
- Eddie Chuculate (Muscogee/Cherokee), author
- Adee Dodge (Navajo), linguist, painter, Navajo code-talker[23]
- Franklin Gritts (Cherokee Nation), artist and art director of the Sporting News
- Enoch Kelly Haney (Seminole/Muscogee), Class of 1962. Politician, artist, and sculptor
- Sharron Ahtone Harjo (Kiowa), artist and educator
- Timothy Hill, professional baseball pitcher
- Patrick J. Hurley, soldier, statesman, and diplomat
- Ruthe Blalock Jones (Delaware/Shawnee/Peoria) painter, printmaker and artist.
- Edward E. McClish, soldier and guerrilla leader in the Philippines during World War II.
- Crow), tribal historian, author, and war chief
- Jack C. Montgomery (Cherokee), World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Alexander Posey (Muscogee), writer and humorist
- mixed martial artist[24]
- Willard Stone, sculptor, attended Bacone, later received honorary degree
- Tyler Thomas, Canadian Football League player
- Kiowa Apache) artist
Faculty
- Muscogee Creek), artist, Art Department Director, 1935–1938[25]
- Citizen Potawatomi), artist, Art Department Director, 1938–1941 and 1943–1945[26]
- Peoria), painter and printmaker, Art Department Director
- Mary Stone McLendon (Chickasaw) educator, storyteller, and musician, founder of the Art Department and first director, 1932–1935[25]
- Enos Semore, baseball, basketball, track, PE and intramural coach; head baseball coach Oklahoma 1968–89
- Southern Cheyenne), painter and sculptor, Art Department Director, 1947–1970
See also
References
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, Bacone College Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Oklahoma's oldest Native American school, Bacone College, is threatened by debts and disrepair". Graham Lee Brewer, Tulsa World, February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ISBN 978-0-299-16064-7.
- ^ Meserve, John Bartlett. "Chief Lewis Downing and Chief Charles Thompson (Oochalata). In: Chronicles of Oklahoma> Volume 16, Number 3. September 1938. Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ^ Wright, Maurice C., "BACONE COLLEGE A HISTORY" (1968). Graduate Thesis Collection. p. 25. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/grtheses/25
- ^ Justin Shrair (May 8, 2018). "Bacone College Closing, Laying Off Staff Unless Funding Is Found Soon". News on 6. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ Corey Jones (July 14, 2019). "Bacone College seeks tribal status to bolster American Indian education opportunities while trying to regain financial stability". Tulsa World. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Osage Nation to charter resurgent Bacone College". Tulsa World. July 6, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ a b "Bacone College secures third tribe's charter in its goal to gain status as a tribal college". Corey Jones, Tulsa World, August 11, 2019. August 11, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ "Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Agree to Charter Bacone College as a Tribal College". Bacone College, February 12, 2020. February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ "Kiowa Tribe becomes fifth to charter Bacone College". Bacone College, February 20, 2020. February 20, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Bacone seeks help to prevent auction of Indigenous-serving college in Muskogee". Tulsa World, November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Bacone College recalled from Sheriff's sale". Mvskokemedia, April 27, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "'Hoping some sort of miracle happens': Bacone College in Muskogee at Risk of Closing". KOTV Newson6.com, November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Evans, Murray (December 13, 2023). "Sheriff's auction of Bacone College in Muskogee called off the day before it was to happen". The Oklahoman. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ "Bacone College interim president speaks out after a planned auction was called off last minute". Fox23 News, December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "'Bacone College is not closing'; board announces leadership change". Tulsa World, April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Writer, Wendy Burton Phoenix Staff (September 4, 2011). "Bacone begins expansion, remodeling of Northpointe Shopping Center". Muskogee Phoenix. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ a b "Can Bacone College reclaim its roots as a center for Native art?". Graham Lee Brewer, High Country News, July 21, 2019. July 21, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Ataloa Lodge Museum". TravelOK.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Ataloa Lodge's Kachina Doll Collection". Bacone College. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Art Scene: Jewish Museum hosts four new exhibits; new series of 'I Can't' workshops at TCC". James D. Watts Jr., Tulsa World, January 23, 2022. January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Adee Dodge". Oxford Reference. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "Daniel Roberts UFC". September 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Elder, Tamara R. "Ataloa (Mary Stone McLendon)". The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ Hunt, David C. Crumbo, Woodrow Wilson (1912-1989) Archived October 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (retrieved 30 August 2009)
Further reading
- Lisa K. Neuman, Indian Play: Indigenous Identities at Bacone College. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2013.
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website Archived March 18, 2022, at the Wayback Machine