Shawnee Hall Grand Opening To Highlight OBU’s Annual Weekend Celebration

October 2, 2025

OBU will mark a historic milestone Oct. 24 with the grand opening of Shawnee Hall, the university’s original academic building, as part of its annual Weekend celebration.

The ceremony, set for 10 a.m., comes 110 years after Shawnee Hall first opened its doors in 1915 and about two and a half years after the building withstood a direct strike from an EF2 tornado on April 19, 2023. The reopening symbolizes both resilience and transformation for the campus under OBU’s “Shape the Future” campaign.

“We have not restored Shawnee Hall to what it was,” OBU President Heath A. Thomas said. “We have shaped it into what it must become. Investing in facilities is not just about brick and mortar; it’s about creating spaces where students can thrive, dream and prepare to transform the world.”

The Shawnee Hall celebration will be part of The Weekend 2025, OBU’s combined Homecoming, Family Weekend and Bison Day, scheduled for Oct. 23-25. Alumni, students, families, prospective students and friends will gather on Bison Hill for three days of events.

Highlights include class reunions, a Friday evening musical gala, the Bison pep rally and ice cream social. Saturday will feature a barbecue lunch, live music, campus open houses, Art on the Hill, the Bison Bash tailgate, a 6 p.m. football game against Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the crowning of the Harvest Court winners.

Another highlight is Bison U.

“Bison U. gives alumni, friends and parents the opportunity to get into the classroom with our current faculty and experience curriculum being taught to students,” said Lea Ann Quirk, executive director of the OBU Alumni Association. “All sessions are completely free, but pre-registration is required.”

The celebration will also feature the 10th anniversary Women of Vision Celebration. Women of Vision is a group of women who combine shared resources to make a lasting impact on OBU’s campus and community, open to alumnae, families and friends of the university.

For more information and registration details, visit okbu.edu/alumni/the-weekend.