NSU Founders Day Pays Tribute to Foresight of Cherokees

TAHLEQUAH -- Nearly a century ago, the state of Oklahoma purchased the Cherokee National Female Seminary and 40 acres of land from the Cherokee Nation, laying the groundwork for todays Northeastern State University.

NSU and the Cherokee Nation will recognize this historic milestone together on Friday, March 6 during Founders Day activities beginning at 2 p.m. on the newly created Centennial Plaza south of Seminary Hall.

NSU will officially mark the start of our Centennial celebration on Founders Day, when the fledgling state of Oklahoma began to use Seminary Hall as its new Normal School, said NSU President Dr. Don Betz. On March 6, we welcome everyone to join us as we honor the past, embrace the present, and envision the future together.

The unveiling of the bronze statue of Sequoyah, 19th century Cherokee diplomat and creator of the Cherokee syllabary will highlight the day's activities. The statue, standing nearly 10 feet tall on a marble base, is the creation of Cherokee artisan Daniel HorseChief. The focal point of Centennial Plaza on the south lawn of Seminary Hall, this viewing area is first of a three-phase plan to create a distinctive entryway to the main campus of the states fourth largest public university.

The Sequoyah Statue stands on a Cherokee Star encircled by a seven-column, open-framed structure, which features the Cherokee syllabary and artistic depictions of the seven Cherokee clans. NSU has worked closely with the Cherokee Nation to design a unique gathering area that honors their shared history.

The Sequoyah statue will forever link NSU with its origins as a Normal School beginning in 1909 and as the locus for Cherokee higher education in the 1850s, said Dr. Betz. The Plaza and the revitalized entry to the NSU campus will welcome students and visitors to the institution.

Members of the NSU Brass Quintet will set the tone for the Founders Day afternoon program, as they welcome guests to the south lawn of Seminary Hall with a performance under the direction of Dr. Norman Wika. At 2 p.m., Jay Hannah, master of ceremonies and NSU alumnus, will begin the historic occasion with opening remarks. Following a special welcome by Dr. Betz, Cherokee Nation first lady Bobbie Gail Smith will deliver the invocation.

Cherokee storyteller Gail Ross will offer insight on Cherokee history and Sequoyahs passion for education.

Other special guests who will make presentations during the program include Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, retired State Sen. Herb Rozell, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson, Tahlequah Mayor Ken Purdy, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, Winnie Perdue (descendant of Sequoyah), and Benny Smith.

Musical entertainment will also include performances by the Cherokee National Youth Choir, under the direction of Mary Kay Henderson, and two performances by the NSU/Community Chorus, conducted by Dr. Donald Studebaker and Dr. Ralph Whitworth.

Prior to the official public program, 100 individuals, both living and deceased, along with the past presidents of Northeastern will be honored during the Centurions Recognition Luncheon.

Selected from public nominations submitted online, NSU's 100 Centurions recognize some of the many unsung heroes of the past century who have made a difference in the everyday lives of NSU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the institution.

While Founders Day commemorates the creation of Northeastern State Normal School, it also pays tribute to the foresight of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, which authorized building male and female seminaries at Park Hill in 1846.

The female seminary was destroyed by fire in 1887 and rebuilt near Town Branch Creek at the north end of Tahlequah two years later. Known today as Seminary Hall, the historic edifice is distinguished by its iconic clocktower, which has been replicated at NSUs branch campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow.

The foundation of NSU was built on Cherokee land, by Cherokee people, and this is a unique and powerful component to the story we will be sharing on Founders Day, said Jerry Cook, Director of NSU Community Relations and co-chair of the NSU Founders Day Committee. There is a tremendous collaborative effort being forged and I cannot wait for that afternoon when all of us gather on the south lawn of Seminary Hall to reflect and celebrate as a campus and as a community.

2/17/2009

Published: 2009-02-17 00:00:00