Oral Roberts University (ORU) celebrated 50 years of building Holy Spirit-empowered leaders this fall during a Global Celebration Week Oct. 19-24, 2015. This special week featured many events and opportunities for the ORU community to celebrate the past while looking forward toward the University’s bright future.
“ORU’s 50th Anniversary Global Celebration Week was a wonderful time of reflection, rejoicing and renewal,” said ORU President William M. Wilson. “As a community, we were able to celebrate the past, recommit to the original vision of this great university and embrace ORU’s bright future together.”
The festivities began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a new exhibit in the base of the world-renowned Prayer Tower. This unique exhibit highlights the legacy of ORU. It features memorabilia from the University’s founder and highlights important aspects of ORU’s past, present and future.
During a chapel service on Wednesday, Oct. 21, ORU forgave the debts of 10 full-time ORU students. The students were randomly selected through a drawing. Winners included: Erin Clothier, Daniel Farias-Alvarez, Leah Foster, Cingza Gin, Elizabeth Gomez, Kimberley Leatherwood, Natalie Persinger, Brittany Reagle, Luke Rentz and Thy Tran.
The celebration continued at the 50th Anniversary Gala on Friday, Oct. 23. Guests enjoyed performances from Dave Brown, David Osborne and Sandi Patty. Additionally, they heard a letter from the Graham family, read by Gigi Graham, and a keynote address from Will Graham, whose grandfather Billy Graham gave the keynote address at ORU’s dedication in 1967. The gala also recognized 50 individuals with Lifetime Global Achievement Awards for their outstanding service to ORU. The 1,200 seat ballroom was sold out for the event.
The 50th Anniversary Global Celebration Week culminated on Saturday, Oct. 24 with a parade and groundbreaking ceremony for the new ONEOK Track and Tennis Complex. This was followed by a 50th anniversary concert featuring performances from ORU alumni through the years, as well as Australian band Planetshakers.
