East Central University

East Central University (ECU) is a four year public university in Ada, Oklahoma, located in the south central region of the state. The university also has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant. The university began in 1909 as a normal school that taught high school and college classes. Some of its more famous alumni include past governors Robert S. Kerr and George Nigh, former U.S. Representative Lyle Boren, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Tom Colbert, and U.S. Army General James D. Thurman. The university was founded as East Central State Normal School in 1909, two years after Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th U.S. state. Its establishment was the product of the intense lobbying efforts of the 25,000 Club, a local...