Cameron’s history is as varied and exciting as the pioneer spirit which resulted in the founding of Oklahoma and
reflects the many changes that higher education saw in the 20th
century.The institution was established in 1908 as the
Cameron State School of Agriculture by the Oklahoma Legislature just a
year after statehood. The institution is named for the Rev. E. D.C ameron, a Baptist minister and Oklahoma’s first State Superintendent of Schools. The
first classes were held on Statehood Day 1909 in the basement of a bank building while a new campus building was constructed.Cameron added junior college work in 1927 when local higher education needs exceeded what was available in Southwest Oklahoma.
With this changed function came a new name —
Cameron State Agricultural College. High school courses were dropped
and Cameron became solely a junior college in 1941 when the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education was formed and joined the group of
institutions governed by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma A&M Colleges.Baccalaureate degrees were authorized in 1966 by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education, following action by the Legislature. The institution’s name was shortened to
Cameron College in 1971,
then changed to Cameron University in 1974. As the 1970s continued, Cameron demonstrated
its dedication to expanded academic offerings through the construction of a fine arts facility designed to serve students in
theatre, music, broadcasting and speech communication.In 1988, State Regents expanded Cameron’s functions to include offerings at the master's degree level. This change in
function was the first granted to an Oklahoma institution since Cameron was given the authority to offer bachelor's degrees more
than 20 years earlier.