ALVA, Okla.
For almost a century, the image of the determined cowboy atop a bucking bronco has been the mascot for Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
The symbolism will set in stone or bronze rather at the Alva campus on Tuesday when officials dedicate a statue of the iconic Ranger.
Designed by noted Oklahoma sculptor Harold Holden, the $150,000 bronze artwork will be erected on the northeast corner of campus.
NWOSU President Janet Cunningham said the Ranger “provides a link from those pioneers who founded the university in 1897 to today’s current generation of students. It represents the spirit, determination and courage of those settlers and inspires our students to apply these characteristics in their daily lives.”
The statue is a gift from former NWOSU President Tom McDaniel, who now is president of Oklahoma City University.
McDaniel and his wife, Brenda, attended NWOSU as undergrads, and in 2000 he became the first graduate to become president. Although he left one year later, he said NWOSU has always had a special place in his heart.
