OU Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering to celebrate 100 years with new monument

A new monument will be constructed outside Sarkeys Energy Center in celebration of the centennial of OU's Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering.

Sarah Warren, the director of communications and events at the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, said the monument showcasing the school’s history will be unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony Sept. 20. 

Warren said the monument is privately funded by anonymous donors and will include rock formations local to Oklahoma on each side. The monument and a seating area will be located on the west side of Sarkeys Energy Center facing Jenkins Avenue.

In conjunction with the Sept. 20 ribbon cutting ceremony, the school will host a gala for alumni to celebrate the centennial, Warren said. The school will also show a 30-minute documentary about the impact of the program on the state of Oklahoma for the past 100 years. 

Warren said the monument may be used as a fundraising opportunity in the future, where recognition plaques could honor donors and support students and the program.

“It’s going to be a really neat place, and we look forward to the generations of students coming after us who are going to be able ... to sit there and see the impact of our college,” Warren said. 

Warren said the monument will feature an inspirational inscription that looks both to the past and future.

“(The inscription is) ‘These early students seized their opportunity to make a mark in energy. They are the wildcatters, the trailblazers and the shoulders we still stand on today,’ ... and we hope that continues with our college for many generations to come.”