Norman Oklahoma

When visiting a new city, we love to check out the local universities. Because I had become a bandwagon OU fan during the Women’s College World Series, we naturally had to make a pilgrimage to nearby Norman, Oklahoma, where the University of Oklahoma resides. Norman was about a 20-minute drive from the Roadrunner RV park, where we were staying in Oklahoma City.

The University of Oklahoma

Much like Oklahoma City itself, the University of Oklahoma in Norman is a sprawling campus! Yet, the campus pays homage to its history in ways we haven’t readily noticed at other institutions. Specifically, most of the buildings have an information plaque, including some interesting tidbits on the building’s namesake (usually a past president of the institution) and its historical significance. We learned about numerous campus fires, naming controversies (like Edwin Debarr’s involvement in the KKK), and the evolution of what subjects were taught in the building. The façade on many of the red brick buildings contain intricate carvings that relate to the history as well. Evans Hall, which is home to both the President’s Office and Office of the Provost, contains some really creepy looking past presidents in the exterior. Can you spot them in this photo?

Great Reading Room in the Bizzell Library at the Universtiy of Oklahoma. George McLaurin was not allowed to use this room.

The Bizzell Memorial Library was by far my favorite building. Frank Lloyd White called the exterior “Cherokee Gothic” when he visited. The Great Reading Room inside the library would make Harry Potter’s Hogwarts envious with its ornate woodwork and vaulted ceilings. The building was designated as the National Historic Landmark in 2001 in commemoration of McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (1950), an important precedential case that ultimately lead up to the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education (1954). When the University of Oklahoma denied George McLaurin admission to its graduate program in education, the university cited Oklahoma’s segregation statute, which made it a misdemeanor to operate a school in which both blacks and whites were taught. McLaurin filed suit in federal court in Oklahoma City, and the lower court struck down that law. The Oklahoma legislature then amended the segregation statute so that to provide admission for blacks but only if they were segregated from whites. Upon admission, the University of Oklahoma required Mr. McLaurin to sit by himself in a separate section of the classroom, sit at a separate desk in the library, and sit at a different table (and sometimes eat at different times) from the rest of the students in the cafeteria. In a unanimous decision, Chief Justice Fred Vinson, writing for the Court, struck down the segregation statute and stated that Mr. McLaurin “having been admitted to a state-supported graduate school, must receive the same treatment at the hands of the state as students of other races.” In essence, in McLauren, the Supreme Court struck down the Oklahoma statute that mandated segregation in public institutions of higher education. That would help pave the way for the broader decision in Brown, which found that segregation was unconsitutional in ALL public schools.

Red Phone Booth at the University of Oklahoma

If you visit the campus, you may notice several red phone booths. We learned that these installed by President David Boren, who spent time in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. The booths were intended to beautify the campus and provide safety for the students as well. We tried using one and it didn’t work.

Norman’s Craf Beer Scene

Several breweries call Norman Oklahoma home. Both 405 Brewing and Black Mesa Brewing are located just minutes from each other just off Flood Avenue north of town so if you are brewery hopping, it’s good to visit those together. Our favorite of those two breweries was 405 Brewing. Founded in 2013, 405 Brewery was Norman’s first production brewery. They utilize fresh fruit and local ingredients as often as possible, and we loved hearing about how the brewers were cutting up watermelons by hand for one of their batches! They aren’t afraid to experiment either, and Kasie fell in love with the BroMosa -- a mimosa-inspired pastry tart with mandarin oranges and marshmallow.

On different days, we visited the breweries located near downtown Norman: Beer is Good Brewing Company, Crossed Cannons Brewery, and Equity Brewing. We also picked some of the Lazy Circles Brewing at the Norman Farm Market.

Of these, Beer is Good Brewing Company gets the most colorful beer award. Check out the Smurf Berry, a Berliner style wheat beer infused with blue raspberry in the photo.

Equity Brewing also deserves a nod for being a mother-daughter owned and operated craft brewery and one of the only women-owned breweries in the state. We spoke with Suzette Grillot, a current professor and former dean of the College of International Studies at OU, about how the women started giving away beers before formally launching in 2020. The brewery’s mission to promote positive social change, within craft beer and beyond through various partnerships with non-profits in the area. This brewery is truly a labor of love to Ms. Grillot and here employees – who were methodically place labels on some cans one-by-one. The brewery was also in the process of expanding to the adjacent space, where a pastry and coffee business would work in collaboration with the brewery.

Equity Brewing in Norman, Oklahoma - Lifiting You Up One Beer at a Time!

Norman Farm Market

Norman’s Farm Market, which sprouted in the spring 1980, is Oklahoma’s oldest farmers market. Their Saturday market is the best one we found in the OKC area. It’s located at The Well near downtown. There’s about 20 vendors inside, and probably double that number otents outside. As noted above, some of the local breweries sometimes set up at the market so cheers to that!

Concluding Thoughts

Despite being minutes from Oklahoma City, Norman does have a great college town vibe. I liked it better than I thought I would. The next time we are in the area, I would like to spend a few days exploring more of the city, especially the downtown area. I’d also like to see a college softball game at the stadium. Since Kasie’s parents still live in Oklahoma, we will certainly be in the area again.