November 10, 2011 Peggy V. Helmerich Browsing Room, Edmon Low Library

"Oklahoma Ovation," an annual Statehood Day event hosted by the OSU Center for Oklahoma Studies, will feature Dr. Darnell Williams, retired Langston University professor. The event begins 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10 in the Peggy V. Helmerich Browsing Room, Edmon Low Library. Williams will focus on the impact both the city of Langston and Langston University have had on African-American education in Oklahoma and the nation. A question and answer session follows. "Many people don't understand how critical the town and the university were to Oklahoma's development," said Mary Larson, head of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program. "We look forward to Dr. Williams' discussion of the important role they played in the state's growth." Williams has been involved in multi-cultural education, including bilingual education and English as a second language, for more than 43 years. In 1988, he accepted employment at Langston University and served as Dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. "Oklahoma Ovation" commemorates Oklahoma's Statehood Day by highlighting research by Oklahomans and about the state. Statehood Day is officially recognized on Nov. 16 each year. The OSU Center for Oklahoma Studies is sponsoring this event. The center is part of a University initiative to encourage interdisciplinary work. The Library's Oklahoma Oral History Research Program partnered with the English and history departments to create the Center for Oklahoma Studies. This event is free and open to the public. For further information, contact Mary Larson at 405-744-6588 or at mary.larson@okstate.edu. For media purposes, an abstract of the talk and Dr. Williams' photograph and biography are available:

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• Darnell Williams Biography
• Abstract of the talk