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Brick buildings and trees on OU campus

SWCHRS HISTORY

While references to these programs remain, their full stories have largely been forgotten.

While many of the SWCHRS programs are well documented, others are known only through brief references in surviving records. In some cases, the names and details of these initiatives have been lost to time, leaving gaps in the historical record that reflect both the longevity and evolving nature of the Center’s work.

1959 — Founding of Summer Program

Southwest Center for Human Relation Study, a summer program founded in 1959. This workshop was the foundation for the creation of the Center and continued to be held annually for several years after the Center was started. 

Goldman and University of Oklahoma president

1961 — Founding of the Center

Officially created October 1, 1961 and housed inside the Oklahoma College of Continuing Education (now known as OUTREACH), an initial fund of $40,000 were contributed by Mr. Sylvan N. Goldman to support the Center for the first two years. The balance of $100,000 was contributed by other public-spirited Oklahoma citizens thru the activities of a fund-raising committee. Goldman and the fund-raising committee stayed on as active support in the Center’s early years.  

1962 — Work within the Oklahoma Indigenous Community

The Center begins work within the indigenous community. Some notable work include partnering with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and OU faculty to hold seminars, by creating the Indian Education Project. Through this program the Center presented new educational experiences to adults in theIndigenous community, by creating smaller centers in Panca City, Watonga, and Anadarko. Work within the indigenous community continued into the late 1970s.

1968 — Conferences in Mexico

The Intercultural Human Relations Workshops in Colima, Mexico marked the Center’s first international program. These workshops held immersive, experiential learning programs designed to deepen intercultural understanding through direct engagement with Mexican educators, officials, and communities. The workshops emphasized emotional, experiential, and comparative approaches to understanding intercultural conflict and cooperation. These workshops took place 1968-1969.

1971 — Center staff act as consultants and mediators

In 1971, several Black parents complained of disciplinary actions against their children. Center staff met with the Classen High School administration and parents of the students, to act as consultants for mediators. 

1983 — The Center’s first academic journal

The Center’s first journal, Centerboard, was founded. The journal continued to regularly publish for several years. Notable scholars published in Centerboard include George Henderson. Centerboard served as a platform for sharing research, reflections, and applied practice within the Center’s learning community. This journal continued to publish until the late 1980s.

1988 — Founding of NCORE

Center director, Maggie Abudu-Green, creates the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE). This program was first held on the University of Oklahoma campus and quickly became a nationally recognized annual conference bringing together higher education professionals to explore race, ethnicity, identity, and institutional change. NCORE offered keynotes, workshops, and sustained dialogue focused on advancing equity and access across colleges and universities. This program paused in 2025.

2015 — First Year Diversity Training

In March of 2015, national attention focused on the OU campus, following an SEA fraternity group singing a race chant. To help the campus heal and create a more inclusive culture, the Center assisted with diversity training for all freshman and transfer students. This five-hour course took place during Camp Crimson, an orientation camp, and included intergroup-dialogue sessions. The Center assisted with this training for several years. This training became optional in 2021 and was disbanded in 2024.

2018 — Beginning of the digital programming

The Center moves into the digital programming in August of 2018 with the NCORE Webinar Series. Multiple webinars were held each month with topics that interested the NCORE conference community. This webinar series continued until 2024.