This is the first of a series of articles that is designed to recognize the work of many individuals who were responsible for getting Northwestern Territorial Normal School located in Alva, Oklahoma Territory, in 1897 and for providing leadership to ensure quality education for the critical years that followed.

It is not my intention to criticize anyone or any institution or to second guess decisions made in the past but rather to recognize the critically important contributions made by many of our early citizens. These folks saw the tremendous need for teachers in the public schools, and they also recognized the importance of higher education in opening doors to opportunities for the youth of the northwest part of Oklahoma Territory.

Prior to the publication of Wayne Lane's excellent book "Northwestern Oklahoma State University, A Centennial History" in 1996, Northwestern's history was difficult to research, which no doubt is the reason many contributions were overlooked. Much of what I am reporting comes from this outstanding book. Additional information comes from many individuals (I quit counting at 30) who shared their experiences or the experiences of their family members who had orally passed down their stories from one generation to the next.

An example of how easy it is to overlook outstanding accomplishments in the past is what happened with Newby Field. In 1969, Northwestern constructed the current football field (Ranger Field) to replace Newby Field. Later, the JR Holder Wellness Center was built where Newby Field was located. These are both very positive events, but in the process the work of W.D. Newby was omitted.

In 2010, however, the Newby Recognition Committee placed a stone marker on the outside of the Wellness Center and a collage of the life of Mr. Newby and the life of Newby Field on the inside west wall of the center. In addition, the ticket booth that served Newby Field and the old Ranger Baseball Field was recognized with a plaque thanks to the information provided by the late Jim Barker, a member of the Newby Recognition Committee.

After the Newby Recognition Committee completed its work, the Northwestern Historical Preservation Task Force was established. The task force was responsible for posting for each Alva campus building a memorial plaque with the building's history. In addition, the task force was charged with establishing a memorial for the Castle on the Hill and developing a play about the history of Northwestern. These responsibilities were completed by the Historical Preservation Task Force in 2014.

W.D. Newby's contributions to Northwestern have been recognized thanks to the work of the Newby Recognition Committee. However, many others throughout the history of Northwestern who played powerful roles have not yet been honored in similar fashion.

Many individuals know that James Ament was the first president of Northwestern. He has been honored by having Ament Hall (a men's dormitory) named for him. This is certainly a deserved honor as he set the basis for the exceptional university that Northwestern Normal became. He was also the leader in getting the school's first building, The Castle on the Hill, constructed.

President Ament, however, was joined in setting a standard of excellence by the first two teachers, Sarah Bosworth and Mary DeLisle who were hired in 1897. They established the tradition of quality teaching at Northwestern that still exists today.

At a time when excellence in the classroom was important to train outstanding teachers for the public schools and to aid in the recruitment of new students, these two women professors stepped forward and did the job that was so crucially needed. Northwestern quickly became the second largest higher education school in Oklahoma Territory. This growth and quality teaching ensured that Northwestern would remain a significantly important part of the territory and later the state of Oklahoma.

As the first two teachers, Bosworth and DeLisle helped build what became Northwestern's tradition of excellence. They need to be recognized for their outstanding contributions, so they are the first to be named as unsung heroes of Northwestern.

(Written by John Barton, Associate Professor of Speech Emeritus and Dean Emeritus, NWOSU; reviewed by Tamara Brown, communication department chair and assistant professor of speech, NWOSU.)