OBU Students Set To Graduate As Campus Continues Tornado Recovery

Oklahoma Baptist University, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, is getting ready for spring commencement as the campus makes progress in recovering from a recent tornado.

The tornado on April 19 damaged the roofs of 47 main buildings and 167 total structures on university grounds, said OBU President Heath Thomas. The storm also displaced 106 students.

"It was a monster of a tornado," Thomas recalled. "It's gut-wrenching to see some of the historic buildings impacted." 

Among the historic buildings that were damaged was Shawnee Hall, OBU's oldest building in its 113-year history.

The storm also blew out walls and caused structural damage at some facilities. 

"We're prepared to lose some facilities if we have the guidance that that's what needs to be done," Thomas said. 

Thomas said it will take one to two years for the university to recover from the tornado. But the short-term goal was to get everyone back on campus safely.

"The priorities have been (to) provide roof coverage, ensure that all if our residential facilities can house students, and our academic and general facilities are safe for our employees," Thomas said. "So that was the priority. To get there, we had to assess every building with structural engineers."

While there is still a lot of work to do, Thomas said the university has the strength of its mascot, the OBU Bison.

"We're not afraid of what looks to be significant adversity. We know that as we meet those challenges head-on and don't run away from them, we'll come out to the other side stronger," Thomas said.

Because of the damage to Raley Chapel, which houses Potter Auditorium, OBU's spring commencement changed venue and will take place at First Southern Baptist Church on South Sooner Road in Oklahoma City. It is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Thomas said the fall semester will remain on schedule. He said one of the focuses of the upcoming semester is to challenge students to serve into the community.

OBU is looking for volunteers to help in its recovery. Email volunteer@okbu.edu to learn how. To donate to OBU's Tornado Relief Fund, click here.