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NIckname change from Titans to Golden Eagles


bradm59

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I moved away from Oklahome in 1976,  and until recently I did not know about the ORU name-change from Titans to Golden Eagles during the Nineties.  I am just routinely curious as to why this change was made

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5 hours ago, bradm59 said:

I moved away from Oklahome in 1976,  and until recently I did not know about the ORU name-change from Titans to Golden Eagles during the Nineties.  I am just routinely curious as to why this change was made

Good question.  

As a 30+ year Titan, I've never been a fan of the name change. 

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The name change officially occurred on April 30, 1993, at the very end of my senior year.  On January 27th, 1993, Richard Roberts became ORU's 2nd president.  At that time, he began soliciting input from students, faculty, etc. to see if there was an interest level in changing the mascot.  I believe part of the driving force was that ORU had just come out from spending 2 years at the NAIA level (90-92) and there might have been a feeling that a mascot associated with mythology did not make as much sense as a mascot that had some type of spiritual meaning or association.

I believe Richard established a committee of students, faculty, staff, etc., and the "Golden Eagles" was chosen.  Golden because of ORU's colors, the association the city of Tulsa had with the Golden term, and the spiritual symbol of the mounting up with wings as an eagle, running and not becoming weary, etc.

Bill Self was also hired around this time, so the university was moving on from Ken Trickey (the 2nd Trickey era), from the 2 NAIA years, and there was just a feeling that it made sense to turn the page with a new mascot.

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Thank you, Jason, for your very informative reply. I myself prefer Eagles to Titans, since Titans comes from ancient, pagan mythology.

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The story I heard is that Oral let the original students vote on the mascot in 1964? and they came up with “Titans”. Evidently, we had a large contingent of New York students that chose “Titans” after the NY football team with that name. (The Jets were originally named the Titans from 1959-1963.)

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Jason and Terry are both right, on both counts.

I was a Titan, when in school at ORU and it's my personal preference. But, to each his own. 

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Thanks Terry and oruvoice.  At sixty-seven, I am just barely old enough to remember the New York Titans before they changed their name to Jets.  That is VERY amusing that they influenced the naming of the ORU Titans.  GO ORU this Saturday night versus Arkansas !!! 

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Here is an article from the Tulsa World from 1993 discussing the name change:

Quote

 

Titans Turn Into Golden Eagles

Isiah 40:31 - But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE continue to blow across the campus of Oral Roberts University, and on Wednesday the school's new president decided it was time to adopt a new nickname, too.

ORU discarded its moniker Titans, which has represented the university since its inception in 1965, and now will soar with the name Golden Eagles.

 

"It's time for the beginning of a new era in athletics at Oral Roberts University and it is my feeling that a fresh start requires a fresh name," said Richard Roberts, who

became the school president in January after his father, evangelist Oral Roberts, retired to become chancellor. The nickname, effective immediately, was chosen from surveys

conducted by a selection committee comprised of faculty, student and alumni representatives. Athletic director Bob Brooks, new men's basketball coach Bill Self - one of the

aspects of change at ORU - and university provost Dr. Carl Hamilton also were on the committee.

 

"They've been trying to get the name changed for years," Brooks said. "This is due to the fact that they have some new things going on - new president of the university, new

basketball coach...it's just a new era." "Titan means a mythological god," said Self, who last month was named basketball coach in place of Ken Trickey, who in February announced his resignation at the end of

the season. "There was some conflicting interest with that and the university and what it stands for."

 

And the Mabee Center floor, where Titan basketball teams thundered to success in the early to mid-1970s, now will be considered only a place where Golden Eagles dare.

Forty nicknames made up the original list of suggestions, and the five most popular names - Titans, Lions, Warriors, Eagles and Golden Eagles - were voted upon. The committee

ranked the names in order of preference. While ORU has had Titans to itself in years past, it will have to share Golden with the rest of the city, home of  the Golden Hurricane at the University of Tulsa, and, of

course, the Golden Driller. "This could be the city of gold, " Brooks quipped. "The (Tulsa) Chamber of Commerce should pick up on that." Committee members apparently felt that "Golden' suited the

architectural style of the campus, which is accented in gold trim. And eagles are well-represented in the scriptures. Apparently, Golden Eagles was by far the most popular choice.

And Trickey, who spent 11 years and two terms coaching men's basketball at the school, was fond of eagles, using them

as decorations for his office and home.

 

Trickey was so fond of eagles that he had the inscription "Gathering of Eagles' printed on the Mabee Center court, as well as the locker room.

Changes in university nicknames are uncommon. However, Stanford switched from Indians to the Cardinal many years ago. "It was a great move to go ahead and switch names," Self

said. "I know there was strong support from the student body and alumni to do that. I think it's a great decision. I think it fits very well here." "There are a lot of possibilities," Brooks said. "In

our fieldhouse we have the gold and blue section. All the buildings on campus are golden. Now you can tie that in.

In years past we had Titans (mascots) wearing bathrobes. Some of them were dressed and looked like David. Golden Eagles will have a lot of possibilities for a mascot."

Also, Golden Eagles will be the name of all ORU athletic teams.

"There won't be "Lady' Golden Eagles. Everyone is a Golden Eagle," Brooks said.

Most of the ORU athletic teams won't have problems with the switch.

 

 

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  • 5 months later...
On 3/22/2021 at 4:21 PM, bradm59 said:

I moved away from Oklahome in 1976,  and until recently I did not know about the ORU name-change from Titans to Golden Eagles during the Nineties.  I am just routinely curious as to why this change was made

There was an old animation that said, "Whatever you call a boat, that's how it floats". Maybe they wanted to fly like eagles. 🙂

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