President's House, University of Oklahoma
National Register of Historic Places

President's House, University of Oklahoma

Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Listed
July 5, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
76001558

About this property

Boyd House, also known as the President's House and the OU White House, is the official residence of the president of the University of Oklahoma. The university's president, currently Joseph Harroz Jr., lives in Boyd House as a primary residence free of charge. In 1976, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "President's House, University of Oklahoma". The house that came to be known as Boyd House was built in 1906 by OU's first president, David Ross Boyd, for approximately $7,000. In 1908, Boyd was forced out as university president. He leased the property to the university until 1914, when OU acquired it from Boyd in a property swap. Seven subsequent university presidents lived in the house. Stratton D. Brooks, the university's third president, remodeled the house over a period of seven years between 1915, and 1922 into its current Neoclassical Revival style, paying for its four Ionic columns out of his own pocket. The house had no formal name; it was known as "The President's House", "The White House", or by the name of the occupant, i.e. "The Bizzell House". It hosted numerous significant historical figures, including Sir Alexander Fleming, John Philip Sousa, William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman, and Niels Bohr. In 1969 J. Herbert Hollomon, the university's eighth president, moved into a newer residence off campus that was purchased by the university for his use, and his successors continued to live in the same house. The old building sat vacant until 1971, when it became office space. It was used as the university's visitor center from 1979 to 1994. It was officially named Boyd House in 1982. As a condition of his employment by the university, then-incoming OU president David L. Boren insisted on living in Boyd House. Boyd House reopened as the official presidential residence in November 1996 following a $2 million privately funded renovation and expansion. Boyd House - Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau

Location

401 W. Boyd St.
Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma
35.21145, -97.42976

Categories

EDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about President's House, University of Oklahoma

This page lists President's House, University of Oklahoma. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your President's House, University of Oklahoma report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Cleveland County Courthouse
Industrial
0.6 mi
Casa Blanca
Industrial
0.7 mi
Norman Public Library
Industrial
0.8 mi
University of Oklahoma Armory
Industrial
0.9 mi
Norman City Park New Deal Resources
Listed
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was President's House, University of Oklahoma listed on the National Register?

President's House, University of Oklahoma was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1976.

What type of historic resource is President's House, University of Oklahoma?

President's House, University of Oklahoma is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for President's House, University of Oklahoma?

The period of significance for President's House, University of Oklahoma is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1976.

Can I research the history near President's House, University of Oklahoma?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near President's House, University of Oklahoma will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Cleveland County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Cleveland County.

Explore ClevelandCounty ›

More historic places in Oklahoma

Browse all historic places in Oklahoma.

View Oklahomahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Oklahoma history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Oklahomahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near President's House, University of Oklahoma will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report