Norman, Oklahoma

Norman is situated approximately 20 miles south of downtown Oklahoma City and is the third largest city in the state.^[4] As of 2006, the city was estimated to have 102,827 full-time residents.^[5] It is the business and employment center of Cleveland County.

Overview

Norman is best known as the location of the University of Oklahoma (with about 35,000 full-time students), making it a center of culture, technology, and scientific research. OU is home to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, one of the largest of its kind, and the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art. The Jones Museum made news in 2000 when it was given the Weitzenhoffer Collection, the single most important collection of impressionist art ever given to an American university^[6], including works by Mary Cassatt, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro, among others.

Norman's picture-book Main Street is a great source of pride for Normanites, as are the many shady, tree-lined housing areas that surround the OU campus. The west side of town has seen the most development in recent years, including affluent areas like Brookhaven, a sprawling neighborhood of townhomes, apartments, large estates and upscale retail and dining. Growth in Norman is also occurring close to campus, where there are infill developments underway that are making Norman a denser, and more chic college town. The central and eastern sections of town are older and include the areas around the OU campus and downtown. Both areas retain their historic appearance and resemble what most people would think of as the core area of a college town. In 2008, Money Magazine ranked Norman as the 6th best place to live in the United States, the highest of any city in Oklahoma.^[7]

Residents of Norman are split on whether it should be considered a suburb of Oklahoma City.^{citation needed} The city itself actually pulls from a shopping base and a workforce outside of its own city, with major new shopping developments, and major employers like OU and the USPS.^{citation needed}

Meteorology

Geography

The city has a total area of 189.51 square miles (490.8 km²), of which 177.01 square miles (458.5 km²) is land and 12.5 square miles (32 km²) or 6.60% is water^[9]. Approximately 27 square miles (70 km²) are developed.

The terrain in the undeveloped western parts of Norman is prairie and the eastern section, including the area surrounding Lake Thunderbird, are cross timbers forest.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 95,694 people, 38,834 households, and 22,562 families residing in the city. The population density was 540.6 people per square mile (208.7/km²). There were 41,547 housing units at an average density of 234.7/sq mi (90.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.36% White, 4.26% African American, 4.45% Native American, 3.49% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 4.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.

There were 38,834 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 21.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,713, and the median income for a family was $51,189. Males had a median income of $35,896 versus $26,394 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,630. About 7.8% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

History

In 1870, the United States Land Office contracted with a professional engineer to survey much of Oklahoma territory. Abner E. Norman, a young surveyor, became chairman and leader of the central survey area in Indian Territory. The surveyor’s crew burned the words “NORMAN’S CAMP” into an elm tree near a watering hole to taunt their younger supervisor.^[10] The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway planned Norman as a station site in Indian Territory in 1886-87. The town itself, while platted by the railroad, wasn't settled until the Great Land Run of 1889. When the “SOONERS” (those who headed west before the official Land Run date of April 22, 1889) and the other settlers arrived in the heart of Oklahoma, they kept the name “NORMAN.”

By nightfall on April 22, 1889, Norman probably had several hundred residents, camped in tents and covered wagons on town lots that wouldn't remain vacant for long. Almost overnight, the settlement developed into a thriving town. It was near Norman, in 1895, that Doolin Gang members George "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charlie Pierce were killed by the "Dunn Brothers", who were bounty hunters from Ingalls, Oklahoma.

Through the middle of the twentieth century, Norman was a sundown town, from which African Americans were systematically excluded from living.^[11]

Business

Norman is a global center for the sciences of meteorology (see above) and geology and related research fields. The local business community boasts major employers like Johnson Controls, Hitachi, Astellas Pharma, Albon Engineering, Xyant Technology, Office Max, Sitel (formerly ClientLogic), the National Center for Employee Development (a/k/a USPS Training Center), Immuno-Mycologics, Astronomics, and several research companies and smaller firms that take advantage of Norman's business climate.

Currently, the nation's 4th largest retail site^{citation needed} (University North Park, a project by the OU Regents) is under construction in Norman along I-35, between Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road (a 2 mile stretch). When completed, the site will also include mixed-use development such as a 10 story hotel and convention center and offices in addition to high end retail.

Community events

Transportation

Air

Public Transit

Cleveland Area Rapid Transit provides bus service to the Norman area on weekdays with some routes also running on Saturdays. A route also runs to Oklahoma City and connects with OKC's Metro Transit.^[13] The service is run by the University of Oklahoma and is free to faculty, staff, and students.

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Education

Colleges and universities

Career and Technical Education

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Misc. Schools

Notable residents and natives

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