Oakland University
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Oakland University is a medium-sized state university located in Rochester, Michigan. Oakland University was created in 1957 by Michigan State University on land donated by Alfred and Matilda Wilson. It was known as Michigan State University-Oakland until 1963 when it became known as Oakland University. As of 2005, more than 16,000 students are enrolled at the school. The current president is Dr. Gary Russi, who took over from Dr. Sandra Packard in 1995.
Oakland's sports teams were known as the Pioneers until the school moved from Division II to Division I in 1997. They are now known as the Golden Grizzlies and participate in the Mid-Continent Conference. The school colors are black and gold. Two OU grads have gone on to notable athletic careers: Anita Rapp won a women's soccer gold medal with Norway in the 2000 Summer Olympics, while Don Kirkwood pitched for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays between 1974 and 1978.
Oakland University qualified for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament for the first time in 2005. The Golden Grizzlies were given a #16 seed after defeating Alabama A&M in the opening-round game at Dayton, Ohio on March 15, 2005. Ironically, former OU star Brian Gregory was Dayton's coach at the time. Oakland was eliminated three days later by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in their first-round matchup.
Actors Robert Englund and David Hasselhoff both briefly attended Oakland, but neither graduated.
External link
- Oakland University website (http://www.oakland.edu)