| Varsity "O" Association

Varsity "O" Club Website

Varsity "O" Association McClendon Center for Intercollegiate Athletics 180 W Brooks, Suite 3545, Norman, OK 73019   Visit the Varsity "O" Website Phone: (405) 325-8224 | Fax: (405) 325-7003 Email: oclub@ou.edu    Varsity "O" Association Goals • To advance and nourish the special spirit of regard for the Varsity "O" Association and its traditions and values of sportsmanship and excellence.   • To bring all letterwinners, both graduate and undergraduate, into closer relationships.   • To foster a spirit of loyalty in the hearts of those who uphold the athletics prestige of the Crimson and Cream.   • To promote in every proper and constructive way the athletics interests of the Unversity of Oklahoma among its students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.   • To encourage scholarship.   • To develop sportsmanship by both example and precept.   • To develop social activities and to maintain, through mutual understanding of objectives, a more complete relationship with members of the coaching staff.   • To take an active interest in campus activities.   • To help orient freshmen athletes at the University of Oklahoma.

The University of Oklahoma Varsity "O" Assocation is an organization for all letterwinners, regardless of sport, at OU. It's hard to believe the Association's roots are more than 75 years deep, but they are as firmly planted in our rich Sooner soil as the tradition of excellence in our athletics program.
 
From the beginning, the Varsity "O" Association has been a service-oriented extension of the OU Athletics Department, serving the various needs of our student-athletes, even as those needs have changed throughout the years.
 
Today, the Varsity "O" Association provides scholarships to athletes who have completed their NCAA eligibility but still are working towards degrees. A few years ago, the Association contributed more than $250,000 toward the Prentice Gautt Academics Center.

These are not insignificant, intangible symbols of support. They are real. They are important. They are difference-makers to our athletes of today who are continuing the tradition that makes wearing the Crimson and Cream the most unique and envied image in the nation.
 
Your Varsity "O" Association has always supported OU Athletics in a way no other club does. Won't you support your Varsity "O" Association? If you are not currently a member, please join today. If you are a member, be as involved as you can. It makes a real and genuine difference.
 
In the Beginning
The University of Oklahoma "O" Club was founded in 1925 as the Letterman's Club. It was as much a social organization as it was an athletics club. At that time, there weren't many opportunities for athletes to enjoy all the social aspects of college.
 
To meet this need, the Club was established and opened to all OU lettermen and their guests. They could get together and share the various experiences of student life beyond their particular sports. They sponsored dances and involved themselves in other campus activities in which other social groups participated. Funds were limited, particularly during the Great Depression years, and the club's existence was pivotal to some athlete's enrichment.
 
After World War II
Port Robertson, legendary wrestling coach and assistant athletics director, was the sponsor of the early Lettermen's Club and collaberated with Shocky Need, assistant baseball coach, to formalize the club by writing its original rules and bylaws. Robertson also worked to find funding sources for the club. His efforts eventually resulted in a dedicated place for student-athletes to study as well as a place they could host Thursday night dances.
 
As the years progressed, Robertson found additional funding for an "O" Club tutorial program to complement the mandatory study halls he proctored. All of this was designed, of course, as a service support element for the athletics department.
 
Now and Forever
The club has always had an appreciation for the importance of the football and basketball programs and athletes, but not to the exclusion of other sports. This vision parallels the commitment of the athletics directors through the years and is why the overall athletics program at the University of Oklahoma is held in the highest regard nationally. As the scope of women's athletics expanded, the Letterman's Club became known as the "O"Club, an organization for all who lettered in sports at OU.
 
Robertson retired in 1985, but his leadership qualities and shared passion for the support of University of Oklahoma athletes and athletics programs are visible today. The list of "O" Club presidents since 1985 reflects the broad cross section of sports and support of the club's goals.
 
In 2007, Joe Washington, a three-time All-America running back at Oklahoma from 1972-75, was named Special Assistant to the Athletics Director and Executive Director of the Varsity O Association at his alma mater.