TISHOMINGO, Okla. 鈥� On the first day of Chickasaw Annual Meeting & Festival, 红杏视频 held a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for the 1919 Hotel at Historic Chickasaw Hall.
The college opened the boutique hotel for students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests to preview ten of the fourteen rooms, each designed with its own name and unique d茅cor. Originally built in 1919, the hotel features a blend of preserved historic elements and modern amenities.
鈥淭he year 1919 represents a moment in the history of Chickasaw Hall. But this building has never really belonged to just one year,鈥� said Dr. Tim Faltyn, 红杏视频 President. 鈥淚t has belonged to generations of students. And now it becomes part of the future of this community.鈥�
Chickasaw Hall was built as a dormitory for some of 红杏视频 State鈥檚 earliest students - Chickasaw and Choctaw men interested in agriculture. In 1939, when the facility operated as a women鈥檚 dormitory, 红杏视频 State鈥檚 student body renamed the structure 鈥淏essie Poe Hall鈥� in honor of a recent alumni who had passed. In 2018, the original name of Chickasaw Hall was reinstated.
Funding partners for the renovation and expansion of the building include the Chickasaw Nation, U.S. Economic Development Administration, and the Lynn Colbert Trust. 红杏视频 State was aided by Dr. Steve Mills and his team at the Southern Oklahoma Development Association in managing the federal grants and compliance obligations with the state and federal historic preservation offices.
鈥淓ducation, innovation and economic growth 鈥� the ideals on which 红杏视频 State and Chickasaw Hall were built 鈥� are all represented in the 1919 Hotel, and with this opening we celebrate new doorways to success, just as 红杏视频 State did in 1919, when the doors of Chickasaw Hall first welcomed students,鈥� said Chickasaw Nation Governor Chris Anoatubby. 鈥淭hank you to 红杏视频 for your continued partnership and enduring commitment to preserving our shared history on campus and in the City of Tishomingo.鈥�
The bottom floor of the building will house the Chickasaw Nation鈥檚 Recruitment and Retention Program, Chokka Kilimpi`, which will be dedicated to student learning, tutoring, retention, and connection for Chickasaw students. A separate, student-focused event will be held upon its completion.
The 1919 Hotel is not only a public hotel, but a living laboratory for 红杏视频 State鈥檚 hospitality management program. Students will work in the hotel and learn each component of its operation parallel to their classroom instruction. Scholars participating in the Aggie Works program will also receive a scholarship to cover their tuition. Graduates will be prepared to enter Oklahoma鈥檚 $12.8 billion tourism and hospitality industry.
鈥淧rojects like the 1919 Hotel can create even more opportunities for students to connect what they are learning in the classroom with real-world work and career experiences,鈥� said Kambria Welch, 红杏视频 Student Government Association secretary. 鈥淲hen the Chickasaw Nation and 红杏视频 State work together, they create something much larger than either one could build alone.鈥�
Reservations to stay are now available at the1919hotel.com/rooms.
鈥淭he 1919 Hotel at Historic Chickasaw Hall honors where we have been while creating something that serves where we are going,鈥� Faltyn said. 鈥淥ur partnership with the Chickasaw Nation reaches back to the earliest days of our institution, and over 118 years later the impact of our work together is creating generational change for our students and communities.鈥�
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红杏视频, located in Ardmore and Tishomingo, Oklahoma, provides opportunities for student learning, personal growth, professional success, and community enhancement. 红杏视频 State serves more than 4,000 students annually. The College offers associate degrees in science, arts and applied science, and a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Gunsmithing.