The Lloyd Noble Center

The Lloyd Noble Center. . [Text from Side One unavailable] , committee. During his tenure, he advocated such sweeping changes as the addition of endowed professorships to reward merit and retain outstanding faculty members and the construction of a thriving student union to serve as a center of university life in order to create a sense of community. He also courageously supported the racial desegregation of the university. His vision and goals continue to this day to serve as a guide for the university's leaders. , As for the arena itself. it has been home to outstanding men's and women's basketball teams. Each program has enjoyed years of success. For example. from 1987-1990 the men's team posted a then record 31 consecutive home victories while appearing in the NCAA tournament four times and reaching the national title game in 1988. The tradition of NCAA invitations continues today with both women's and men's teams. , The multipurpose arena has also hosted Sooner wrestling and gymnastics events, national touring performance concerts, OU freshman convocations and several commencement exercises. , The arena was financed through the university's first $1 million gift by the Noble Foundation. The Noble Foundation has generously awarded millions of dollars in funding to the University of Oklahoma for projects including the David A. Burr National Merit Scholars, the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, and the President's Professors of Excellence program. In 1999, the Noble Foundation awarded $8.1 million to assist with the renovation and expansion of the Lloyd Noble Center. , Lloyd Noble left behind him a great legacy in areas as diverse as academic excellence, improvements in agriculture, advanced plant science and medical research, and wholesome athletic competition.