Durant in Bryan County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)

The President's Home

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2025

1. The President's Home Marker

Inscription.
In 1917, Governor Robert L. Williams sent an executive request to the legislature asking for funds to build campus homes for the presidents of Oklahoma’s six regional normal schools. Williams was successful, and by the Spring of 1918, President T. D. Brooks moved into Southeastern’s new presidential structure. Jewell Hicks was the noted architect who designed the post-Victorian American Foursquare that was built at a cost of $6,200. The home has been continuously occupied by the President since its dedication.

The most famous overnight guest of the residence visited in the Spring of 1937. Southeastern President Kate Galt Zaneis, the first woman in American history to serve as a state college president, held a reception in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt, the first lady of the United States. The President’s Home continues to play a significant role as the primary venue for hosting visiting scholars, dignitaries, constituents and alumni.

Erected by Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.

Location. 34° 0.32′ N, 96° 22.736′ W. Marker is in Durant, Oklahoma, in Bryan County. It is at the intersection

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of North 6th Avenue and University Boulevard, on the right when traveling south on North 6th Avenue. The marker is located in front of the subject house on the Southeastern Oklahoma State University campus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1401 North 6th Avenue, Durant OK 74701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Choctaw Nation.

It is also in the American South,

specifically on the prairies,

and on the Southern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Morrison Hall (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library (about 400 feet away); The Russell Building (about 700 feet away); Durant (approx. 0.8 miles away); Confederate Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away); Bryan County V.F.W. Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away); Bryan County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away); General Ira Eaker (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Durant.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Also see . . . Kate Galt Zaneis (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: Kate Galt Zaneis (1887-1973) was an American educator. In May 1935, she became president of Southeastern Oklahoma State Teachers College, becoming the first woman to lead a state college or university in the United States. Zaneis' tenure in the role was short and not without controversy, beginning when she appointed her favorite
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2025

2. The President's Home Marker
Looking west from North 6th Avenue; the marker is directly in front of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University President’s Home.
instructor, Dr. Everett Fixley, as dean, and continuing with the firing of faculty members without master's degrees. Furthermore, the salaries of the higher-paid men on staff were cut to adjust the pay scale of female faculty members, causing problems with townspeople. Successes included the securing of Public Works Administration funds to improve buildings and athletic fields on campus; mandatory political donations from faculty were ended, enrollment increased by 30%, and student work programs were funded.
She secured a speaking appearance by Eleanor Roosevelt. But public sentiment in Oklahoma was turning against the New Deal, and with the men of the faculty upset the State Board of Education fired Zaneis from her post in May 1937.

(Submitted on July 6, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

The President's Home (<i>east/front elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2025

3. The President's Home (east/front elevation)

The Southeastern Oklahoma State University President’s Home is also known as “Magnolia House.”

The President's Home (<i>southeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2025

4. The President's Home (southeast elevation)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 119 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 5, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.