The first classes at Northwestern Normal School were held 110 years ago on Sept. 20, 1897. Northwestern celebrates its anniversary during this school year in conjunction with the State of Oklahoma’s Centennial celebration. This celebration had a reenactment of a 1937 campus visit when Eleanor Roosevelt came to be a part of dedication ceremonies for the new buildings of Jesse Dunn Hall, the Science Annex, which is now Carter Hall, and Horace Mann Hall, today's Joe. J. Struckle Education Center. Local tradesmen and craftsmen shared their talents in the mall area of campus near the fountain. The university band entertained the crowd at a Chuckwagon lunch, as well as prior to the rededication of the cornerstone of the Fine Arts Building, which was originally named Science Hall and was completed in 1907. A Masonic Lodge ceremony took place just outside the building. Although the plan was to remove the time capsule hidden away for the past 100 years behind the building's cornerstone, it was unable to be retrieved without damaging the building. Plans are to place a new time capsule in a location soon to be determined so fellow Rangers can try their hand at removing the time capsule 100 years from now to see what was happening at the university in 2007.

Among the items to be placed in the 2007 time capsule are:
 

1. A copy of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Centennial Celebration Poster
2. Two copies of the current 2007-2008 Northwestern Oklahoma State University telephone directory listing all current full time faculty and staff.
3. A copy of the 108^th Annual Spring Commencement Spring Exercise Bulletin listing all graduates in the spring of 2007
4. A copy of the booklet, A Brief History of Alva Lodge # 105 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons 1896-1996.
5. A copy of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University 2007 schedule for the following sports: The Ranger Soccer Team, The Ranger Football Team and the Ladies and Men’s Ranger Basketball Teams.
6. A copy of the Northwestern News dated Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007.
7. A copy of the current 2007 Northwest Oklahoma Yellow Book (telephone book.)
8. Business cards from all interested individuals, both affiliated and not affiliated with the University
9. Other items which the committee may deem necessary
10. A Letter addressed to THE FUTURE: Hope you guys 100 years from now have better luck removing the capsule than we did.

Anyone who would like to submit items for consideration to be placed in the time capsule, should do so soon.