1939: Work was scheduled to resume on a new music and shop building, according to President W.W. Isle. Construction operations on the large stone structure were suspended because of a shortage of funds. The stoppage left the building with only a partly completed roof.

1955: Segregation was ending at Southwestern. In the fall, Negro students would be allowed to enroll as undergraduate students.

1961: Four new teachers were added to the Southwestern staff. Dr. Dale Hassinger was employed in the Division of Education, while Austin E. Jay filled a temporary position on the biology teaching staff. Charles Wayne Ellinger was employed as a European history teacher, while Russell Coleman was named to replace Richard Coy as head of instrumental music.

1973: Jesse Perry Jackson, an all-time sports star at Southwestern in the 1920s, died of a heart attack at his home in Houston, Texas.

1979: Virgil Downing, manager of the Memorial Student Center, announced he would be retiring. Downing started work at SWOSU in 1960. Named to replace Downing was Jack D. Watson, former athletic director at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City.