ORU celebrates founder’s 100th birthday

TULSA — Some 4,000 enthusiastic Oral Roberts University students were joined by alumni and guests at a Wednesday chapel service to celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of Oral Roberts, the school’s founder and namesake.

Granville Oral Roberts was born Jan. 24, 1918, in humble circumstances near Ada. Healed of tuberculosis at age 17, he launched a tent revival healing ministry based in Tulsa, pioneered television ministry, and founded ORU in 1967. He died Dec. 15, 2009, at age 91.

ORU President William Wilson, speaking at the chapel service, said it was unusual for a university to be named for a man who also served as its president.

He said Roberts’ almost 30 years as president of ORU left a mark on the school, a fully accredited university with a charismatic/Pentecostal foundation.

“The spiritual DNA of this university came out of the ministry and life of the amazing man that we're celebrating today,” Wilson said.

First, he said, "At ORU, we think big. Oral was ambitious for God. … Here we are today because someone dreamed big.”

And, he said, “At ORU, we believe that God is a good God.”

Wilson said ORU also continues Roberts’ belief that all healing comes from God, and that God wants people to be healed, through both prayer and medicine; that the Holy Spirit is foundational; that hearing and obeying God is to be without compromise; and that people should “live with generous expectation.”

Three videos were shown at the service, telling the story of Roberts' early life, his healing ministry and the founding of the university.

Appearing with Roberts on those clips were several U.S. presidents and entertainers including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lewis, Roy Clark, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante and Elvis Presley.

Joyce Bridgman, who has worked at ORU for 50 years and knew Roberts from when she was a young girl, played the piano for the service, as students sang "Something good is going to happen to you," an old classic from his television ministry.

“Oral Roberts University is a unique university and has been since the beginning,” Bridgman said after the service.