For those of us who attended college, there’s often a feeling of pride and nostalgia around our alma mater, as it served as the bridge between our youth and our adult lives.
While it’s not for everyone, many people deeply enjoy going to college reunions and seeing old friends and teachers, catching up, and looking back on fond memories.
It can also be deeply rewarding to learn how our old contacts have changed over time. Don’t be surprised if you feel a glow of pride when you learn that the girl who sat behind you in algebra now has her Ph.D., or that guy on your soccer team has since joined Manchester United.
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Many people often feel that the college they attended is a key part of who they are, helping to shape their lives in a significant way. It’s part of the reason going back after 20 years away can be meaningful for so many.
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However, not all colleges remain the same after we leave. A sad story has emerged about a historic private school that served an important sector of the population in Oklahoma, and both staff and students are mourning the loss.
A school with an 144-year history
Bacone College, originally chartered by the Muskogee (Creek) Nation in 1881, will be forced to follow an order on May 22 to “turn over all keys and control” of the school by 11 a.m.
This news comes almost a year after Bacone originally tried to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2024. However, U.S. trustee Ilene Lashinsky, who was assigned to the bankruptcy case, argued that untoward financial activity had taken place at the historic institution and made a motion that the bankruptcy be shifted to Chapter 7. Lashinsky’s filing called the college’s actions “gross mismanagement of the estate.”
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In the filing, Lashinsky explains that a payment of $16,500 was made by the college to the Small Business Administration to pay a loan owed by Leslie Hannah. Hannah became president of Bacone in April 2024, indicating that Hannah used the college’s funds to pay his SBA debt.
According to Hannah, he got an SBA loan in the amount of $15,000 before the college filed for bankruptcy to pay the college’s payroll. But Hannah and the SBA were not listed among his creditors when the college filed for bankruptcy.
In 2023, an auction was planned to help pay off some of the school’s debt from a lawsuit, but the auction was then canceled.
A Native American legacy
In its 144-year history, Bacone served a large number of American Indian students with a focus on what it calls a “quality, holistic, liberal art, educational experience.”Â
Bacone also frequently provided financial aid for its students via grants, such as the $95,000 contributed from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 2020.
Amanda Swope, the Director of Tribal Policy & Partnerships with the City of Tulsa, told KTUL in an interview that she’s sad to hear the news about this historic school.
“It’s certainly unfortunate. You know, not only it takes away an option from students and people in the rural part of Oklahoma that are seeking higher education, but, you know, Bacone was really such a mecca and a well-known university in Indian Country, and for Native students in particular,” said Swope.
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