LANGSTON, Okla. — Dr. Henry Ponder considers Langston University home.

Ponder, a 1951 graduate recently honored with the 2010 Langston University Distinguished Service Award, said the university will always be special because of its dedicated faculty and the commitment of the people who created it.

“Things are tough now, we know that, but just think, at a time when we had no college to attend, a group of African Americans petitioned the state to set up a school so we now have something to call home,” Ponder said.

The land grant university, founded in 1897, is today the only historically black institution of higher education in the state and the westernmost historically black university in the country. President JoAnn Haysbert calls Langston University the state’s “hidden treasure.”

Charles King Jr., director of the Langston Community Development Corporation, said city and Langston University officials are working together to clean up the city so others can rediscover the “unknown jewel.”

“Langston is undergoing an extreme makeover. So by doing these things we’ll give people a different impression when they come here,” King said. He said the makeover would allow the Langston Community Development Corporation to promote economic development and give the university a chance to become more of a college town.

Appointed president five years, ago, Haysbert said she received a disheartening sight the first time she glanced through her office window. The view was “barren,” she said.

Today, that view is changing for the good as the city prepares to start work by the end of March on city improvement projects. The projects are targeted to be completed by October.

Haysbert said more than $2 million in stimulus money was approved for Langston to use for improvements such as sidewalks, decorative street lights, going green in the community, cleaning it up and doubling the size of city hall.

King said of this $250,000 would be used to make the city hall energy efficient while $200,000 would be used to make street lighting more energy efficient. The work will be done alongside Highway 33, also known as Sammy Davis Drive.

The university will also be allowed to shift approximately $190,000 of its $800,000 HUD grant to develop softball fields at the city park. The fields will be used by the university’s softball team.

“Langston, unfortunately being the historic community that it is, does not have ample facilities for young people to engage themselves in recreationally. Of course if they are able to do that then there are all kinds of benefits,” King said. “One, they have less time to run afoul of the law, get in trouble with their parents, but also it gives them a chance to be in organized sports and other activities that will hopefully help create a better environment for them to grow and nurture in.”

Haysbert said the work to support economic development initiatives is one of the nine strategic directives that she incorporated to represent a 10-year plan for Langston University.

The goal is progressing and Haysbert said her strategic plan for both the university and Langston is going exceptionally well as she strives to create more public knowledge for her university and its town.

“The most difficult part of that strategic plan was to build a partnership with the city of Langston and to grow a college town,” Haysbert said. “For the past three years, we’ve been having presidential town hall meetings.”

Town hall discussion has focused on portraying both the university and the city communities as one main family with an interest in cleaning up the area. Haysbert also established a town and gown committee of faculty members who live in Langston, since they have a vested interest. Haysbert said the university is also interested in bringing more housing developments into the community, which would allow more university faculty and students to live in Langston instead of commuting. Officials also hope to bring in other businesses.

Marilyn Ashley, who moved to Langston in 1997, said it would be a great thing to see new businesses in town. She said she travels to Guthrie, Stillwater or Oklahoma City to pick up anything she needs besides her mail.

“Langston is one of 13 surviving black communities and we are the most successful of those 13 surviving and that is primarily because of Langston University,” King said.