The Puterbaugh Tradition at the University of Oklahoma

A Tradition of Excellence in Literary and International Studies

The Puterbaugh Conferences on World Literature are made possible by a generous grant from the J. G. Puterbaugh Foundation in McAlester, Oklahoma. The conference series is sponsored by the University of Oklahoma’s international literary magazine, World Literature Today, in collaboration with the Departments of Modern Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics and English. A rich tradition in support of literary and international studies at OU, the Puterbaugh Conferences bring the world’s greatest authors (often a winner or a soon-to-be winner of the Nobel Prize) to the OU campus for a course built around his or her work, an international symposium, a public talk, and various meetings with students. Since 1968, the Puterbaugh Conference series has furthered the literary and international studies education of thousands of OU students.
 
The Puterbaugh Conferences on World Literature continue to be a living tribute to J. G. Puterbaugh (1876–1965), an Oklahoma philanthropist, entrepreneur, and civic leader who loved poetry and believed it to be a source of cultural enlightenment and a means for understanding other cultures from around the world. He also believed in learning foreign languages as a primary channel of gaining insight into other cultures. The Puterbaugh program—honoring the example of Mr. Puterbaugh and also the many students who have been Puterbaugh student fellows for over forty years—demonstrates that at OU the spirit of learning about international literature and world culture is a lasting frontier.

The next Puterbaugh conference, featuring Spokane/Coeur d’Alene writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie (www.fallsapart.com), is scheduled for 24-26 March 2010.  If you’re interested in taking the Spring 2010 Puterbaugh class focused on Alexie’s work, click here. The deadline for Puterbaugh Student Fellowship applications will be January 20, 2010.

Puterbaugh Fellows
1968 - 2008