ADA, Okla. – More than a century after Chickasaw citizen Dan Hays donated 16 acres of his land to help establish a teacher-training institution in Ada, his legacy now has a permanent place on the campus he helped create.

On Friday August 28, East Central University, along with the Chickasaw Nation, unveiled a new statue by sculptor James Blackburn, honoring Hays and recognizing the man whose generosity in 1909 helped lay the foundation for what would become ECU.

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