TU Student Veteran Association

TU Student Veteran Association

The TU SVA, founded in 2011, has become one of the most recognized midwestern, private university chapters and is the largest, active chapter in Oklahoma. While it use to be housed in Fisher Hall, in 2016 the SVA was given a two-bedroom apartment to make into their own student lounge. At that time, the space became known as the Vet House, and to this day is still lovingly referred to as such. However, its formal name is now the McKee Student Veterans Success Center.

Before the Calvin C. McKee Endowment, the SVA chapter was a recipient of grant funds awarded by The Home Depot Foundation, in conjunction with Student Veterans of America. The award allowed for the student organization to remodel the apartment, giving the space a more open flow, new flooring, paint, furniture, etc. The space had a campus-wide grand opening during Veterans Day celebrations in 2017 and quickly became a place to do homework, each lunch and relax between classes.

The lounge is named in honor of Calvin C. McKee, a distinguished TU alumnus with a rich oil and natural gas background. McKee’s brother-in-law, Thomas Russell, made a generous gift in McKee’s name to honor his valiant military service from WWII to the Korean War.

The SVA hosts events throughout the year, such as tailgating, crawfish boils, welcome back luncheons, and more. All students are welcome to join in on the festivities!