Brief History of the Oklahoma State Science & Engineering Fair

1921 - The Society for Science [formally known as Science Service and The Society for Science and the Public] was founded with the goal of keeping the public informed of scientific achievements.

1950 - Science Service created the National Science Fair for high school winners of local and regional science fairs, first held in Philadelphia.

1956 - National Science Fair hosted in Oklahoma City.

1958 - The competition became the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the first time when Japan, Canada, and Germany joined the competition.

1970s - Oklahoma ranked second in sending the most students to ISEF, which was once again held in Oklahoma City in 1975.

1997 - Intel became a major sponsor and the annual fair has since grown substantially.  with affiliated fairs in more than 75 countries, regions, and territories.

2017 - Funding for the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair (OSSEF) was cut from the Oklahoma State Department of Education's budget. Retired dentist and former science teacher, James Young, generously donated $50,000 to ensure to continuation of the state science fair through 2018.

2018 - After being hosted at East Central University for 45 years, Oklahoma State University stepped in as host site for OSSEF. Initial support was received from OSU's President's Office, Provost's Office, Office of Enrollment and Brand Management, and College of Education & Human Sciences to fund OSSEF operations in those early years.

2020 - Regeneron became the major sponsor of the International Science and Engineering Fair, which was held virtually that year.

Today - OSSEF hosts approximately 200 student participants and hundreds of judges, volunteers, teachers, and community members each year at OSU. OSSEF showcases outstanding curiosity, innovation, and creativity among Oklahoma young people. 

ISEF is the largest pre-college science competition in the world. ISEF hosts >1,500 winners of regional, state, and national competitions from >60 countries, regions, and territories for a week-long celebration of STEM across 22 categories. At the event, these young innovators share ideas, showcase cutting-edge research, network with world-glass scientists, innovators, and academic institutions. ISEF Finalists compete for more than USD 9 million in awards and scholarships. The top prize is $100,000.

The Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair Program is greatly indebted to faculty and staff at East Central University for their many years of service and dedication, James Young for his personal sacrifice to support STEM opportunities for students in Oklahoma, the vast number of local science educators and regional fair directors who have continued to demonstrate great passion and perseverance, and the various entities at Oklahoma State University working toward offering OSSEF for years to come.