The Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture replaced the Oklahoma A&M College Board of Regents soon after the territory gained statehood in 1907. The new board members were appointed by Governor Charles N. Haskell and first met on November 21, 1907 in Guthrie.

Sensing a change in political winds, the college’s president, Angelo Scott, resigned and soon the majority of the faculty were reassigned or dismissed.

Like the first territorial board of regents, the switch to new oversight didn't stop the problem of political patronage and the instability it created could slow progress from time to time.

While the governor no longer served as an ex-officio member of the new board, he still had authority to appoint its members.

The Board of Agriculture would continue to provide oversight until 1944; two of its most prominent members were John Whitehurst (pictured), who served from 1918-1926, and Harry Cordell (next photo), from 1926-1937. Whitehurst had a reputation as a builder, and Cordell was a key leader in the difficult days of the Great Depression. The current OSU administrative building is named for Whitehurst and a former residence hall for Cordell.