Originally posted by: jlbenedict
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS), the term Sooners came into use in 1889, after the Unassigned Lands were settled in what was the first of the land runs. It was a derogatory term, used to describe settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands before President Harrison officially proclaimed them open to settlement until the Indian Appropriation Act of 1889.
These settlers often fiercely defended their unlawful claims (e.g., the U.S. Supreme Court case of Smith v. Townsend 148 U.S. 490 (1893)). The term had negative connotations among the early legal settlers of Oklahoma Territory well into the 20th century.
In 1908, the University of Oklahoma adopted 'Sooners' as the nickname of their football team (after having first tried 'Rough Riders' and 'Boomers'). Within about a decade, the term had mostly lost its association with those who had broken the law and it became what the OHS characterizes as a "badge of pride and progressivism"; eventually (though never officially), the state of Oklahoma became known as "The Sooner State." The term Sooners now primarily refers to the students, fans and alumni, including members of the sports teams, of the University of Oklahoma, but may also refer to anyone who has prematurely settled in reserved lands[1] (such as in the novel Brightness Reef by David Brin).
