Haramaya University (formerly known as Alemaya University) is one of the oldest universities in Ethiopia. The university was founded with the help of Oklahoma State University (OSU), accepting its first students in 1954, and the new campus was opened in January 1958 by Emperor Haile Selassie. OSU's participation set a record for American technical assistance programs, with 60 professionals supporting this project at one time, but due to the lack of qualified educators this required a commitment to his endeavor from the University for several years; this degree of commitment was due to the personal support of the former OSU president, Henry G. Bennett.