In the first nameless issue, charter class students were asked to name the newspaper by choosing from a list of 8 names, among which were "The Oaklandler" and "The Egg Head." They selected a name that was not on the original list: "The Oakland Observer."

The newspaper was written, edited, and published by students under the guidance of OU faculty and staff. Tony Hammer was its first editor. Soon the newspaper moved to its own office in the new student center.

At first, the newspaper was funded by a university subsidy, but starting in 1961 a student publication fee was assessed on all students.

The first issues dealt mostly with student and university concerns, such as students' beards and plans for a student government.

The newspaper slowly moved to the left and became much more political and radical after 1968, when students from the Oakland chapter of the Society for a Democratic Society took control of its editorial policy. Like students on other campuses they expressed their opposition to the Vietnam War and established order, even as the paper continued to cover OU stories.

In Fall 1969, students voted not to continue to be assessed for a student newspaper, which caused the Observer to stop publication in December of that year.

Focus: Oakland (1969-1974)

At the same time, Focus: Oakland started publishing in the fall of 1969. It quickly dropped its magazine-style format to return to the cheaper newsprint.

Financed entirely by sales and advertising revenue, the newspaper had its office in St John Fisher Chapel.

Focus did not shy away from controversial topics and published articles on themes such as "Racism at OU: Myth or Reality?", women's liberation, and national politics.

Its last issue came out in October 1974.

The Oakland Sail (1975-1987)

In the first issue of September 24, 1975, President O'Dowd explained that the Oakland Sail tried to find a model between a fully independent newspaper like Focus and one supported by student fees, like the Observer.

Published bi-weekly, the paper was more focused on issues of interest to OU students - from parking problems to student government .