Research and education in the field of combustion at the University of Oklahoma dates back to 1963, when the Flame Dynamics Laboratory was established under the direction of Dr. C. M. Sliepcevich, George Lynn Cross Research Professor, and Robert W. Hughes, Centennial Professor Emeritus of Engineering. Initial activities of this laboratory were focused on the 'hostile' aspects of combustion such as fires. When Dr. Sub. Gollahalli, Lesch Centennial Chair of Mechanical Engineering, joined the university in 1976, the flame dynamics laboratory was expanded to the present Combustion Research Laboratory, with research work on the 'beneficial' facets of combustion such as performance improvement and emission control of flames. Approximately one hundred students have completed their research projects and more than three hundred publications have been generated by the activities of the laboratory. The sponsors of the combustion research at the University of Oklahoma include both government agencies (Coast Guard, DoD, DoE, DoT, NASA, NSF, Army and OCAST), and industry (AGA, DOW Chemicals, EPRI and GRI).