logo
Login Subscribe
Google Play App Store
  • News
    • Obituaries
    • Lifestyle
    • Opinions
  • Sports
  • E-edition
  • Calendar
  • Archives
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisers
    • Form Submission
    • About Us
    • News
      • Obituaries
      • Lifestyle
      • Opinions
    • Sports
    • E-edition
    • Calendar
    • Archives
    • Contact
      • Contact Us
      • Advertisers
      • Form Submission
      • About Us
Oklahoma State University receives a $120 million gift from T. Boone Pickens Foundation
sports
July 5, 2023
Oklahoma State University receives a $120 million gift from T. Boone Pickens Foundation

Oklahoma State University will receive a $120 million gift from the T. Boone Pickens Foundation, OSU President Kayse Shrum announced today.

Pickens passed away on Sept. 11, 2019. He was a legendary energy executive, proud OSU alumnus and transformative philanthropist whose giving to OSU now approaches $650 million.

A majority of the gift — $63.7 million — will go toward student scholarships, helping to ensure more students have access to higher education and can pursue their dreams without financial burden. This gift will be designated to the Pickens legacy scholarship funds and will double the impact of donor contributions.

Additionally, $25 million will support the recently announced OSU Human Performance Innovation Complex which will enhance the health and wellness among students, OSU athletes and the broader Oklahoma community. The facility will house the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI) and the Cowboy Football Center.

“Physical, mental and spiritual health played a big part in Boone’s life,” said Jay Rosser, T. Boone Pickens Foundation director. “Boone’s passion for health and research programs is evidenced by his philanthropic support for a wide range of worldclass institutions, including MD Anderson, UT Southwestern, the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Univer-sity, the Center for Brain Health in Dallas and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary, among others. He would be pleased OSU is positioning itself through HPNRI to discover and apply evidence- informed solutions to improve lives.”

The gift also includes plans for renovating and reconstructing the acclaimed Karsten Creek golf course — home of the Cowboy and Cowgirl collegiate golf teams. Pickens enjoyed a long friendship with former OSU golf coach and athletic director Mike Holder. Pickens supported many of Holder’s extensive projects, foremost among them the reimagined and reconstructed football stadium, which bears Pickens’ name.

The gift includes donating Pickens’ vast personal and business archives to OSU for a museum to celebrate Pickens’ legacy as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. OSU will construct the publicly accessible museum inside the west end zone of Boone Pickens Stadium.

“We are incredibly thankful to the T. Boone Pickens Foundation for this extraordinary gift,” Dr. Shrum said. “Boone was a true leader and visionary whose investments, involvement and advocacy for energy independence drove America’s oil and gas industry for nearly seven decades. But it was his generosity that had the most significant impact.

“Even today, almost four years after his death, he continues to make an impact for good through the generosity of his foundation. As a result, a new generation of Oklahoma State students will have access to life-changing scholarships, researchers to world-class facilities, and student-athletes to outstanding academic and athletic facilities. Once again, one cannot overstate his impact on our university.”

Rosser echoed Shrum’s gratitude for the gift and Pickens’ unwavering support of OSU.

“Boone Pickens’ love for Oklahoma State University knew no bounds,” Rosser said. “His unwavering commitment to seeing the university thrive academically and athletically was inspiring. We are proud to carry on his legacy with this $120 million gift to his alma mater. We hope this contribution will inspire others to continue supporting Oklahoma State’s endeavors, just as Boone did throughout his life and beyond. We are honored to be able to continue his legacy and support the university he loved so deeply.”

Established in 2006, the T. Boone Pickens Foundation has made significant philanthropic contributions to advance health, medical research, fitness, conservation, athletics and education. But nowhere has Pickens’ generosity been more impactful than at OSU.

“Thanks to this gift, Oklahoma State will be able to provide more students with access to an excellent education while strengthening our position as a leader in research and athletics. Through his historic gifts, Mr. Pickens helped position Cowboy football as one of the nation’s winningest programs over the last two decades. OSU Athletics deeply appreciates the T. Boone Pickens Foundation’s incredible generosity and unwavering support. Health and performance were very important to Mr. Pickens personally and he was a leader in providing those opportunities for his staff and employees. Specifically, the gift to support the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute will help us advance our land-grant mission by uniting the academic expertise of our human performance and nutrition experts, led by Lance Walker, with data- informed strategies and resources that will benefit all of our athletic programs and all Oklahomans,” said OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg.

The OSU/A&M Board of Regents acknowledged the $120 million gift from the T. Boone Pickens Foundation at its June 16 board meeting.

“This gift will have a lasting and transformative impact on our university community, providing vital resources and opportunities to students, faculty, athletes and staff,” said Jarold Callahan, chair of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents. “We want to thank the T. Boone Pickens Foundation for supporting Oklahoma State University in its ongoing pursuit of excellence as one of the nation’s premier landgrant universities.”

news
Give Back Day featuring 2 new services
June 18, 2025
The monthly Give Back Day, held the fourth Tuesdays at Under One Roof, will feature a couple of new professionals this month. On June 24, joining the Health Department’s visit will be Jacob Guinan, fr...
news
Friendship Kitchen Celebrates 12th Anniversary
June 18, 2025
In June 2013, the vision of serving nutritious meals in a welcoming atmosphere of friendship and spiritual acceptance became a reality in the Eufaula Lake community. On opening day, thirteen guests we...
commentary
Why does God love us?
June 18, 2025
One thing for certain God does not love us because of our goodness or because we are worthy of it. The prophet Jeremiah accurately described us in Jeremiah 17:9,”The heart is deceitful and desperately...
Spirit of farm themed VBS radiated in LECC’s sanctuary Sunday
news
Spirit of farm themed VBS radiated in LECC’s sanctuary Sunday
June 18, 2025
Vacation Bible School at Lake Eufaula Christian Church concluded with many rip-roaring “Yee-Haws” as children demonstrated how they felt after two days of learning about God’s greatest gift. When Asso...
Golden Eagle Poker Run makes a splash despite stormy weather
news
Golden Eagle Poker Run makes a splash despite stormy weather
June 18, 2025
Rain or shine—nothing could stop the 2025 Golden Eagle Poker Run from being one of the most exciting and memorable events on Lake Eufaula! Despite a surprise storm that soaked participants and volunte...
Book Review: Skousen’s ‘The Big Three in Economics’
commentary
Book Review: Skousen’s ‘The Big Three in Economics’
June 18, 2025
To better understand economic thought, I decided to tackle Mark Skousen’s 2007 book “The Big Three in Economics: Adam Smith, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes.” Not written as an economics textbook bu...
United for Oklahoma
ePaper
google_play
app_store
Editor Picks
news
County sales tax income up from last year
June 18, 2025
The Oklahoma Tax Commission recently released city sales tax collection figures that primarily represents local tax receipts from April business. The monies they reported this period represent sales f...
news
CASA for Children announces upcoming volunteer training in July
June 18, 2025
Muskogee - Every child in foster care deserves someone in their corner. This summer, you can be that someone. CASA for Children is offering a new volunteer training class beginning this July. The trai...
Community Calendar
news
Community Calendar
June 18, 2025
If you would like to list your meeting or event in the Community Calendar, please email all the information to jerry@cookson.news, call the Indian Journal at 918-689-2191 or drop the information off a...
Oklahoma democrat seeks DNC Vice Chair after overturned election
news
Oklahoma democrat seeks DNC Vice Chair after overturned election
By BLAKE MADDEN GAYLORD NEWS 
June 18, 2025
WASHINGTON— Kalyn Free — a Native American attorney and longtime Oklahoma Democrat — is running again for DNC vice chair, hoping to reshape the party’s focus on rural and Indigenous communities follow...
news
Cole seeks to protect Indian Health Service from budget cuts
By KYLIE CALDWELL GAYLORD NEWS 
June 18, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R, Moore), an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, has spent 22 years in Congress fighting to protect tribal funding and says he won’t allow cuts to the Indian Hea...
Facebook

THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL
100 N. 2nd Street
Eufaula, OK 74432

(918) 689-2191

This site complies with ADA requirements

© 2023 THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Policy