CENTENNIAL HISTORIES SERIES

By Doris Dellinger

0 K H O M A STATE UNIVERSITY Centennial Histories Series

Connnnittee W. David Baird Murl Rogers LeRoy H. Fischer J. L. Sanderson B. Curtis Hamm Warren Shull Harry Heath Milton Usry Beulah Hirschlein Odell Walker Vernon Parcher Eric I. Williams

Robert B. Kamm, Director Carolyn Hanneman, Editor Carol Hiner, Associate Editor

CENTENNIA1^I 1890•1990 A History of the Oklahoma State University Foundation

by Doris Dellinger

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY / Stillwater Published by Oklahoma State University Centennial Histories Series, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078

Copyright © 1988 by Board of Regents for Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dellinger, Doris A history of the Oklahoma State University Foundation. (Centennial histories series) Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Oklahoma State University Foundation—History. 2. Endowments—Oklahoma—Stillwater—History. I. Title. II. Series. LB2336.3.05D45 1988 378'.0079 88-15111 ISBN 0-914956-33-7 Contents

Foreword vii Preface ix Introduction 3 1 A Partnership Effort 5 2 Meeting Education's Price Tag 17 3 The Margin of Greatness 27 4 The Magic Million . 43 1967-73 5 Bringing Tables In 61 1974-76 6 Vision and Vitality 11 1976-79 7 The Foundation's Giant 91 8 Watershed Years 101 1981-84 9 A Lasting Imprint 123 10 Celebrating the Ties 137 11 Small Donors Are the Bedrock 155 12 Making a Difference 165 Appendices 185

1 OSU Foundation Leaders 185 2 Members of the OSU Foundation Board of Governors 186 Selected Bibliography 193 Index • 199 Foreword

The history of Oklahoma State University is one of a century of growth and development, through good times and bad times. An impor­ tant segment in the life of the university today (one which aims to add to the good times and to lessen the impact of hard times) is the OSU Foundation which will celebrate its 30th birthday soon after OSU celebrates its 100th. In its relatively short life, however, the worth and the significance of the foundation have been clearly established, as it has carried out its supportive role of garnering private monies and assets to assist OSU in fulfilling its mission. In some ways the writing of A History of the Oklahoma State Univer­ sity Foundation was made easier because of the recency of its establish­ ment. Many of the people who played roles in the founding and the development of the foundation are still alive and were available for inter­ views, as contrasted to the situations in most of the volumes of the Cen­ tennial Histories Series, where little first-hand information was available, and the data had to be researched and evaluated carefully. On the other hand, the recency of foundation information placed special responsi­ bilities on the author as she considered materials which had not been winnowed and sifted through the years. Doris Dellinger, in writing her second volume in the Centennial Histories Series (the first having been Intercollegiate Athletics), does an outstanding job in presenting the foun­ dation's relatively short history within the context, and as an important part, of the university's much longer history. Readers will enjoy Doris Dellinger's pleasant and upbeat style of writ­ ing. It's apparent that she found the story of the foundation to be an excit­ ing one, and that she enjoyed researching and writing the volume. Certainly, the opportunities to interact personally with so many who have played roles in the life of the OSU Foundation since its beginning added to the pleasures of writing the book. The Centennial Histories Committee is grateful to all who have shared in the production of A History of the Oklahoma State University Foun­ dation. Special appreciation is expressed to Vice President Richard Poole who gave creative leadership as the original coordinator of OSU's over­ all centennial observance, and who conceived the idea of a Centennial Histories Project. He and President L. L. Boger have been most gener­ ous and supportive. Dr. Ralph Hamilton, director of Public Information Services; Gerald Eby, head of University Publications Services; Edward Pharr, manager of University Printing Services; Heather Lloyd, refer­ ence librarian, and their respective staffs have assisted generously. Judy Buchholz, first Centennial Histories editor, served ably in the initial stage of the project. Ann Carlson, editor from August of 1984 through Febru­ ary of 1988, provided strong leadership in the project, not only in edit­ ing several of the early volumes, but also in establishing a standard of quality for the entire series. On March 1, 1988, Carolyn Hanneman, with her considerable experience as assistant editor, became editor, assur­ ing continued excellence of volumes. On March 21, 1988, Carol Hiner became associate editor, bringing to the project her many years of experience in publications. Dick Gilpin's dust jacket art has added much to the series. Special appreciation is expressed to Messrs. Robert Erwin and Charles Piatt, the two men who have directed the workings of the OSU Founda­ tion since its founding. Also, appreciation is expressed to Mr. Dale Ross, long-time associate of Charles Piatt in the work of the foundation, and since the fall of 1987, the executive director of the Centennial Coordinat­ ing Office.

Robert B. Kamm, Director Centennial Histories Project President Emeritus Oklahoma State University

June 1988 Preface

Everyone knows what a university foundation is. It's a dignified, benevolent concern with an eye on the future, much like a grandpar­ ent. It generates private funds to ease the stress in spots on the campus where taxpayers' dollars can stretch no further. Gifts magically flow in on a perpetual postal tide, surging mightily as emergencies strike, quietly swelling the university's coffers, conferring scholarships, fellowships, endowed chairs, and an occasional massive building. Well, not exactly. In a year spent in research and writing at the OSU Foundation office, I saw no magic, no sleight-of-hand. I saw skillful people using sophisti­ cated methods, then succeeding by adding the personal touch. I heard that after graduation, one has to learn to give something back. For the first time, I realized that it wasn't just a philosophy I was writing about. It meant me, too. And I found out that even small gifts to your alma mater can make you feel pretty good. OSU's Foundation is a youngster as far as raising funds is concerned. The University of Kansas Endowment Association, the nation's first university-related foundation supporting a state-supported institution, was formed in 1891. But the OSU branch hit the ground running twenty- six short years ago. Staff members wear suits and ties or dresses, but they all move as though they had track shoes on. They log more time behind the wheel of a car or in airport waiting rooms than in their favorite chair at home. They tell OSU's story with warmth and clarity, to encourage alumni and corporations to become partners in progress. To improve the classroom and the campus. To make a difference in the degree of excellence at Oklahoma State. The OSU Foundation does it year after year. And, although even mild-mannered newspaper reporters are hard to impress, I am impressed. Fund raisers are hard to gentle down. They're revved up, ready to trim another impossible project down to size. But they will stand still now and then. I'm grateful to Foundation President Charles E. Piatt and Vice President Dale E. Ross for taking such infinite care to explain the inner workings of the private corporation for this Centennial record. And for letting their inner emotions and thoughts shine through. In the interviews with Mr. Piatt and Mr. Ross there were, by turns, amusing stories and poignant vignettes about those with whom they visit, in homes and corporate headquarters, both modest and imposing, across the country. By deliberately wrestling snatches of quiet time from their crowded calendars again and again through 1986-87, both men were able to distill the flavor of their experiences into the book. Each seemed to enjoy the dip into the foundation's past, roving through the years previously left unexplored because Today was always urgent and Tomorrow beckoned with even greater potential for aiding OSU. By shaping the book, they were able to take full measure of the quantum leaps made by the foundation since 1961. I think they were pleasantly surprised. Part of the fun of writing the book was the opportunity to meet or visit via the telephone the people behind names one hears and reads about in connection with OSU and the outside world: Pat Bartlett, Scott E. Orbison, Bud Seretean, T. Boone Pickens Jr., Raymond A. Young, Dr. Melvin D. Jones, Jim and Dorothy Wilkinson, John F. Snodgrass, Dr. Richard Poole, Dr. Ralph G. Buckner, Dr. Robert C. Fite, Tom Ben­ nett Jr., J. Lewis Sanderson, Winfrey Houston, and others. Meeting the foundation's first executive director. Dr. Robert D. Erwin, and checking with former acting director Merlin London meant the slim leads to the early days of the organization could be fleshed out with facts. The original deans who urged the formation of a fund raising group were also enormously helpful: Dr. Robert B. Kamm, Dr. M. R. *Tete" Loh- mann. Dr. Eugene L. Swearingen, along with former OSU Alumni Association directors Murl Rogers and Ray Sharp, and the present direc­ tor. Dr. Jerry Gill. I'm also grateful to the foundation's Charlene Pinkston and Marni Shreeve, who had answers almost before I had questions. I strongly sus­ pect librarian-detectives Kathleen Bledsoe and Heather Lloyd and their aides know more about the long life of the university than anyone else. Former Centennial Histories editor Ann Carlson could always be counted on for expertise, a cup of tea, and a pep talk. Special thanks go to cur­ rent editor Carolyn Hanneman and associate editor Carol Hiner. Nice, warm thanks also go to my husband. Bob, and son, Rich, for Putting Up With Mother. My weed-choked flower beds will probably never speak to me again, but the past year spent on the campus I love best was priceless.

Doris Dellinger Class of 1976

June 1988 Introduction

It started with a gift. . .

By 1890, the Payne County settlers who had arrived in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 were eager to pioneer still another frontier—higher education. To assure the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature that Stillwater, Oklahoma Territory, was the ideal site for a proposed agricultural col­ lege and experiment station, the young prairie township had to surmount severe political and monetary hurdles. The dream was a worthy one. On Christmas Eve 1890, Territorial Governor George W. Steele signed a founding bill, giving official approval for the establishment of Okla­ homa Agricultural and Mechanical College in Payne County. But there were more hurdles ahead. One of the legislature's stipulations called for at least eighty acres for the school. After each family's scramble for land, who would willingly give it up? Four Stillwater farmers stepped forward. Alfred N. Jarrell volunteered the northeast forty acres of the land he had claimed. It adjoined that of Frank Duck, whose farm was nearest the struggling town of 480. Duck could spare forty. Charles A. Vree- land offfered the same, and Oscar Morse provided eighty more. The par­ cel of land formed the 200-acre gift needed * 'for a school capable of giving our children all the education they are capable of holding."^ Ten $1,000 bonds were required for construction of the first build­ ing and were to be issued by the community nearest the school. How­ ever, the effort of setting up new lives and livelihoods had drained most pioneer pockets. After months of work and **unfaltering patience," every avenue seemed exhausted. Spurred on by the knowledge that if bond money were not forthcoming, the college could be relocated, Stillwater's citizens incorporated as a municipality and approved the sale of the

Oklahoma State University 3 bonds.2 And that was only the start. Nearly every resident of Stillwater turned out to lend a hand as the first experiment station director burned off the high grass that concealed the corner markers of the school property. Back again they came on the second day of December 1891 to help turn the first furrows in the untouched soil. With the legislature's reluctant blessing and without a single building of its own, Oklahoma A. and M. College's first classwork began December 14, 1891, in a local church.^ As Oklahoma A. and M. College survived the rigors of its birth, com­ munity support for its educational and cultural programs continued. Pri­ vate giving provided medals for orators, small scholarships, tuition, cattle, or books. By 1957, when the college strode into a new era as Okla­ homa State University, such gifts had become essential to the land-grant institution's growth. In 1961, searching for funds to supplement state support became the task of the Oklahoma State University Foundation. In recent years, dona­ tions have funded scholarships and faculty awards, as well as provid­ ing the campus-enhancing Seretean Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts restoration in 1984, and the T. Boone Pickens Jr. School of Geology and the Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, both expected to be completed in 1988. The goal of the OSU Foundation remains the same in spirit in the Centennial Decade as that of four farm families and an entire commu­ nity in 1891: to aid in providing **a school capable of giving our chil­ dren all the education they are capable of holding,'' all the facilities that are needed, and the finest faculty to guide and instruct them.

Endnotes

1. LeRoy H. Fischer, Oklahoma State University Historic Old Central (Stillwater: Oklahoma State University, 1988), Chapter 1; A. E. Jarrell to B. B. Chapman, 25 June 1956, Alfred E. Jarrell File, Berlin B. Chapman Collection, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Okla­ homa State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma; A. E. Jarrell, "I Remember When . . . ," Okla­ homa State University Magazine, vol. 2, no. 1 (July 1958), p. 7; Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, M September 1974, p. 8. 2. For more information see Fischer, Chapters 2 and 3. 3. "What Is a Land-Grant University," 24 February 1962, p. 9, News Bureau, Division of Public Information press release, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University; "The Founding and Struggle for Survival," Oklahoma State Alumnus Maga­ zine, vol. 10, no. 5 (May 1969), pp. 12-15.

Centennial Histories Series A History of the Oklahoma State University Foundation 1 A Partnership Effort

A great university is the product of a great cultural tradition and a vital civilization. She can flourish only in a society that has the will to nourish such a tradition and the vitality to support it. John Gardner

In a moment of high achievement at Oklahoma State University, the dedication of the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts was celebrated on an overcast March morning in 1984. The restoration of this historic struc­ ture had been three years in the making. The dedication, held just across Morrill Avenue in the Seretean Cen­ ter for the Performing Arts, paid tribute to Floyd M. *Tete" and Helen L. *Tat" Bartlett of Tulsa for their million dollar investment in the university's future. When announced in 1981, theirs w^as the largest pri­ vate gift received by the OSU Foundation in its twenty years of existence. Bartlett children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends gathered in the Seretean theatre to hear the occasion designated *Tete and Pat Bart­ lett Day" by the city of Stillwater and the state of Oklahoma. Members of the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University attended, along with governors of the OSU Foundation and the faculty of the art depart­ ment. Tulsa sculptor Barbara Henshaw, who created a bust of Pete Bart­ lett for the new center, was there. And so was Californian Johanna Jordon, whose immense steel and enamel sculpture. Blue and Rust, representing the distinctive colors of the Oklahoma sky and earth, would rise two months later in the courtyard. From Governor George Nigh came acknowledgment via Regent Ed Long that Pete Bartlett had repaid **tenfold" Oklahoma's investment in his education. Mayor Christine Salmon spoke of Mr. Bartlett's devotion of a large part of his energy and means to OSU for three decades, as Mrs.

Oklahoma State University 5 Tulsa businessman F. M. "Pete" Bartlett and his wife, Helen L. "Pat," led fund raising for the extensive renovation of Gardiner Hall with a $1 million gift to OSU. Their generosity was acknowledged by OSU March 17, 1984, when the building reopened as the Bartlett Center for the studio Arts. During the dedication, the Bartletts were presented special medallions by the OSU Foundation.

Bartlett supported and encouraged him. Terming the Bartlett Center a partnership effort of private and public giving, OSU President Lav\rrence L. Boger added, **This university has one goal—achievement of greater excellence in higher education." In commemoration of "this special day in the life of the OSU family," Foundation President Charles E. Piatt presented the Bartletts original medallions inscribed, **Loyal Alum, Great Friend, Generous Benefactor.'' *This remarkable enterprise has captured the essence of the old and the new," Piatt said of the impressive state-of-the-art center, '*typify- ing their characteristic concern for the benefit of others." Amid flash­ bulbs and stage lights, the distinctive bronze medals danced along their orange and black neck ribbons, as solid and steadfast as the pair who now wore them. Bartlett seemed determined to lighten the solemn moment, reveling in the fact that he was Irish and an engineer and it was St. Patrick's Day. Several times his words drew guests to their feet, as they showered him with warm applause. He said he made the gift' 'because I had it.'' Then

Centennial Histories Series he pointed out that it was often easier for universities to gain money for developing physical facilities for the sciences than for the arts. 'The arts present a priority which cannot be handled with state funds," he underlined. 'Tt has to be substantially supplemented with outside or contributed funds." The philanthropist admitted, '1 can't paint a barn. I can't sing or dance. I have learned to appreciate those things of beauty in the world. It came to my mind that even red and white can be beautiful . . . when it's on a Christmas tree!'' With that, the devoted OSU sports fan allowed a grin to escape before turning serious. 'Tou come here today to honor us and to dedicate this building," Bartlett told the audience, **but the greatest honor for all of us will be those bright-eyed young students who will exit the doors of that build­ ing to make their mark on our society with their contribution to the cul­ tural development of our state and our nation.'' At the ceremony's end, the Bartletts and the guests streamed across the street in sudden sun­ shine for a reception and tour of the art center. The observance had long been anticipated by the foundation staff. For three years, special pleasure had been taken in shaping activities of appreciation around a unique pair who had always answered **yes"

The blue of Oklahoma's sky and the rust of its earth are expressed in the stainless steel and porcelain enamel sculpture by Johanna Jordon. A gift of the F. M. Bartletts, Blue and Rust weighs about two tons and was set in place May 25, 1984, outside the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts.

Oklahoma State University when invited to participate in university projects. There'd been festivi­ ties marking the donation, the demolition of the structure's interior, *Tete and Pat Day," a dinner, and, at last, the dedication.^ In the history of OSU and of its foundation, March 17, 1984, was a day of excellence. Restoration of the four-story brick structure that had begun life in 1910 as the Women's Building, but became familiar as Maud Gardiner Hall, a building which served as a dormitory as well as providing offices and laboratories, signalled an advancement for the cultural dimensions of the university. The landmark's preservation also served as a vibrant reminder of the aspirations and openheartedness of those who helped launch OSU in 1890 as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, and of all those whose generosity has followed. For more than a quarter of a century, the OSU Foundation has had a major impact on the acceleration of the scholastic, athletic, and cul­ tural growth of Oklahoma State, building on the dreams of the original donors and founders. Traditionally, public-supported institutions of higher learning have been sustained by a combination of financial resources. Public funds legislated by the state of Oklahoma have been supplemented by tuition, fees, research grants, auxiliary enterprises, and private gifts. Even then, additional means to meet objectives have been essential to the university's well-being. Although Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College perpetu­ ally operated on the thin edge of financial difficulties, the situation once more became extreme by the fall of 1920. When the state legislature adjourned without supporting President James Cantwell's plea for advance planning and financing of Oklahoma A. and M. College, Cant- well resigned. The unresolved crisis greeted his successor. Dr. James B. Eskridge. In his inaugural address on November 1, 1921, President Eskridge spoke out. Buildings sorely needed repairs. Enrollment was up 25 per­ cent. Oklahoma A. and M. was, he said, **hard pressed on every side even for the plain necessities of a meager existence, with no margin what­ ever for expansion . . . young men and women [are] fighting a desper­ ate battle against poverty, some eating [only] hard bread and black sorghum . . . who, by every token of decency and fairplay, should have extended to them a kindly and sympathetic hand of helpfulness." President Eskridge's suggestion for aiding the newly-accredited campus, its students, and its faculty, called for the establishment of a foundation of **at least $100,000 judiciously invested," the income of which could aid students annually. Although that goal would not be realized for another four stressful decades, some immediate relief was provided. 2 Stillwater merchant Jake Katz had established the first on-going stu­ dent financial assistance in the fall of 1920 in memory of his son, Jer-

8 Centennial Histories Series The Bartletts share a quiet moment amid the festivities of "Pete and Pat Day" at OSU.

ome. Five annual scholarships of $100 each were awarded through 1927-28. Through the twenties, there were also the Alumni Corpora­ tion Loan Fund, Lahoma Club Loan Fund, agricultural scholarships, Oklahoma Bankers' Association scholarships, and Cooperative Livestock Development Association scholarships. Other key financial aid came from the Cooperative Elevator Award, Montgomery Ward scholarships. Cottonseed Crushers' scholarships. Royal Arch Masons Educational Fund, and the loan funds of the Okla­ homa Federation of Women's Clubs and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Others were added through the thirties and forties. In 1926, the Lew Wentz Foundation provided loans to 134 students, proving a source of aid that would flourish the next sixty years and beyond.^ For decades contributions, scholarships, loans, and funds for specific projects had enhanced the individual goals of several schools within OSU. Opportunities to tap corporations and private sources were greater for some deans than others; others preferred to devote themselves solely to academics, not to the pursuit of finances. Over time, however, those private pockets of spendable funds tucked here and there on campus and in banks were unsettling to department heads and deans whose own departments were not nurtured by them.* As the college had swung into the mid-fifties, it had become imper­ ative to bring all private funds under one umbrella. Six other universi-

Oklahoma State University ties in the Big Eight Athletic and Academic Conference were already benefiting from well-established foundations. The University of Missouri had chosen to raise funds through a university-related development office. Thus OSU's would be the youngest organization to consolidate fund raising, investment, and bookkeeping. A gradual consensus among deans acknowledged that it was time to pull it all together and to pro­ vide the economy of centralized administration of private gifts.^ Not surprisingly, the first efforts toward systematizing the scattered resources met with resistance. A self-reliant person. President Oliver S. Willham believed that OSU should be, too. His favorite saying, **Everything's got to stand on its own bottom," meant everything had to pay its own way. His innate reluctance to ask for contributions was well known to his faculty. He had grown up as a farm boy in southwest Oklahoma on '*a tough old piece of land,'' where dollars were hard to come by. Thus he appreciated their worth. But, while he believed in being charitable and was himself a very generous man, not even Dr. Willham's love for his university could override his inner aversion to asking for money.^ In the early years of his presidency following the death of Dr. Henry G. Bennett in 1951, President Willham had dealt with problems of great complexity. Completion of the ambitious twenty-five year building plan, with virtually no money on hand, was one of the first. In 1952 he approved the only concerted drive for college-wide funds in Oklahoma A. and M.'s sixty-one years, the effort to fund fully the Henry G. Ben­ nett Memorial Chapel. Willham was then engrossed in the college's work to modernize Ethiopia's educational system and coping with faculty reac­ tion during the McCarthy Communist-hunt days, as well as facing the civil rights and social upheavals starting in America. All of these he han­ dled skillfully, with insight and concern.^ Always charming as a conversationalist and a fine listener. Dr. Will­ ham willingly paid calls on prospective donors. But when it was time to ask for money, he drew the line. Although the need for a foundation at OSU was acknowledged by Willham, the lengthy gestation seemed to stem from the demands of the office and from the president's own personal convictions.^ Concerned about the top 10 percent of the state high schools' gradu­ ates annually departing for more prestigious universities, those with ties to Oklahoma A. and M. were determined to attract more bright young minds through increased numbers of scholarships. They also hoped to spark continuous development of teaching and research programs through awards to outstanding teachers and by landing research grants.^ Nor were the administration and faculty members the only ones acutely aware of the need for a foundation. Guided by Murl R. Rogers, executive secretary, the Alumni Association had been working to craft

10 Centennial Histories Series a development structure that would enable the school to move forward more rapidly. In 1956 the alumni began to work toward forming two divisions. The Alumni Association would continue to provide service to former graduates. The new branch, to be known as the Achievement Fund Program, would concentrate on funding scholarships for incom­ ing students. This necessitated amending the group's constitution to comply with the United States Department of Internal Revenue require­ ments so that gifts would be tax-deductible.^° **We had loyal alumni, but essentially no alumni giving at all," one of the more successful fund raising deans of that era observed. **No one had asked them for anything."^^ Then a small Russian space capsule dramatically changed the face of the American educational system. With the October 4, 1957, voyage of Sputnik and the accompanying explosion of scientific knowledge in both countries, the Space Age was ushered in. Almost overnight, a mas­ sive reassessment of instructional goals and methods burst across the United States. As society moved toward a more technically and econom­ ically complex era, schools dazzled by opportunities for change began to prepare for tomorrow. It was a year which also saw as a promising omen the official change of the school's name from Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Col­ lege to the more descriptive Oklahoma State University of Agriculture and Applied Science. To keep pace with Oklahoma State's goals, encouragement of the grov\^h of private support was essential.

A forerunner of the OSU Foundation was the Achievement Fund Board of Trustees of the OSU Alumni Association. The national drive to provide scholarships, research grants, and profes­ sorship awards was formulated in 1958 by a committee consisting of {left to right): Chairman Joe C. Scott; Ira Armstrong; Murl Rogers; Allie P. Reynolds; Roy Craig; Dr. Oliver S. Willham, president of OSU; and Ralph Ball, president of the Alumni Association.

Oklahoma State University 11 On October 27, 1956, the second major drive of its kind on the Okla­ homa A. and M. campus, the Achievement Fund Program chaired by major league baseball star Allie Reynolds was initiated by the alumni board of directors. Beginning in March 1957, it operated annually from March through June. By 1960 it had funded more than 100 scholarships to incoming freshmen. ^^ A special committee appointed by Dr. Willham set about exploring the possibilities offered by a development organization. Dr. Al E. Darlow, vice president and dean of agriculture, and a strong proponent of the concept, was named to head the group. Similar fund programs had been in operation for many years in nearly every American college and univer­ sity. Among land-grant schools, Iowa State's foundation was in its fourth year and had raised $209,450 the previous year. The Ohio State Develop­ ment Fund had produced $662,450 to aid its academic effectiveness. The University of Oklahoma Alumni Development Fund had just com­ pleted an $80,958 campaign for scholarships, research, and purchase of specialized equipment, while Dartmouth alumni had given $774,860 the past year and Harvard graduates $1,653,569 in 1955-56.^^ On April 29,1958, Dr. Darlow reported that the committee had unani­ mously recommended the university should immediately initiate steps to organize a co-ordinated fund raising agency, such as the '^Oklahoma State University Development Fund." The committee also suggested that **all existing organizations of this nature be included as subordinate parts of this one organization and that the president authorize the group to prepare with the legal counsel and other university officials a detailed proposal for subsequent action."^* When the project did not gain momentum, the faculty committee con­ tinued its efforts. In December 1959, the Oklahoma State University Magazine featured alumni plans for obtaining contributions to the Okla­ homa State University Educational Foundation to promote athletic fund raising. An earlier organization, the Research Foundation, which began operating in 1944, had concentrated on raising industrial funds and grants for research not already embraced by the Oklahoma Agricultural and Engineering Experiment Stations. Still, the alumni list of projects for 1959-60 cited setting up a fund director and full-time *Tund Pro­ gram" as a priority. ^^ To spur the molding of a successful all-university fund program, Shelby Wyatt of Chandler was selected to head an Alumni Association committee composed of Scott Orbison, Enid; Ralph Ball, Oklahoma City; and Houston Adams, Tulsa. Already working with Dr. Darlow were Dr. Robert MacVicar, vice president in charge of academic affairs; Dr. M. R. *Tete" Lohmann, dean of the Division of Engineering; Dr. Robert B. Kanun, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Eugene L. Swearingen, dean of the College of Business; and Rogers, Alumni Associ-

12 Centennial Histories Series Oliver S. Willham, preside;, . oma State University in 1962, examines a model that projects future plans for adding buildings to complete the central OSU campus.

ation executive secretary. Deans Lohmann and Swearingen were key members because through their own vigorous efforts, their colleges were already receiving the bulk of the incoming funds through grants and from companies eager to recruit their graduates.^^ Dr. Willham had directed Dr. Darlow's committee to consider the university's needs and its current sources of private support and to make recommendations for an intensified program in that area. From 1958 to 1960, the men had made an extensive study. Dr. Kamm, who had arrived on campus in 1958 from Texas A&M, had been enthusiastic about that institution's impressive fund raising efforts. The OSU faculty com­ mittee's firm recommendation was that an OSU foundation be incorpo­ rated **to guide and coordinate the various aspects of the university's development program. "^^ Education in Oklahoma was at a crossroads in 1960. Colleges and universities were still meeting in temporary buildings erected during World War II and in later years as veterans returned to the campus. OSU needed to replace sixteen temporary wood and frame buildings and thirty-four Quonsets which were seeing use as classrooms, laboratories, and offices, as well as eleven old buildings ranging in age from twenty- eight to sixty years. 'The No. 1 space need of this institution is to get us out of these tin huts and temporary buildings," Dr. MacVicar, OSU vice president, said on December 16. Two weeks earlier, Dr. John Dale Russell of New

Oklahoma State University 13 York University, had told state educators gathered in Oklahoma City, '^Improvement in faculty salaries is the No. 1 need in American higher education today." An additional crisis was about to surface at OSU in the form of the arrival of the first of the ''war babies" by 1968. The already overcrowded university was facing the prospect of a nearly dou­ bled enrollment of 15,000 by 1970.i« Suddenly discussions on the establishment and incorporation of the OSU Foundation had accelerated. On November 8, 1960, Dr. Darlow had written President Willham, "I am hoping that if you agree with me that it is desirable to establish the Foundation now that you will direct Mr. [John C] Monk to proceed with the necessary legal steps." Some nod of approval must have been given, for, after a search for a potential manager for the new enterprise, the committee made its final endorse­ ment. ^^ Convinced of the urgency. Dr. Willham approved the university foun­ dation committee's recommendations and their candidate, Robert D. Erwin, as director. Erwin, a 1948 alumnus with experience in market­ ing, was already on campus as a faculty member. *'The first I heard about it was when I was supposed to go over and see Dr. Willham," Erwin recalled in later years. "He told me what he wanted, and I told him I really wasn't interested." Classroom and exten­ sion work were absorbing to Erwin, and he told the president so. Will-

Alumnus Robert D. Erwin became the director of development in 1961 when the OSU Development Foundation was launched. He served as the fund raising group's executive officer until 1973.

14 Centennial Histories Series ham fielded the younger man's hesitancy by recounting an experience in his own career. "Well, Bob," the persuasive Willham said to Erwin, "when I took the job as acting president of A. and M., I told Dr. Bennett that I really didn't want to do that. I came here to teach and that's what I wanted to do. Dr. Bennett said to me, 'Oliver, we need you.'" On that basis, Erwin's own response was favorable.^^ The final step came on January 7, 1961, with the presentation of Erwin's name to the Board of Regents. President Willham defined the role of the OSU Development Foundation as a separate corporation, a new university-wide venture that would exist solely to serve the parent institution. Its only obligation would be to raise money to do things the administration could not do with state monies, to supplement OSU's state dollars with gift dollars from private sources.^^ The day follov\dng the regents' meeting, a Stillwater NewsPress story announced OSU's establishment of the foundation and noted that Erwin's appointment set up "a new department working out of the office of the university president." According to the newspaper, Willham told the regents, "Oklahoma business and civic leaders will form the mem­ bership of the foundation. "22 When he was tapped to direct the foundation, Erwin had been serv­ ing as acting director of the College of Business extension program since July 1, 1960. He had been a member of the staff since 1951. He received a master's degree from the Graduate School of Retailing at New York University in 1949 and later completed a doctorate at the University of Michigan. A personable, outgoing man, his background included experience in buying for large department stores, as well as teaching at the college level.^^ Through the partnership of administration, alumni, and faculty, the OSU Development Foundation had crystallized.

Endnotes

1. Videotape of Bartlett Center dedication, 17 March 1984. Oklahoma State University Foun­ dation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. Philip Reed Rulon, Oklahoma State University—Since 1890 (Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press, 1975), pp. 166-167; Kay Nettleton, "OSU's Fourth Decade: Adolescence During the 'Roaring 20s,'" Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 55, no. 2 (Winter 1983), p. 3. 3. Oklahoma A. and M. College Catalogs, 1920-21 to 1946-47 indicate the years the Jerome Katz scholarship was offered. William Edward McFarland, "A History of Student Financial Assistance Programs at Oklahoma State University, 1891-1978, With an Emphasis on the Creation and Administration of the Lew Wentz Foundation" (Doctor of Philosophy disser­ tation, Oklahoma State University, 1979), pp. 13-15.

Oklahoma State University 15 4. Author interview with M. R. "Pete" Lohmann, 17 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 5. Author interview with Winfrey Houston, 2 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 6. Lohmann interview; Author telephone interview with Robert D. Erwin, 20 January 1987, Brooklyn, New York; Author interview with Melvin D. Jones, 11 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 7. Rulon, p. 283; "Can You Help 'Carry the Ball?'" Oklahoma A. and M. College Magazine, vol. 24, no. 4 (December 1952), p. 4. 8. Lohmann interview; Erwin interview; Jones interview. 9. Murl Rogers, "Achievement Fund Program Takes Shape; Board Named," Oklahoma A. and M. College Magazine, vol. 28, no. 4 (December 1956), p. 9. 10. Minutes of the OSU Alumni Association, 26 May 1956, Alumni Archives, Oklahoma State University. 11. Lohmann interview. 12. Minutes of the OSU Alumni Association, 26 May 1956; Rogers, "Achievement Fund Pro­ gram Takes Shape; Board Named," p. 9; Oris Taylor, "Alumni in Action," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 1, no. 4 (April 1960), p. 10. 13. Murl Rogers, "The Alumni Achievement Fund Program," Oklahoma A. and M. College Magazine, vol. 28, no. 7 (March 1957), p. 15. 14. Dr. A. E. Darlow to Dr. Oliver S. Willham, 28 April 1958, Office of the OSU Board of Regents, Oklahoma State University. 15. "Planning Alumni Projects," Oklahoma State University Magazine, vol. 3, no. 6 (Decem­ ber 1959), pp. 10-11; Taylor, pp. 9-11; Research Foundation File, 1944-54, President's Papers, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University. 16. "Pointing the Way to Progress," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 2 (Febru­ ary 1961), pp. 16-17; Minutes of Alumni Association Board of Directors, 29 October 1960, p. 3. 17. "Pointing the Way to Progress," p. 16. 18. Scott Orbison, "Money! Will It Be Provided?" Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 1, no. 4 (April 1960), pp. 14-15; Dr. Oliver S. Willham, "The Price Tag of Excellence," Okla­ homa State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 2 (February 1961), p. 7. 19. Dr. A. E. Darlow to Dr. Oliver S. Willham, 8 November 1960, Office of the OSU Board of Regents. 20. Erwin interview. 21. Minutes of the OSU Board of Regents, OSU and Board Material (General), 7 January 1961, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library; Stillwater NewsPress, 8 January 1961), p. 4; Author interview with Robert B. Kamm, 3 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 22. Stillwater NewsPress, 8 January 1961, p. 4. 23. Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 10 January 1961, clipping. Foundation File, special Collections, Edmon Low Library; Stillwater NewsPress, 8 January 1961, p. 4; "Point­ ing the Way to Progress," p. 17. For more information on Dr. Erwin's career in the College of Business, see William M. Kincaid Jr., A History of the Oklahoma State University Col­ lege of Business Administration (Stillwater: Oklahoma State University, 1987).

16 Centennial Histories Series Meeting Education's 2 Price Tag

To give away money is an easy matter, and in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man's power—nor an easy matter. Hence it is that such excellence is rare, praiseworthy and noble. Aristotle

By January 16, 1961, Oklahoma State University's first director of development, Robert D. Erwin, was at his desk. The Oklahoma State University Development Foundation's office was in Room 226, at the northwest end of the Student Union. Murl R. Rogers and the Alumni Association occupied one end of the suite, with Hal N. Buchanan of the University Placement Service and Mr. Erwin at the other end. A secre­ tary and bookkeeper completed the foundation staff. The challenge and potential in starting from zero immediately drew Erwin into the project.^ From the onset, the foundation and the Alumni Association were designed to perform separate functions as each worked toward continued growth and the welfare of Oklahoma State University. Before accepting the position, Erwin had visited the foundations of Iowa State, Kansas, Colorado, and other universities with active development programs.^ Now he began organizing the class agent system of soliciting alumni financial support in cities across the United States. Representatives from each graduating class and each of the seven major academic divisions of the university served as contacts for initiating financial support. From the beginning, the emphasis was on encouraging large numbers of con­ tributions of all sizes, rather than concentrating solely on potential large donors. 3 The foundation's responsibilities were clearly stated: to assist in the public relations of the university, especially in those aspects which will lead to a greater understanding of the university's need for improved

Oklahoma State University 17 private financial support through gifts, grants, and bequests; to stimu­ late the interest of alumni and friends of the university in its develop­ ment; to facilitate this development by a continuing study of the institution's needs; to cultivate all potential sources of private support, both moral and financial; and to coordinate the university's special fund raising programs. As the foundation's first major effort, Erwin organized the Alumni Giving Program to supplant the earlier alumni Achievement Fund. Meet­ ings with OSU graduates in Tulsa and Oklahoma City set in motion fund raising events and phon-a-thons in those cities as the foundation sv^ning into action.* On February 11, Erwin outlined fund raising plans before the Alumni Association board. The first national chairman for the new Alumni Giv­ ing Program was longtime OSU supporter and 1915 graduate, William T. Payne of Oklahoma City, who had had a distinguished career in the oil industry. The drive would be conducted annually from May 1 to June 30. 'These gifts can make the difference between a good university and one of distinction by offering financial support to deserving students

One of the first tasks for the new OSU Development Foundation in 1961 was the organization of the annual Alumni Giving Program through a class-agent system in major Oklahoma cities and nationwide. Foundation Director Robert D. Erwin (right) checks alumni records with Murl Rogers, executive secretary of the Alumni Association.

18 Centennial Histories Series whose incentive for education is strengthened through scholarships," Mr. Erwin said.^ A special emphasis focused on aiding freshmen. Among the campus' leading fund raisers of the fifties were Dr. Eugene L. Swearingen, dean of the College of Business, and Dr. M. R. 'Tete" Lohmann, dean of the Division of Engineering. Dean Lohmann had assumed the leadership of engineering in 1948 at a time when his discipline was flooded with World War II veterans. But a shortage of engineering graduates began in the early fifties. Major companies responded by offering scholarships to seniors in the hope that the new graduates would join their firms. It was a policy that would haunt OSU. ''It was essentially 'buy-a-student,'" Lohmann explained. "I was always opposed to that. In the first place, if you have a very good stu­ dent and he's a senior, he doesn't really need help. He's established him­ self. He can grade papers. He can be a lab assistant. He's established a way of living. May be . . . modest, but he'll get by." Deans Lohmann and Swearingen felt freshman scholarships were vital in getting students started. "A freshman can't grade papers," Lohmann added. "He can't be a lab assistant. About the only jobs that are open would be sweeping and so forth. So I would argue with these companies, 'If you're going to give the seniors scholarships, why don't you balance it and give scholarships to the freshmen?'" The crusty dean was not above going further. "Then the companies began announcing grants of money or equip­ ment or prizes. At that time, and I'm sure Gene did the same, when a recruiter came around the campus, I insisted I see him. He was gener­ ally the one who was influential in where his company was going to put its money. He always had the input. And I leaned on these recruiters!" In the same decade, engineering and business were raising money primarily from companies, rather than from individuals. And the reason was simple. Lohmann said, "An individual might peel off a twenty, but when it came to a company you're talking five, ten, or twenty thousand dollars." Although these two deans were highly successful in efforts to aug­ ment their budgets. Dr. Lohmann stressed that it was not that the other deans were not interested. Rather, the business and engineering faculty members had contacts with business and industry, where money was more available at the time than it was for deans of agriculture or fine arts. As the money kept building, Lohmann and Swearingen began to encourage President Willham to do the same type of fund raising on a better-organized basis with a tax-exempt foundation.^ Excellence in higher education had always carried a price tag. State support for Oklahoma's institutions had never fully recovered from the

Oklahoma State University 19 1 p—-^ 2 '''

. OS U PUBLI C INFO F

Dr. Eugene L. Swearingen, dean of the College of Business, (/e/f) and Dr. M. R. "Pete" Loh­ mann, dean of the Division of Engineering (center) had been leading campus fund raisers in the 1950s. Both men encouraged President Willham to promote fund raising on a better organized basis with a tax-exempt foundation. Dr. Robert MacVicar, (right) dean of the Graduate College and vice president for academic affairs at OSU, called on the foundation Board of Governors for full support and able leadership in seeking additional finances for Oklahoma State University.

Depression years. Even then, the public schools were given 73.8 per­ cent of their educational and general funds by state appropriation. In recent years, the figures on that tag had shrunk to 55.3 percent in 1950 and 63.2 in 1956. Deeply concerned about OSU's future, in February 1961 Dr. Will­ ham included these facts in an eloquent plea to alumni, students, and parents, urging them to speak up and ask for greater legislative dollars, so that educational services, faculty salaries, and building upkeep might at least become competitive with schools in neighboring states, if not in the rest of the country. His message tacitly underscored the very real and immediate need for a revenue-producing foundation. ^ In May or June, Dr. Willham invited Mr. Payne and Ralph Ball of Oklahoma City, Scott Orbison of Enid, and Dr. Melvin D. Jones of Aus­ tin, Texas, to Stillwater to help shape the foundation. To give it more structure, the men decided guidance would be provided by a small group of trustees, with a larger board known as governors to assist. At the request of the college's legal counsel, John C. Monk, Stillwater attor­ ney Winfrey Houston worked with the men to establish the formal struc­ ture of the foundation, s Preliminary planning in place at last, on September 11, 1961, Dr. Oliver S. Willham opened the organizational meeting of the foundation in a setting of approval and anticipation. For the nine who gathered at his invitation, the president recapped efforts leading to creation of the

20 Centennial Histories Series organization. The annual Alumni Giving Program was now the base on which all other voluntary gift support for OSU must rest. Dr. Willham stressed. The meeting moved swiftly. Director Erwin reviewed for approval the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and general structure. Mr. Ball, Roy T. Hoke Sr., Richard K. Lane, Thomas Lumly, Mr. Orbison, Mr. Payne, and Dr. Willham were then elected trustees, authorized to sign the articles and file them with Secretary of State William N. Christian. Officers selected to serve until the full group's first formal session November 18 were Mr. Payne, president; Mr. Lane, vice president; and Mr. Hoke, secretary-treasurer. Payne was a civic leader and philan­ thropist of considerable stature. President of Big Chief Drilling Com­ pany in Oklahoma City, he had participated in numerous major fund raising efforts over the years. He would also serve as the national chair­ man of the foundation's first fund drive. Lane was president of Public Service Company in Tulsa, while Hoke was president of the Roy Hoke Lumber Company in Stillwater. Looking on were Dr. Darlow, whose university study committee had helped bring about the foundation's formation, Mr. Monk, and Mr. Rogers of the Alumni Association. Each of these three guests was inti­ mately involved with the fledgling organization. To complete the complement of governors. Dr. Willham had attracted men of stature in the business community. Alumni and respected friends

Future plans and potential for aiding the university are unfolded before the Alumni Association board of directors February 11, 1961, by Robert D. Erwin, as he begins to guide the vital new OSU Development Foundation. As an outgrowth of an alumni fund raising committee, the foun­ dation works closely with the Alumni Association.

Oklahoma State University 21 I I

( -rn^^. ^.•^

William T. Payne, (/ef^) class of 1915 and longtime supporter of OSU, served as the first presi­ dent of the OSU Development Foundation. Roy T. Hoke Sr., (right) president of the Roy Hoke Lumber Company in Stillwater, served as the first secretary-treasurer. Mr. Hoke later provided the furnishings for the foundation director's office as a memorial to his son, Roy T. Hoke Jr.

of the university, most would become significant donors. Ensuring a careful balance of experience and interests, three ex officio positions were included. Always seated on the Board of Trustees would be the president of the university, an officer of the Alumni Association, and a member of the OSU faculty. That fall the Faculty Council agreed to provide its representative for a three-year term beginning the following July 1. The first faculty member would be Dr. Guy R. Donnell, and the first alumni president would be Dr. Leon Lewis.^ The sole remaining business action saw the new trustees approve the modest allocation of $3,000 from private funds for alumni scholar­ ships; $3,200 for improvement of student environment; and $3,200 for faculty development. 1° The president who was reluctant to ask for money now had envoys who welcomed the opportunity to do so. The OSU Development Foun­ dation was a reality. The twenty-six founding governors who gathered November 18, 1961, for the first of the annual meetings found themselves plunged into a more demanding challenge than they might have anticipated from the young foundation. While they relished news of the $21,202 in volun­ tary gifts received through the first alumni development fund campaign.

22 Centennial Histories Series there was no time for relaxation. Their job was just beginning.^^ Promptly upon approval of Mr. Hoke's minutes of the organizational meeting, the governors found themselves confronted with the sig­ nificance of obtaining and funneling private funds into research, scholar­ ships, faculty development, and campus environment. With flair and finesse, Dr. Robert MacVicar, academic vice president and dean of the Graduate College, examined the role of the foundation in sharing responsibility for developing the university's potential. He did not mince words. One of the basic policies of OSU and other land- grant universities, he stressed, was to provide the opportunity for any student with ability and desire to receive a college education. And expenses for those four important years had increased more rapidly than had other costs of living in 1961. Student aid at OSU was then derived from three basic sources: scholarships, loans, and jobs. OSU's limited scholarship program that year saw only $35,000 available to freshmen; upperclass scholarships were even more severely limited. The need for graduate fellowships was particularly pressing. For lack of a few dollars, promising students often were forced to drop out of school, Dr. MacVicar reminded the governors.

The official debut of the foundation's Board of Governors on November 18, 1961, drew many of Oklahoma State University's most distinguished alumni and friends to the campus. Participating in the first of the group's annual meetings at the Student Union are: (left to right, first row) Founding Governors Ralph Ball, Executive Director Robert D. Erwin, William T. Payne, Scott Orbison, R. K. Lane, and RoyT. Hoke Sr.; (secondrow) Tom Glaze, Bonnie Health, Dr. Melvin D. Jones, Clyde Mooney, A. W. Wortham, Charles Thompson, and J. D. Fleming; (third row) A. W. Swift, Guy James, Gerald McCullough, Fred Merrifield, Ralph Goley, and Kenneth Hurst; (fourth row) Myron Wright and C. V. Roseberry; (fifth row) Dr. Oliver Willham, Dr. Leon Lewis, D. A. Griffin, Thomas Lumly, Ben Mills, and F. L. Helton.

Oklahoma State University 23 He plumped for funds to aid in acquiring and retaining an outstand­ ing faculty and promoted the benefits of faculty travel and study grants. OSU needed revenue to bring outstanding people from industry and other academic institutions to interact with OSU graduate students and faculty, MacVicar said, providing a stimulating effect on the overall educational process. Important new concepts might arise from a stable basic and exploratory research program, he intimated. Nor could the influence on the students of things such as art museums, libraries, for­ mal gardens, and other areas of a beautiful and cultural setting be underestimated. 12 It was both a sobering and a stimulating challenge. Most of the found­ ing governors who heard MacVicar would volunteer financial support. Others would dedicate long hours toward raising funds. Director of Development Erwin reviewed the organization's struc­ ture and discussed the articles of incorporation and bylaws, which had been chartered by the state on September 26. Then, in the first formal election of the new group, Mr. Ball, Mr. Hoke, Mr. Lane, Mr. Lumly, Mr. Orbison, and Mr. Payne were named to the smaller Board of Trustees by the governors. Tenure was determined by alphabetical order, with terms ranging from one year to six years. Attending that day as founding governors were Mr. Ball, president of Hudgins, Thompson, Ball and Associates, Oklahoma City; J. D. Flem­ ing, executive vice president of National Cottonseed Products Associa­ tion, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee; Tom Glaze, public relations director of Swift and Company, Chicago, Illinois; Ralph Goley, general manager of Gold Spot Dairy, Inc., Enid; D. A. 'Tug" Griffin, president of Griffin Oil Well Cementing Company, Gushing; and Bonnie Heath, owner of Bonnie Heath Thoroughbred Horses, Ocala, Florida. Others present as founding governors included Mr. Hoke, president of Roy T. Hoke Lumber Company, Stillwater; F. L. Holton Jr., manager of F. L. Holton Industries, Poteau; Kenneth Hurst, partner of Arthur Young and Company, Accountants, Oklahoma City; Guy H. James, presi­ dent of Guy James Construction Company, Oklahoma City; Mr. Lane, director of First National Bank and Trust Company, Tulsa; Dr. Jones, vice president of American Founders Life Insurance Company, Austin, Texas; and Dr. Lewis, president of Oklahoma State University Alumni Association and a dentist, Miami, Oklahoma. In addition, other founding governors who attended were Mr. Lumly, president of T. M. Lumly Investments, Tulsa; Gerald W. McCullough, vice president of Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville; Fred Mer­ rifield, former president of Federal Land Bank of Wichita, Enid; Ben D. Mills, vice president, Lincoln-Mercury Division, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan; Clyde F. Mooney, president of D. S. Kennedy and Company, Cohasset, Massachusetts; and Mr. Orbison, public relations

24 Centennial Histories Series director of Standard Industries, Inc., Tulsa. Founding governors who also participated in this first meeting were Mr. Payne, president of Big Chief Drilling Company, Oklahoma City; C. V. Roseberry, vice president of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; A. W. Swift, president of A. W. Swift and Company, Keystone; Charles Thompson, account executive of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, Inc., Oklahoma City; Dr. Willham, president of Oklahoma State University; Dr. A. W. Wortham, manager of Plan­ ning and Management Systems, Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas; and Myron Wright, executive vice president, Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, New York, New York.^^ Unable to attend the inaugural meeting were additional founders E. E. Gravelle, president of E. E. Gravelle Investments, Oklahoma City; George H. C. Green, vice president of Liberty National Bank and Trust Company, Oklahoma City; A. J. Kavanaugh, president of Metropolitan Paving Company, Oklahoma City; John Oliver, president of Develop­ ment and Resources Corporation, New York, New York; William J. Sherry, oil consultant, Tulsa; Governor Roy Turner, Turner Ranch, Sul­ phur; and Raymond A. Young, president of T.G.&Y. Stores, Oklahoma City. For seventy years, rigidly-restricted state tax funds had been almost the sole font of finance for any project or goal at OSU. Rules were, rightly, strict when it came to spending state or even other non-appropriated funds. Now, for the first time, the foundation was prepared to bolster educational objectives with private funds. **The first [financial] freedom we ever had was in the foundation," a retired university official recalled in 1987. Under the fresh breeze of future possibilities generated by the OSU Development Foundation, the campus began to stir and stretch in new dimensions.^^

Endnotes

1. Author telephone interview with Robert D. Erwin, 20 January 1987, Brooklyn, New York. 2. "Pointing the Way to Progress," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 2 (Febru­ ary 1961), pp. 16-17. 3. "Providing a College Education," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 5 (May 1961), pp. 10-11. 4. "Pointing the Way to Progress," pp. 16-17. 5. "The Business of a Busy Board," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 4 (April 1961), pp. 12-13; "Providing a College Education," pp. 10-11. 6. Author interview with M. R. "Pete" Lohmann, 17 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State University 25 7. Dr. Oliver S. Willham, "The Price Tag for Excellence," Oklahoma State Alumnus Maga­ zine, vol. 2, no. 2 (February 1961), pp. 4-7. 8. Author interview with Melvin D. Jones, 11 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Author interview with Winfrey Houston, 2 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 9. Original Bylaws, OSU Development Foundation, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Minutes, OSU Faculty Council, 19 September 1961, p. 3, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University. 10. Minutes of Organization Meeting, OSU Development Foundation Board of Trustees, 11 September 1961, pp. 1-2, OSU Foundation Office. 11. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 18 November 1961, p. 2, OSU Foundation Office. 12. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 18 November 1961, pp. 1-2. 13. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 18 November 1961, pp. 1-2. 14. Author telephone interview with Forrest Mclntire, 12 January 1987, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

26 Centennial Histories Series 3 The Margin of Greatness

These are critical times in which we live. The shape of world history, per­ haps for centuries to come, is being molded in the current decade. This is a period of imminent danger, perhaps more so than at any time in the history of man. President Oliver S. Willhann, 1952-1966

The world grew distinctly chillier during the Cold War days of late 1962. Headlines screamed of Soviet intervention in Cuba as a threat to the United States. In the wake of the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Premier Fidel Castro considered freeing 1,113 invaders for $13 million in ransom. There was the crisis in Berlin and pandemonium in the United Nations. Hydrogen bomb testing continued in Nevada while waves of students generated race riots at the University of Mississippi. In a surprise alert, the crack Thunderbirds of Oklahoma's 45th Division were called up. And, bringing reality closer to home, an Oklahoma City store basement was designated the state's first public fallout shelter.^ Beyond the Student Union council room in which the OSU Develop­ ment Foundation Board of Governors met that October, the campus was bustling. New facilities were under construction to meet an ever- increasing enrollment. Completion of the current building program would place OSU in a substantially improved position to house and train its students. Difficult as it was to block out today's worries for the world, it was essential for the young foundation to keep pace with tomorrow's needs for the school.^ Resolutely, the governors addressed matters at hand. Most were men of some means, but the majority had little experience in the psycholog-

Oklahoma State University 27 Now included in OSU's planning for long-range physical needs and capital improvements were members of the foundation's Board of Governors. A sharply increased on-campus enrollment of 21,200 was anticipated for the fall semester of 1970-71, and opportunities for assistance lay ahead for the OSU Development Foundation. Future building sites are indicated by Presi­ dent Oliver S. Willham and Dr. Eugene Swearingen, vice president for development. Interested governors are Dr. Melvin D. Jones, George H. C. Green, and Carroll V. Roseberry. Efforts to supplement faculty and student development were equally important to the young organization.

ical and practical aspects of encouraging philanthropy. None had been professionally trained to achieve what they hoped to do for OSU. Nor had the alumni been accustomed to hearing that their alma mater needed their help. The board's president, William T. Payne, had had extensive fund raising experience as a volunteer; the other men around the table were about to acquire it firsthand.^ As a means of encouraging larger gifts. Dr. Melvin D. Jones endorsed the establishment of a $1,000 Club, whose members would contribute gifts of that amount annually. The national tax policy not only permit­ ted but encouraged gifts to educational institutions. He touched on the advantages of giving appreciated property and the importance of a greater effort in developing major gifts to the foundation. To underline his pro­ posal. Dr. Jones handed over his personal check for $1,000. Spontane­ ously, other checkbooks began to appear. The governors adopted the concept as the Presidents Club. Chartered in 1963 with thirty members.

28 Centennial Histories Series the Presidents Club recognized private funding achievement. By 1978, it would grow to embrace an average of 150 members annually.* In the years in which the foundation was getting underway, class representatives carried the primary responsibility for making contacts in the Alumni Development Fund campaign. The 1962 edition ran from April to June, with Scott E. Orbison, now of Tulsa, as national campaign chairman. The first of the foundation's annual reports was mailed in March to kick off the drive. It told alumni the fund's total for 1961 was $16,023.47. In response, in 1962 the amount nearly doubled, rising to $31,381.88.^ Efforts were beginning to be focused on specific projects and types of giving that would continue beyond the next two decades. There were times when the university's president was faced with expenses con­ nected with the duties of his office—and an empty pocket. At Ralph Ball's behest, a President's Emergency Fund of $1,000 was created to provide the president of Oklahoma State with emergency resources when state funds were either unavailable or inappropriate. The wills and bequests committee chaired by Thomas Lumly was developing a brochure explaining that vital new program. The foundation had begun work on a pocket-sized folder, the first of many, to tell the story of OSU and its contribution to the state of Oklahoma, its alumni, and the stu­ dents it served.^ In 1963, the board began its role of strengthening university projects by voting to contribute $1,000 for Graduate College seminars and $1,000 to the Asian Institute Program sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences. Trustees and governors were acquainted now. New faces were joining them. Friendships were forming. The foundation was moving. Eighty-five students had received financial assistance in 1962-63, with awards ranging from small grants of $50 and $100 to full tuition scholar­ ships of $225. And, while allocating modest amounts of money with care, none dreamed that within four years they would be asked to raise $1.2 million for a performing arts center, or that within eighteen years the foundation would play the key role in accumulating $15 million for a research center.^ At the July 31 Board of Trustees' meeting. President Payne, Vice President R. K. Lane, and Foundation Director Robert D. Erwin were authorized to sell, assign, and endorse for transfer certificates represent­ ing stocks, bonds, or other securities registered in the name of the cor­ poration. The trustees approved $10,325 for Alumni Development Fund scholarships and $3,000 for band scholarships.^ A gift income of $106,622.60 for 1963 included money or pledges of $1,000 or more made by thirty charter members of the Presidents Club. Gifts from the state's two major cities continued to form the backbone of the annual campaign, with Oklahoma City alumni contributing

Oklahoma State University 29 $37,921, up from $4,856 the previous year, and Tutsans giving $12,040 for 1963, over $4,164 for 1962. Income from other areas of the state was $28,636, and $23,240 came from beyond state borders. While the annual campaign had begun to thrive, one problem would continue the next few years. For decades, alumni had not been asked to give on an organized basis. They were not used to the idea of private support for a public university. Now they were confused by requests for money from both the OSU Development Foundation's general univer­ sity drive and the OSU Educational Foundation's athletic fund drive. The educational foundation had begun in the fall of 1959, but had never achieved for intercollegiate athletics what the development foun­ dation had begun to do for the entire university. The similarity in names of the separate organizations and lack of coordination in timing the drives were the chief issues. Puzzled donors were apt to give less or to give to only one foundation. In 1966 the situation would be resolved when all approved athletic fund raising activities were brought under the development foimdation and a full-time staff member was added to con­ duct the campaigns.^ In November 1963, the trustees approved $1,000 to develop a chemis­ try or physics tutoring program and $1,500 to continue a math tutoring program then operating in the men's dormitories. The programs' objec­ tives were to prevent or reduce failures by undergraduates.^^ The following day at the Board of Governors' annual session, national campaign chairman Orbison reported the foundation's goal of raising $100,000 for 1963 had been exceeded by $6,000. He praised devoted alumni who had made the drive successful and added, ''We can never underestimate the work being done by Bob Erwin—a terrific one-man job. Last year we doubled our income over the first year, and this year it appears our income will be tripled." Already both Orbison and Erwin saw the growing need to add a second professional staff member, a move the slim budget would not permit for another three years. The gover­ nors themselves continued to spearhead drives. Mr. Ball directed fund work in Oklahoma City, and L. Ed Riffe provided leadership in Tulsa. The number of students assisted during the year increased by approx­ imately 120 percent, with $8,000 allocated to the Alumni Association Scholarship committee, providing scholarships for thirty-two freshmen and four members of the university's debate team. Grants based primar­ ily on need were made to twenty-eight students from the Mary E. Jones Trust and the Charles Morton Share Trust. Service awards in the amount of $3,500 were allocated for the marching band for the following year, along with $7,500 for purchase of laboratory equipment for energy stor­ age research. 1^ Although the primary approach in the sixties was to call on individuals, some time was devoted to promoting foundation activities

30 Centennial Histories Series A dozen OSU Alumni Scholarship winners and two varsity debaters were guests at the foundation Board of Governors' luncheon in 1962. Included are: (left to right, row one) Judy Fowlkes, Penny Fos­ ter, and Gary Price; (row two) Joicelyn McCulloh, Susan Fossey, and Jim Matthieson; (row three) Carroll Garton, Deanna Probst, and George Beam; (row four) Kay Dodd, Lynda Bemrose, debater, and Patricia A. McCoy; (row five) Thomas D. Hendrix, Boyd Christensen, debater, and Bob Erwin, director, OSU Development Foundation; (row six) William T. Payne, president. Board of Governors, Scott Orbison, trustee, Board of Governors, and Murl Rogers, executive secretary, OSU Alumni Association.

with corporations. A cordial reception awaited Dr. Willham and Erwin during an early visit to Phillips Petroleum headquarters in Bartlesville. There was the potential for further intra-university competition here, but Erwin averted it. If money available through a research-oriented foun­ dation or grant appeared better suited to the needs of OSU's Research Foundation, Erwin's efforts were readily concentrated elsewhere.^^ From the outset, the foundation maintained its own books. When it came to making short-term investments, the director first consulted key board members. When other types of guidance were needed between trustees' meetings, Mr. Erwin was always able to find it by visiting Presi­ dent Payne in Oklahoma City. A 1915 graduate of Oklahoma A. and M., Payne had sold aluminum ware door-to-door while he was going through college and understood hard work. Although he graduated with a major in chemistry, Payne later observed, **You know, it didn't take me very long to find out that the people in the oil business who were making the money weren't the chemists!" With that, he set about becoming a major producer, building his organization to the largest drilling com­ pany in Oklahoma. The experience he had gained along the way ena­ bled him to help shape the small foundation in its early struggles.^^ ''He was the salt of the earth," Erwin said. 'T could go sit in Bill Payne's office and talk about things that didn't amount to a whole lot or about things that were very important, and get his full attention and

Oklahoma State University 31 his concerned interest and help. He was really a wonderful man. Devoted worker. Just a tremendous person. "^^ An unusual exchange of roles began in 1964. After serving for nearly three years as foundation president, Mr. Payne was appointed to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Educa­ tion. The demands of personal business and his fresh responsibilities as a regent prevented Mr. Payne from continuing as president. In Janu­ ary 1964 he called for an election of officers to serve until December 31, 1964. To succeed Payne, the trustees elected Scott Orbison, who had just gone off the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. In 1960, Mr. Orbison had played a strong role in educating the public to the need for a $30.5 million bond issue for higher education in Oklahoma. Mr. Ball became vice president of the foundation, and Roy T. Hoke Sr. was re-elected secretary-treasurer. The trustees also moved to underwrite par­ tially a campus appearance by Chet Huntley of the National Broadcast­ ing Company. 15 By October 10, President Orbison was able to report a gift total of $129,700 for 1964. The total annual giving since 1961 was now approx­ imately $300,000, and Mr. Erwin indicated that between two and three million had been written into the wills of alumni and friends of the university. Steady growth in numbers of business-oriented trustees and governors had strengthened the board. At the annual meeting Dr. Eugene L. Swearingen, vice president for development, spoke on long-range planning for the university. Com­ menting on salaries, he observed, ''As society changes, we are going to have to change the image this university has. We were the Aggie col­ lege, but we have become in fact a university . . . We have some very strong people in the faculty of the various colleges. This is really the heart of what makes a great university . . . This is the reason why the development program is so important—because we do not have adequate state funds to do all that should be done. "The margin of greatness can be established by the significant suc­ cess of our development program. You are not in a real sense 'raising money.' What you are really raising is the level of performance at this university. Money is simply a means to an end; it is the end that we are interested in in terms of what this university can be."^^ In the past no action had been taken on stock proxies received from corporations in which the foundation had common stock, but in 1965 the trustees agreed all such requests would now be forwarded to the chairman of the investment committee, to be acted on in his best judg­ ment. The Alumni Development Fund campaign had progressed. As of August 31, $99,791.73 was reported in annual giving and $49,079.21 in non-annual giving for a total of $148,870.94. During this period, the

32 Centennial Histories Series number of individual donors had increased by 41.5 percent, and the dol­ lar income from alumni giving had increased 14.8 percent over the last year. The foundation's low visibility on campus was about to change. To make students aware of the university's voluntary gift support program, a photocopying machine was leased for use in the foundation office by students and by other university departments. To gain a public identity for the foundation, the trustees suggested that announcements be made at theater and band performances of the foundation's funding of eight Theatre Guild scholarships and its continuing support of the marching band. The opportunity to create a more individualized working environ­ ment for the foundation and to provide a suitable atmosphere for plan­ ning sessions with donors came with the completion of the new $2.25 million wing of the Student Union Building. When the small staff moved eastward down the hall on the second floor, again sharing a suite with the Alumni Association, the standard used metal desks and chairs typi­ cal of college offices of the day stayed behind. The governors had expressed interest in a more upscale office that would reflect the foun­ dation's grovy^h. "If you've got linoleum on the floor, people will give you pocket change," a multimillionaire donor and foundation governor would observe in future years. "If you've got carpet, they'll reach into their wallet."i7 Nor was the concept of an attractive office foreign to the first gover­ nors, who gave the same consideration to their own business surround­ ings. Even without in-depth studies, the men were firmly convinced a nice office would provide an air of performance, of success and vital­ ity. It would reflect an image of a vibrant organization that people would admire and want to be part of. It was precisely the image the early leaders sought for the OSU Foundation. By 1965, a plaque on the development director's door indicated that the attractive, quality furnishings inside had been given by Mr. Hoke as a memorial to his son, Roy T. Hoke Jr.^^ Again acknowledging potential benefits, the trustees also approved a membership for the director in the Stillwater Golf and Country Club, then under construction, for use in entertaining distinguished guests and prospective donors.^^ Foundation governors found themselves drawn into many facets of the educational system. They studied the physical layout of OSU, com­ piling recommendations for capital improvements, traffic control, turn­ pike access, a business district code for the area surrounding the campus, and acquisition of land. After citing the report in 1965, Dr. Jones urged the university to make better use of its chief volunteers. "Members of the Board of Governors represent some of the best tal-

Oklahoma State University 33 ent and brains available in the United States," he said. "Executives lead­ ing small corporations as well as those heading multi-billion dollar giants operating on a world-wide basis are at the university's disposal. We feel any one of these men would annually give a few days of his time in assist­ ing the university in planning in areas where his aptitude, experience, and training could prove helpful. We urge the university administra­ tion to use them." At the same meeting, Martin B. Seretean, chairman of the founda­ tion's faculty and student development committee, followed Dr. Jones in presenting that group's findings. He urged using well-known gradu­ ates to lead fund drives; involving students in development programs while they were still on campus; developing a project list which would attract dedicated alumni: chairs, research grants, and scholarships; and funding personal visits to the campus for promising students. Formed solely to solicit, receive, and administer funds to benefit the university, the foundation had also drawn back to OSU a network of dedicated and skillful citizens. The scope of service to OSU continued to broaden. One example lay in the prestigious Drummond Saber Award which had been made annually since 1916 by Alfred A. "Jack" Drum-

A thirty-inch USA Defender saber is presented to Air Force ROTC Cadet Kevin S. Grove by Mrs. Tia Juana Drummond. One of the oldest campus honors, the Drummond award has continued to pay tribute to the name of one of Oklahoma's pioneer families since 1916.

34 Centennial Histories Series mond of Madill. Early in 1966, the retired lieutenant colonel had expressed concern that the presentation be continually funded. Accord­ ingly, after a discussion between President Willham and Colonel Drum- mond's lawyer, a trust, which would be managed by the development foundation, was created in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the award. A thirty-inch USA Defender saber with case had been given each year to the outstanding cadet of the Army ROTC unit at OSU, and since 1948, a second saber had gone to the outstanding cadet of the Air Force ROTC unit. One of the oldest campus honors, the Drummond award continued to pay tribute to the name of one of Oklahoma's pioneer families through the 1980s. Colonel Drummond would maintain his interest in the development of top cadets throughout a span of more than seventy years. 20 There were other opportunities which no amount of vision could have anticipated. In planning publications, Mr. Erwin sometimes worked with Stillwater photographer and author, Robert E. Cunningham. Their acquaintance led to the acquisition of a rare group of fragile glass pho­ tographic negative plates. The negatives provided a wealth of scenes from the beginning of the prairie school. "It was sort of a chancey thing," Dr. Erwin explained in 1987. "He had shown me some pictures made from glass negatives he had picked up. They were marvelous old pictures of what was going on in Still­ water and on the campus in the early years. Bob had kept them all those years." Mr. Cunningham had discovered the plates in an attic in May 1953. Once he purchased them, he began processing the plates and discov­ ered their importance. As he worked, Cunningham watched paper darken with images of the first Oklahoma A. and M. graduating class, the first experiment station building, the first breaking of the prairie sod with six teams of oxen . . . photos that have since been used again and again to tell the story of the university's heritage.^^ Erwin saw the possibilities in the Oklahoma State plates and arranged to buy them. In 1966 the foundation presented that part of the Cunning­ ham Collection to OSU, to be housed in the Edmon Low Library. "That such a collection exists at all may be considered a near mira­ cle," Cunningham once admitted. He had spent more than a quarter of a century accumulating his irreplaceable 10,000-piece treasury of Indian and pioneer negatives and photographs made by as many as six differ­ ent photographers. 22 At the fall meeting of the governors, Erwin introduced Merlin E. Lon­ don, new assistant director for the foundation, and Mrs. Molly Reid, foundation office secretary. Mr. Orbison reported voluntary gift support for the period January 2 to December 31, 1965, of $208,894 from 2,723

Oklahoma State University 35 Robert E. Cunningham, Stillwater photographer and author, examines historical pictures of the OSU campus and the Stillwater community. The entire Cunningham Collection includes 10,000 Indian and pioneer negatives and photographs. In 1966 the OSU Foundation purchased those photographs concerned with OSU and placed them in the Edmon Low Library. donors. Annual giving exceeded the previous year's by 38.5 percent. Financial assistance was provided 304 students during the spring semes­ ter of 1966 and 297 during the fall, a significant increase over the 197 students who received assistance in the 1964-65 academic year. The trustees had set a goal of $300,000 to $350,000 for the 1966-67 year. One tangible example of the foundation's money at work dealt with the OSU band. Seventy band awards of $50 each were given for the fall semester in 1965-66. In 1962, the OSU marching band had only eighty members, the smallest in the Big Eight Conference. But with the advent of the foundation awards, the 1965 band swelled to 142 members. Dr. Max Mitchell, head of the music department, credited the rebuilding of both the quality and size of the band to the foundation's support. The group also praised Raymond A. Young's gift of $25,000 to furnish a stu­ dent lounge and enhance the new College of Business Building. With­ out exception, members had responded actively and energetically to requests for assistance.^^ Oklahoma State's grov\^ continued. In 1960, there were 10,000 stu-

36 Centennial Histories Series "Whereas, the Oklahoma State University Development Foundation is a charitable and non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Oklahoma and existing solely for the purpose of promoting and benefiting the Oklahoma State University, and

"Whereas, it is the intention and the desire of The Board of Regents of the Oklahoma State University Development Foundation to the fullest extent, to promote and encourage contributions and gifts to the Okla­ homa State University Development Foundation, and

"Whereas, it is the belief and judgment of The Board of Regents of the Oklahoma State University that all gifts of money, securities and other funds to the Oklahoma State University can be handled most economi­ cally and expeditiously and can be invested to the greatest advantage of the Oklahoma State University if said gifts are made to the Oklahoma State University Development Foundation, for the use and benefit of the Oklahoma State University rather than directly to the Oklahoma State University, or to The Board of Regents of the Oklahoma State University.

"Now therefore be it resolved by the Board of Regents of the Okla­ homa State University that to the fullest extent permitted by law and by any controlling documents all gifts and donations to the Oklahoma State University should be managed, invested, reinvested and distributed by and through the Oklahoma State University Development Foundation, and

"Be it further resolved that this Board recommends to all persons or corporations desiring to make gifts or donations for the benefit of the Oklahoma State University that such gifts or donations be made to 'The Oklahoma State University Development Foundation' rather than to the 'Oklahoma State University' or to 'The Board of Regents of the Okla­ homa State University.'"

A Resolution passed by the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents, November 4, 1966.

Oklahoma State University 37 dents on the Stillwater campus. By 1964, 1,200 more were using the classrooms and labs. The administration was expecting 17,600 in 1970 and possibly 25,000 by 1985.^^ Despite improved recognition of OSU's charitable arm, private dona­ tions continued to go to other sources throughout the university. On November 4, 1966, the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents passed a resolution designed to reinforce the foundation's purpose. The ruling stated that the foundation could handle most economically and invest to OSU's greatest advantage all gifts of money, securities, and other funds. From that date, all personal and corporate gifts were to be made to the Oklahoma State University Development Foundation, rather than to the university or the Board of Regents, for management, invest­ ment, reinvestment, and distribution. That mandate strengthened the foundation's position immeasurably." Steadfast support continued to come from President Willham, under whom the development foundation was established. "He was the kind of administrator who didn't really sit on you," the first director of development said. "He was helpful whenever you needed his help. If I needed him to go talk with a potential donor, he was generally available, and, of course, very helpful. His prestige with the alumni was a very strong factor. "^^ With the retirement of Dr. Willham, on November 21, 1966, the Board of Trustees welcomed Dr. Robert B. Kamm as the new president of Okla­ homa State University and ex officio member of the foundation. At the invitation of President Orbison, the group was meeting for only the sec­ ond time off-campus in Tulsa. Dr. Kamm expressed his hope that the foundation would achieve an annual giving of one million dollars within the next four to five years. The trustees approved funds to sponsor three scholarship programs, including the President's Scholar and President's Council Scholarships at $350 each, and thirty-five Alumni Development Scholarships at $300 each. Funds were appropriated for Teacher Appreciation Dinners and a Teacher Education Advisory Committee. To recruit fine arts students, money was allocated to bring high school choral groups to OSU. Serv­ ice awards to the marching band were again approved; and for the first time, awards would go to the symphony orchestra, upon the availabil­ ity of funds in the spring. Economics and marketing lectureships were also underwritten.27 Large forward strides were made in 1966-67 with the achievement of the "magic million" level in gift receipts. Since the inception of the annual giving program in 1961, private gifts in excess of one million dollars had been accepted by the foundation on behalf of Oklahoma State University. Over one-half, $511,039, was received during the year end­ ing June 30, 1967.

38 Centennial Histories Series By 1966 Oklahoma State's campus construction had made great strides in an effort to keep up with the growing student body and obsolete floor space. During OSU Day in Tulsa, Dr. Robert D. Erwin, foundation director, (left) and new President Robert B. Kamm contemplate future expansion.

A major factor in pushing 1966-67's total past the half-million-dollar mark was a $104,000 trust established by Mrs. Merrilee Gault Warth. Income from the Warth Trust, which included a 320-acre farm, houses in Oklahoma City and in Adair County, and personal property, would be used for crop improvement research. The bequest also pointed up the need for a foundation employee who specialized in the field of wills and bequests. Despite this progress, inflation in the economy directly affected the foundation's budgeted benevolence. Academic scholarships and finan­ cial grants were normally full tuition awards. Awards made for 1966-67 were for $300 each. But the tuition increase from $9 to $12 per student credit hour also necessitated the foundation's increasing an estimated 522 scholarships to $425 each, placing an unanticipated strain on the budget. 28 Successful personal solicitation efforts for 1967 were completed in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and nineteen small cities. Alumni and friends of Oklahoma State University in larger numbers were beginning to share in projects to increase educational and public service benefits. Still, the foundation's operating budget had been minimal for the past six years.

Oklahoma State University 39 seriously limiting potential exploration of new sources of income for the university. The responsibilities the university was beginning to ask the develop­ ment staff to assume had begun to outstrip the budget. Concerned, the director asked the Board of Trustees to consider a policy of deducting a percentage from incoming gifts to assist in meeting the costs incurred in conducting fund raising activities. The board voted to give Mr. Erwin the power to deduct 15 percent from certain gifts, both restricted and unrestricted, to be used in support of an operating budget approved by the president of OSU and the Board of Trustees, retroactive effective Janu­ ary 1, 1966. Although the precedent-setting measure was adopted, it was never put into practice. That was Mr. Ball's motion, as was another: that a trust fee be charged against trusts administered by the foundation except in cases where such fees were specifically prohibited, based on the current market value of the trust at a rate of 1 percent per annum on the first $50,000, one-half of 1 percent on $50,000 to $150,000, and so forth. Direct costs were to be deducted from such fees and the remainder to be transferred to the foundation's promotion and development account. Once that had been worked out, the trustees approved adding $4,622.44 to the President's Emergency Fund, to bring it up to $5,000. They congratulated new board member Virgil Richardson of Oklahoma City, who played a major role in raising $300,000 for a new athletic dorm, Iba Hall. They also agreed to provide funding for the International Pro­ gram Dinner, out-of-state tuition for an exchange student, and an indus­ trial engineering graduate assistantship. By then, foundation activities were just beginning to gain statewide attention through release of pic­ tures and information to newspapers.^^ In the six years of the foundation's existence, the expenditure of funds had included aid to 1,965 students in the amount of $206,805; faculty development, $62,041; basic research, $124,083; library and lectureship, $41,360; athletics, $217,145; and endowments, $217,435. But there was no time to sit back and savor the satisfactory heights the fledgling organi­ zation had scaled. The longstanding need for a performing arts center was again being discussed on campus. About $1,800,000 in state and federal funds could be acquired. Would the OSU Development Foundation accept the chal­ lenge of finding the additional $1,200,000 needed to complete and fur­ nish the building?^^ It would.

40 Centennial Histories Series Endnotes

1. Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, 1-15 October 1962, p. 1. 2. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 27 October 1962, p. 1, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 3. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 27 October 1962, p. 1; Author interview with Melvin D. Jones, 11 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 4. Jones interview; Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 16 Janu­ ary 1962, p. 1, OSU Foundation Office; Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Develop­ ment Foundation, 27 October 1962, p. 3; Intercom: An Oklahoma State University Development Foundation Newsletter, no. 7 (August 1977), p. 4. 5. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 27 October 1962, p. 2. 6. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 27 October 1962, p. 2; Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 15 November 1962, pp. 2-3. 7. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 7 January 1963, pp. 1-2; "Alumni Development Fund," Annual Report '62, OSU Development Foundation, p. 29, OSU Foundation Office. 8. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 31 July 1963, pp. 1-2. 9. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 15 November 1963, p. 1. 10 Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 15 November 1963, p. 2. 11. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 16 November 1963, p. 2. 12. Author telephone interview with Robert D. Erwin, 20 January 1987, Brooklyn, New York. 13. Wilmer Paine interview with Murl R. Rogers, 25 October 1985, Stillwater, Oklahoma, tran­ script, OSU Foundation Office. 14. Erwin telephone interview. 15. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 15 January 1964, pp. 1-2; Author interview with Scott E. Orbison, 22 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 16. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 10 October 1964, pp. 2-4. 17. Author's personal communication with Dale E. Ross, 2 April 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 18. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 7 September 1965, pp. 2-3; Author telephone interview with Murl Rogers, 5 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Ross communication; Author interview with M. R. "Pete" Lohmann, 17 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Author telephone interview with Merlin London, 26 January 1987, Blackwell, Oklahoma. 19. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 7 September 1965, pp. 3-4. 20. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 20 November 1965, pp. 3, 5; Drummond Saber Award File D-15, OSU Foundation Ofifice. 21. "Out Of An Attic Bonanza of Photo History," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 10, no. 4 (April 1969), p. 15. 22. "Cunningham OSU Collection," 10 June 1966, News Bureau, Division of Public Informa­ tion press release. Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University; Erwin telephone interview. 23. Minutes of Board of the Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 21 October 1966, pp. 1-6. 24. Minutes of Board of the Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 10 October 1964, p. 3, 21 October 1966, p. 2.

Oklahoma State University 41 25. Minutes of the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents, 4 November 1966, as cited in OSU Development Foundation brochures, OSU Foundation Office. 26. Erwin interview. 27. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 21 November 1966, pp. 1-2. 28. Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 28 August 1967, p. 1; Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 3 November 1967, p. 6. 29. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 28 August 1967, p. 1. 30. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 3 November 1967, p. 1.

42 Centennial Histories Series The Magic Million 4 1967-73

The concept, the ethic, and the act of concern for the welfare of one's fellow being is, as we all know, a very deep part of the Hebraic tradition. It is a foundation stone of the Judaeo-Christian ethic. It is also a particu­ larly American quality. Elliott L. Richardson

Dreams of a new theater and music complex at Oklahoma State University had been quietly generating for a dozen years before the birth in 1961 of the institution's philanthropic wing, the OSU Development Foundation. Those hopes continued as the foundation staff gradually began to meet with success along the unfamiliar paths of fund raising. At last, in 1967, the foundation plunged into an arduous $1.2 million capital improvement campaign for the center for the performing arts that, despite an unprecedented major contribution, would challenge every scrap of the board's and staff's ingenuity from 1967 through 1973. Although it had grown slowly but steadily in the level of private sup­ port provided to the university, the foundation found its efforts rewarded in 1967-68. That year the annual fund-giving effort, including invest­ ment income, brought in $445,000 from 3,575 donors. It marked a 63 percent increase over the previous year. Moreover, gifts received through the foundation after seven years of existence finally surpassed the first major milestone—the million dollar mark.^ From the fall of 1962 through the spring of 1968, 4,738 OSU stu­ dents had benefited from a variety of scholarship and student aid pro­ grams sponsored by the foundation. Three major programs supported with foundation funds were the Alumni Development Fund Scholarships

Oklahoma State University 43 administered by the Alumni Association, and the President's Scholar­ ship Program and the President's Council, both administered by the foundation director. Awards included 1,853 academic scholarships, 187 grants-in-aid, and 2,698 service awards. The President's Scholars Program, initiated in the fall of 1965, was beginning to flourish. In the five years preceding 1965, only five National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists had enrolled at OSU. In 1965-66, how­ ever, thirty-three semi-finalists had been attracted to Oklahoma State University for that academic year. During the four-year period of 1965-68, 290 outstanding high school graduates accepted President's Scholarships. During the time frame from 1962-68, $87,921 had been expended in support of faculty development. Another $141,912 aided research efforts such as the energy storage project conducted by the School of Electrical Engineering. Through the foundation, nearly 600 volumes were added to the Edmon Low Library, along with the Governor Henry S. Johnston papers, the Governor Henry L. Bellmon papers, the Will Rogers papers, and the Bob Cunningham Pictorial History of Oklahoma State University. A small mineral collection was purchased by the foun­ dation for the OSU Museum, and special lectureships and conferences were also underwritten.^ Much of the 1967-68 campaign's success was due to a twenty-one

The flag from Governor Henry Bellmen's office and the suit he wore during his first inauguration in 1963 are among thousands of mementos donated to his alma mater. OSU reference librarian Guy Logsdon (right) and social sciences librarian Richard King (center) display some of the items for Robert D. Erwin, director of the OSU Development Foundation, in 1967.

44 Centennial Histories Series member development council in Oklahoma County. Foundation Presi­ dent Scott E. Orbison was working to establish a similar council in Tulsa County. Twenty other towns were included in the 1968 campaign, and there was the possibility of a statewide development council for OSU. There was growth in another dimension with the establishment of four new endowments. They were the Guy James Memorial Academic Excel­ lence Fund and the J. H. Hunt Scholarship Fund, both for engineering students; the Janice and J. I. Gibson Scholarship Fund for animal sciences students; and the H. F. "Pat" Murphy Memorial Scholarship Fund for agronomy students. The daily welfare of the corporation now called for broader skills. To keep pace with the foundation's increased scope, Director Robert D. Erwin completed training in trusts and bequests at Kennedy Sinclaire, Inc., in Montclair, New Jersey. That spring he would receive his doc­ torate from the University of Michigan. He and Merlin E. London would also be joined in the development office by Eugene A. Mack, a former Oklahoman living in Chicago and the first professionally-trained fund raiser on the staff. Mr. Mack would serve primarily in the area of planned gifts, wills, and bequests.^ Frustration mounted as the men took to the road. Lack of ready recog­ nition of the foundation's name and mission out in the state still plagued the early steps of the staff. '^Really and truly, the old saying, *Crawl before you walk,' applied," Mr. London said twenty years later. *The foundation was still at the crawling stage. The first two or three years I worked there, I'd go into a town and people didn't know what the foundation was all about." By 1967 or 1968, the men were beginning to make headway. Yet when they attended Big Eight Development Conference meetings, they were amazed at what the other universities' well-established foundations were accomplishing. ''Any time you start a program that involves money, it's going to take a while before people listen to you," London observed of OSU's early experience. ''At the time, Iowa State had the best and most effec­ tive foundation. Nebraska was right at the top, too. We realized we needed to get after it because it could be rewarding."* At the January 1968 meeting of the trustees, Erwin discussed the increase in the number of recipients in the two scholarship programs sponsored through the development foundation. Through the two, 114 President's Scholars and 132 President's Council members had been assisted for the 1967-68 term. But the tremendous need for these pro­ grams had exceeded their actual funding. The foundation's scholarship account was $22,000 in the red. To ease the crisis, treasurer Roy T. Hoke proposed that all general funds, as well as funds restricted to colleges or departments to support

Oklahoma State University 45 scholarships, be allocated by the development foundation staff. Funds restricted to colleges or to the university would be used for students enrolled in the designated academic area.^ Buoyed by "the magic million" achievement of the previous year, the three-man staff settled down to raise the necessary private dollars for the 75,000-square foot performing arts center designed on three levels, with a theater and concert hall for two simultaneous productions, offices for thirty faculty members and ample facilities to be used by 3,500 students daily. Still, after a year of limited progress in the fine arts drive, the foundation staff was becoming acutely aware of the enormous gulf between the gifts on hand and the $1.2 million in private funds vital to the building's completion. One answer to the funding dilemma seemed ideal. In January 1968 retired Air Force Colonel Floyd Cudgel volunteered to invite entertainer Bob Hope, a personal friend of his, to stage October benefit performances in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Stillwater, with proceeds to aid the new center. Hope was not available until early 1969, but accepted the oppor­ tunity to perform again in Oklahoma. The popular star had already made a gift of $800,000 to build the Bob Hope Theatre at Southern Methodist University. The prospect of a similar but smaller contribution was tan­ talizing to OSU. Despite a tendency for expectations to soar, Erwin warned that the net profit would be modest in view of the carefully estimated costs at the three sites. But he pointed out to trustees that the performances could attract major gifts. In addition, communications with Hope Enterprises reinforced what was felt to be a strong, implied commitment for a major contribution.^ There were other bright spots in the foundation's routine activity. A second milestone had been passed in the fall of 1968 when the $1.5 million mark in aggregate funds channeled through the foundation was reached. The two million dollar mark in cash gifts would be met in 1968-69.7 Since 1961, meetings of the foundation's small Board of Trustees had been concentrated work sessions. While informative, the large annual gatherings of prominent state and national business figures on the Board of Governors were balanced by dinners and entertainment or football games. Still, the chief thrust remained a weekend imimersion into the real needs of OSU. If there were flagging energies among the governors who helped carry the university's sharply increased fund raising load in 1968, a spokesman for the Committee on Educational Innovation revitalized them with a glimpse of Oklahoma State University's proposed developmental goals. ' 'Good teaching costs a lot more than the expense of a box of chalk,'' Dr. Lee Harrisberger, head of mechanical and aerospace engineering,

46 Centennial Histories Series Over the years, the OSU Foundation has been honored with the support of many dedicated people. Scott E. Orbison (leff) succeeded William T. Payne as president of the foundation in 1964. Mr. Orbison, a strong proponent of excellence in higher education, played a major role in 1960 in educating Oklahomans on the need for support of a multi-million dollar bond issue. Orbison was succeeded as president by Raymond A. Young (right) in 1974. One of the co- founders of the T.G.&Y. Stores, Mr. Young was a well-known church and civic leader.

reminded the board that November. He spoke of the possibilities offered in the future by a learning resources center with remote access units; a funding program to support experimental teaching projects; an effec­ tive program of teaching evaluation and recognition; and installation of sophisticated computerized information retrieval systems for audio, visual, and hard copy literature retrieval. More compelling than tomorrow's goals, however, was the immedi­ ate need to upgrade the faculty pay scale. The average salary and fringe benefits on a nine-month basis in 1966-67 for OSU instructors was $6,698; assistant professors, $9,472; associate professors, $11,205; and professors, $13,610. At comparable public universities, the averages were $7,685, $10,035, $12,122, and $16,155.« Governors were always assured of returning to their homes with plenty to think about. Also significant in the foundation's continuing growth in 1968-69 was the support by business firms through employee matching gift pro­ grams. Gifts totaling $14,564 contributed by alumni became $29,128 when their gifts were matched by their employers.^ Then it was time to concentrate in earnest on the building campaign.

Oklahoma State University 47 Part of the performing arts center funds was being generated through a list of 405 different memorials, which ranged from $100,000 for an auditorium concert organ to $5,000 for smaller items such as tool room equipment, a theater curtain, or office furnishings.^^ Fresh from entertaining troops in Vietnam, the Hope show's long- anticipated Oklahoma performances came on February 27, 28, and March 1, 1969. Audiences were enthusiastic. However, when $92,889 in show production costs were met, including OSU's guarantee of $70,000 to Hope Enterprises, the net was barely $2,423. There was disappointment, although the foundation staff felt the shows had enhanced the univer­ sity's image statewide. But when no contribution from the performer's company materialized, disappointment turned to dismay.^^ Of his dozen years at tlie helm of the foundation. Dr. Erwin later said, "My most exhausting days were putting on those three Bob Hope shows in one week. And I had Asian flu along with it!"^^ Ten days later at the trustees' meeting, OSU's president announced plans to begin construction within the next six weeks on the center for the performing arts. State money was at hand, and it was time to move ahead. "This is the reason for the concern for monies available for the cen­ ter and the foundation's ability to borrow one-half million dollars is of utmost importance," Dr. Robert B. Kamm stressed. Still intending to ask for a quarter of a million dollars in a "challenge" gift, Mr. Erwin and Col. Cudgel pursued plans to meet with Hope in Houston in late March. Again no money was forthcoming.^^ While funding arrangements were being tackled, workers began to make room for the handsome new center. The interior of the College Auditorium had been gutted, preparing it for incorporation in the new complex. Razing Williams Hall, the school's second oldest building, was next. For seven decades Williams had housed one department after another, as well as the library, print shop, bookstore, and the Prairie Playhouse. Speech pathology had been taught there, along with lan­ guages, biology, zoology, physics, bacteriology, and other disciplines. By 1969, the wooden floors were unsteady, years of renovations led mystified students along confusing corridors, and the sandstone foun­ dation had eroded beyond repair. The eccentric old castle was showing her age. It seemed time to discard the past in favor of the future. Fit­ tingly, June 18, 1969, was a day of drama. A crowd gathered as work­ men began the demolition. The Castle of the Plains shuddered, then shed her turrets, sloughing the ornate brick and stone embellishments that first awed Oklahoma A. and M. students and faculty in 1899.^^ A week later, on June 26, ground was broken for the performing arts building amid the sprawl of rubble. And, even more dramatic, not until Dr. Erwin addressed the gathering as master of ceremonies was the public

48 Centennial Histories Series aware that a young carpet manufacturer and OSU alumnus, Martin B. "Bud" Seretean, of New York, Chattanooga, and Dalton, Georgia, had quietly come forward with a much-needed surprise gift of $500,000 to launch the construction. As OSU's first major donor, Mr. Seretean was greeted by a standing ovation when the announcement was made that the center would be named for him. Invited to the microphone on the lawn of the building site, the suc­ cessful businessman spoke with sincerity and some shyness. As a young­ ster in New York, he had helped his parents with a small grocery store and sold popcorn in Yankee Stadium. But he termed himself "a terrible student" in high school. After World War II, he arrived in Stillwater with other GIs, looking, he said, "for a small campus that wasn't too expensive." "Something happened to me when I came here,'' Mr. Seretean said. "I blossomed not only scholastically, but in every other way—nurtured by the friendliness and most helpful student body, faculty and commu­ nity of any college anywhere."^^ After graduation, Seretean had begun to aid his alma mater with scholarships even while on a modest income. He earned a master's in retailing from New York University and worked from 1953-56 as sales

!

1 1 i .1 I* i y M P^ lit" i ^*j"^^ ~# ^

Carpet manufacturer Martin B. Seretean (left) discusses his product with Dr. Richard W. Poote, then dean of the College of Business (center) and Dr. Robert D. Erwin, director of the OSU Development Foundation, during a trip by the Oklahomans to Dalton, Georgia. Soon after his graduation from Oklahoma State, Seretean began funding scholarships and became one of the university's major donors.

Oklahoma State University 49 manager for Katherine Rug Mills in Dalton. In 1956, he and two part­ ners founded Coronet Industries, Inc., with "$45,000 capital, a rented shack, and a tufting machine." His enterprise resulted in Seretean being named the nation's Outstanding Small Businessman in 1965. Eventu­ ally he had given a dozen scholarships with a stipulation that OSU select recipients that included black and foreign students. "I want the scholarships to be enjoyed by all students, regardless of their color or nationality," he said. Mr. Seretean joined the founda­ tion's Board of Governors on November 20, 1965, and would serve as foundation president for two terms from 1977 to 1979.^^ Thus the building became the M. B. Seretean Center for the Perform­ ing Arts, in honor of the 1949 business graduate. It was the largest sin­ gle individual gift the university had ever received through the foundation. And, although President Kamm, Dr. Richard W. Poole, and Dr. Erwin had met with Mr. Seretean and informed the trustees as early as March 11, the contribution remained confidential. As one reporter observed, "For once, you almost had to go to the ceremony to find out what happened. "1^ Following the ceremony, bricks, worn with school history were handed out as lingering reminders of the occasion. In 1969, alumni James F. Hasenbeck, J. Ted Bonham, and Dr. Mel­ vin D. Jones, all of Oklahoma City, began to talk about developing a com­ fortable new press box at Lewis Field. With the sale of $100,000 worth of seating annually, a continuing source of income would be provided the athletic department. OSU lacked the money for the undertaking, but the men gained the university's approval to raise the funds. Joining in were fellow grads, architects Wendell Locke and Bob Wright, who con­ tributed their firm's design skills for the structure. Plans for the press box and the Varsity Club in the old v^estling room in Gallagher Hall were considered "positive stepping stones for OSU's athletic program.'' Even before the effort was submitted for the founda­ tion trustees' approval that August, all construction funds had been pledged. Varsity Club memberships were selling well, and, along with gifts of cattle, cash, and pledges, $158,913 had benefited athletics. Included, too, was the donation of furnishings for the Varsity Club Room by frequent benefactor and trustee Ray Young in memory of his father, Charles W. Young. All eight of the senior Young's children were OSU graduates. To encourage the study of engineering and the physical sciences by members of minority races by offering short- and long-term grants to selected students. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Winter established the Mar­ tin Luther King Loan Fund Trust. Funds from the Distinguished Faculty Program were used to send Dr. Herbert A. Pohl to Ankara, Turkey, where he presented a technical paper at the International Advanced Study Insti-

50 Centennial Histories Series tute on Atomic Physics during September. By the fall of 1969, the foundation's investment portfolio stood at approximately $400,000. Bylaw changes called for the immediate past president of the Alumni Association to serve on the foundation board instead of the president, and the trustees approved standards for estab­ lishing endowed memorial funds. Oklahoma State enrollment now stood at 17,492. And for foundation governors, a special word of thanks came from Dr. Kamm, who termed them "an important group in the life of the University."^^ Phoenix-like, the $3.2 million Seretean Center began to rise along the eastern edge of the campus. In November 1970, there was a con­ tinuing uneasiness among board members with $400,000 still needed to complete funding for the structure and its interior. ^^ A richer dimension to campus life began the following month with the arrival of a group of paintings from the Salmon family art collection in Tulsa. It was the desire of Burton D. Salmon, who would serve as

. 4

• The Burton D. Salmon family of Tulsa added a richer dimension to campus life when they presented a collection of paintings to OSU. Burton D. Salmon (left), OSU Development Foun­ dation Director Robert D. Erwin (center), and Dr. George Gries, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences admire a painting by DeHavern.

Oklahoma State University 51 a member of the Board of Governors from 1971-80. to launch a fine art col ection. The first gifts from the Salmons were made to the state o Oklahoma through the foundation for use by OSU. Others were added- and by January 9,1973, seventeen paintings appraised at $99,400 were hung throughout major buildings and offices. Two more oils given in facuhraii t°f?r^'' '"""^"'^^^ ^"' '^''"''^'^ ^^^-- f- «*-dents. In 1970-71, the foundation completed its tenth year of service to the university encouraging others to provide the financial assistance so vital I°r,?^S''!-"''' '*''''^*^ °^*^" university's academic, cultural, research, arl " P T^rr- ^°^?''^ *° "" ^"^It^y '«t« °f g^°^h in the pro­ gram. President Scott Orbison added, "We are still averaging only around $40,000 in umestricted funds, which means we are receiving only about one in every eight to ten dollars that we can apply where i'lw? 7J''^'''': ™^ ^b^l"y t° ^PPly unrestricted dollars often W ",. difference between saving a worthwhile program or being forced o abandon one." By 1979, a program would be in place to pro vide relief by bringing in more unrestricted funds The first decade had been marked by struggle and learning, and there

£SlllsSS=Sr-=S 52 Centennial Histories Series was no guarantee of ease beyond the tenth year. Major problems lay ahead in the future of educational philanthropy after 1970-71. Although fund raisers nationwide had already had two rather difficult years of rais­ ing funds, OSU did not feel the full impact of inflation and the stock market crises in 1969-70.21 National attention focused on Oklahoma State March 17, 1971, for Discovery '71, a refreshing, innovative, student-sponsored patriotic pro­ gram officially endorsed by President Richard M. Nixon, Speaker of the House Carl Albert, and U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon. The day-long pro­ gram was dedicated to student involvement in government, government spending, inflation, the modern volunteer army,, racial tension, ecol­ ogy, women's liberation, and the future of space exploration and higher education. The project was conceived by sophomore Tom Bennett Jr., grandson of the late President Henry G. Bennett, as a reaction to the cur­ rent unrest and negative attitudes on other campuses. Fund raising pointers and encouragement for the hardworking student committee came from Dr. Erwin, and finances were augmented by Mr. Seretean. A capacity crowd at the as yet undedicated M. B. Seretean Center heard speeches by Lenore Romney, representing the president of the United States; Lt. Gen. George Forsythe, special assistant to the Army Chief of Staff; Col. Tom Stafford, astronaut; and other major leaders and diplomats. Rock singer and recording star Johnny Rivers flew in from Los Angeles to perform in closing ceremonies.22 The backdrop for the formal dedication of the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts on April 24, 1971, was provided by two perfor­ mances of Saint Joan, a concert by the OSU Symphony and University Choir, and exhibits of paintings, ceramics, and sculpture by OSU faculty and students. Television star Jim Nabors, a personal friend of OSU's benefactor, sang the national anthem as the ceremony opened. In acknowledging the contribution Mr. Seretean had made to the state university. Governor David Hall presented him an authentic Indian head­ dress. One of the region's finest theater-music facilities, the handsome center was already adding luster to the academic and cultural facets of campus and community life. By fall, all but $268,000 had been funded.23 By October, inflation was making inroads on normal giving patterns. Dr. Erwin confided to the foundation governors, *'Higher education in the United States, in Oklahoma, and at OSU in particular, is in a pro­ tracted period of financial stress. The need for private support is criti­ cal. "2^ Ready or not, the foundation was already absorbed in another siza­ ble assignment, the $2.5 million Athletic Expansion Program. Assistant Director London discussed the expanded stadium, new track, and other intercollegiate facilities at OSU, then underway, with the foundation's governors. The foundation was expected to raise half the cost; remain- Oklahoma State University 53 ing funds were raised through a self-liquidating bond issue. Former OSU football coach E. H. "Jini" Lookabaugh was general chairman of the three-phase campaign, which included major gifts, reserved seat option sales, and artificial turf sales. Raymond A. Young of Oklahoma City and V. M. Thompson of Tulsa headed the major gifts drive. A popular technique encouraged sports fans to *'Stake Your Claim in Cowboy Country," by financing the purchase of a yard of turf for a $30 tax-deductible contribution. One Houston alumnus joked to fellow OSU graduate Fred Fowler that he'd like his "yard" on the forty-yard line spot where the ball was placed for the kicker. Fowler quipped, 'Til ask them to have mine in the end zone . . . where my seats are!" No state appropriations or undesignated gifts to the foundation were used in the successful drive. With Mr. London's energies concentrated on athletics, manpower for other foundation projects was reduced on the small staff. Once that campaign closed, personal solicitation and direct mail efforts were intensified.2^ One of the more unusual treasures donated by an OSU alumnus arrived on campus in 1972, the result of a hasty highway safari by Murl R. Rogers, executive secretary of the OSU Alumni Association, and his assistant, Ray Sharp. Notified by Theodor H. Mittendorf, class of 1917, that he wished to give his outstanding collection of mounted African trophies to the OSU Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Mr. Rogers accepted on behalf of OSU. The collection was the culmination of a lifetime dream of Mr. Mittendorf's. He acquired the trophies during three lengthy African safaris and housed them in a specially constructed building near his home. Packing a bag of tools, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Sharp flew to Florida. Mr. Mittendorf, whose name appears in ten different Who's Who volumes, was a retired executive in the paper manufacturing industry. When the OSU men reached his home in Mount Dora, they went inside the two-story gallery and found themselves in a forest of rare African game species. There were tusks of every dimension—gleaming, unblemished, in exceptional condition. Twenty trophy heads, three full skin mounts, and a set of magnifi­ cent elephant tusks awaited transportation to Oklahoma State Univer­ sity. The removal was entirely up to the Oklahomans. As they walked through the private museum, they were keenly aware that the $84,000 donation was not something which could be loaded in cardboard boxes commandeered from the loading dock of a supermarket. Unusual efforts were definitely called for. Off they went to purchase large sheets of plywood and install them along the interior walls of a rented truck. Into the truck went an African lion, once 8 feet, 1 inch from nose to tail; a roan antelope; Greater and

54 Centennial Histories Series In the years before worldwide concern arose for endangered species, his admiration for big game hunter Theodore Roosevelt led Theodor H. Mittendorf on African safaris of his own. The distinguished 1917 OSU graduate later donated twenty-four animal trophies to the university's museum for teaching purposes. Part of his exceptional donation includes the head of a two and one-half ton black rhinoceros and that of a leopard he agreed to hunt after it had seriously wounded a young boy.

Lesser Kudus; a Topi; Coke's and blue hartebeests; a beisa oryx; and a large Burchell's zebra made into a skin mount or rug. With considerable care Rogers and Sharp removed an exceptional black rhinoceros head, termed "a real showpiece" by an Oklahoma City appraiser that year. The front horn was 21 inches around the base and 283/4 inches long along the front curve. The rear horn was an inch longer. A rhino of such dimensions had not been seen since about 1936, the appraiser had noted. The specimen's rarity also sprang from the fact that the black rhino had long been sought by poachers since the horns com­ mand a fabulous price on the oriental aphrodisiac drug market. Into the truck went the tusks from a 12,000-pound elephant. Weigh­ ing 65 and 67 pounds, each was mounted erect, based in a tanned ele­ phant foot and encircled with a bronze collar. The unbroken, polished ivory tusks made a striking display. Once the trophies were spaced to avoid intermingling of the great, sweeping horns, they were securely nailed to the plywood. Then the

Oklahoma State University 55 men piled into the truck and headed home, driving day and night through the Memorial Day weekend traffic. Rogers was at the steering wheel when the truck crossed the Florida state line. Suddenly the flash­ ing blue lights of an official car stopped them. The alumni director was puzzled. He knew a governor on the truck motor kept it from going over 55 mph. Instead, the offense lay in not stopping at an agricultural inspec­ tion station, mandatory for all truck traffic. Asked what they were hauling, Rogers and Sharp grinned with relief and replied, **You wouldn't believe what we've got back there!"2^ The entire collection would greatly enhance the university's educa­ tional capabilities in wildlife ecology. Funds channeled through the OSU Foundation by Mr. Mittendorf would enable the museum in 1980 to redecorate and open its conference room as the Mittendorf Safari Room. The museum's major benefactor also would provide funds annually for maintenance of the trophies. Mr. Mittendorf would continue to attend OSU class reunions as late as 1987, when he was 92. In June 1972 Tom Turvey joined the staff. His major responsibility was to organize giving in Tulsa County through over 300 volunteers. London conducted personal solicitations in Ponca City, Enid, and Okla­ homa City, as well as directed the Athletic Annual Giving Campaign. Dr. William Krai was also added to the staff to produce publications and handle public relations. And, to alleviate the final $50,000 deficit in the Seretean Center fund, alumni and friends were asked to raise $25,000. Mr. Seretean generously volunteered to match those gifts to encourage the completion of the campaign. 2^ The Seretean Center chapter closed with a significant structure in constant use by students, faculty, and townspeople. Not all enterprises were as rewarding. But fund raising was sometimes interspersed with lighter moments, often in visits with alumni and other potential donors. One affluent rancher, John S. Zink Sr., loved to host magnificent din­ ners at his home north of Sand Springs, and Dr. Kamm frequently donned his cowboy boots and drove over for an evening of entertainment. **Our host came from a hog-rearing farm in Iowa, so we were both Iowa farmboys," Dr. Kamm mused later. **We had immediate rapport as a result, and I made many visits to see him. There was an understand­ ing regarding a major gift to be used for the construction of a new research facility. He had a rough-hewn sense of festivity and often had as guests people from all over the country and the world." One evening the entertainment was more rough-hewn than the guests had anticipated. Sack after sack of live rattlesnakes was dumped on the living room floor. And, in Oklahoma parlance, everyone headed for the tall timber, bolting through doors or scaling pieces of furniture—to Zink's amusement. After an eternity, the host assured everyone the rattlers had been de-

56 Centennial Histories Series fanged, and no one had been in any danger. The pleasant ambience of the evening began to filter back into the room after the handler rounded up the snakes, returned them to their sacks, and departed. The tension eased. It would be a great story to tell tomorrow. Then the handler was back. This time he was bearing a sixteen-foot python. And the host was encouraging Dr. Kamm to step forward! Courses on the administration of university duties tend not to cover situations such as OSU's chief executive found himself. He knew it was a jocular, **good ole boy" test. And he knew his research facility might be hanging in the balance. So when the python was handed him. Bob Kamm took the python. He clutched it, closing his mind to the python's head nodding and weaving a yard or more above his right shoulder. He handed it back. Despite Dr. Kamm's measuring up to the tough old rancher's test, the promised new building was never included in Mr. Zink's will. Of the serpent-sprinkled evening and the lost facility, Kamm admitted, with massive understatement, 'I've never had a comparable experience!"2^ Later Zink's son, John S. Zink Jr., served on the foundation's Board of Governors and made significant private contributions to projects at the university. The foundation's board members had long been considered ''ambas­ sadors for OSU." After ten and a half years' service, Roy T. Hoke, a key ambassador among the founding governors, resigned his position as secretary-treasurer of the trustees, effective January 1, 1972, and as a governor. James A. Robinson, a member of the Board of Governors since 1967, was appointed to fill the post. That fall Mrs. Kaye Barrett Droke became the first alumna to be seated on the Board of Governors.2^ Since the inception of the Oklahoma State University Development Foundation in 1961, Director Erwin had reported directly to the office of the president, first to Dr. Oliver S. Willham and then to Dr. Kamm. OSU's rapid expansion now mandated the appointment of vice presi­ dents to share in the increased responsibilities. In 1972 Dr. Richard W. Poole, dean of the College of Business Administration, was named vice president for university relations and development, and he began work­ ing with Dr. Erwin on foundation matters. Dr. Poole began to institute a program of accountability that would maintain and enhance the million dollar corporation's reputation. Under his guidance, the foundation had begun to implement management by objectives. Regular internal audits were already being performed by the university. Now he felt it was time for annual external audits by a Big Eight firm, as well. OSU alumnus Kenneth D. Hurst of Haskins & Sells, later Deloitte Haskins & Sells, was then preparing a university-wide external audit and agreed to do the same for the OSU Foundation.^^

Oklahoma State University 57 In April 1973, after completing a dozen years at the helm of the foun­ dation. Dr. Erwin resigned, accepting a similar position with a New York university. As acting director, Mr. London assumed management of the organization, aided by Assistant Director Turvey and Mrs. Molly Reid, who had joined the foundation in 1966 as a secretary. With new respon­ sibilities, a slim staff, and the continued need for private gifts and scholarship dollars, it was difficult for London to manage investments, oversee mailings, and also be available to travel around the state to solicit funds.^^ During the annual meeting in 1973, Raymond A. Young became the third president of the OSU Foundation, succeeding Mr. Orbison. Mr. Robinson was elected vice president and Ralph Ball secretary-treasurer. One of the co-founders of the successful T.G.&Y. stores, Mr. Young had served as president of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma City Symphony, the Oklahoma Heritage Association, as well as being a church and civic leader. Skills developed in these philan­ thropic enterprises would provide the foundation a distinct lift in phi­ losophy and scope.^2 Mr. Orbison had presided over the foundation for nine years, start­ ing in January 1964. He was intimately involved in all phases of the cor­ poration as it grew from its limited beginnings and as the foundation met its first major test in providing private funding for the Seretean Cen-

In 1974 a new era in private giving programs and activities opened with the appointment of Charles E. Platt as executive director of the OSU Development Foundation. Mr. Platt became president and chief executive offi­ cer of the foundation in 1979. A Stillwater native, he was a member of the class of 1957.

58 Centennial Histories Series ter. He continued to participate as a trustee and governor. Mr. Orbison, a former president of the OSU Alumni Association and former chair­ man of the Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma, would serve as a member of the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education for four­ teen years. Both Mr. Orbison and Dr. Erwin stepped from the foundation's spot­ light with such solid accomplishments as the establishment of OSU's fund raising branch as a well-known state entity, building incentive for top students to attend OSU through scholarships, and funding campus financial needs that could be met in no other way. In fiscal year 1973-74, contributions to the foundation totaled $1,474,409 as Mr. London, Dr. Poole, and the governors worked to clear up an operating indebtedness. Turvey and London proved that walking the pavement and visiting alumni and friends personally benefited OSU. In the first six months, their metropolitan area campaign added $414,721 to foundation projects. Although health reasons prevented London from accepting the posi­ tion permanently, he served on the committee seeking the new director who would serve as the university's senior advisor and coordinating offi­ cer for private giving. Hal Buchanan, director of University Placement, chaired it. Also on the committee were faculty representatives Dr. Eric Williams and Dr. Daniel R. Kroll. Stillwater representatives included James R. Bellatti and Bob Fenimore.^^ On May 4, 1974, the OSU Board of Regents appointed Stillwater native Charles E. Platt executive director of the OSU Development Foun­ dation. A new era in private giving programs and activities was open­ ing, with increased commitment from the administration and the alumni.

Endnotes

1. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 9 November 1968, p. 2, and Annual Report 1968-69, OSU Development Foundation, p. 3, in Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. "Project Report," Files of Robert D. Erwin, OSU Foundation Office. 3. Minutes of the Bpard of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 4 November 1967, p. 4, and Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 4 January 1968, p. 2, OSU Foundation Office. 4. Author telephone interview with Merlin E. London, 26 January 1987, Blackwell, Oklahoma. 5. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 4 January 1968, p. 2. 6. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 3 June 1968, p. 1. 7. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 3-4 October 1969, pp. 1, 3. 8. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 9 November 1968, pp. 2, 3. 13.

Oklahoma State University 59 9. Annual Report 1968-69, OSU Development Foundation, p. 3, and Minutes of the Board of Governors, 8-9 November 1968, p. 2. 10. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Journal, 7 July 1969, clipping, OSU Vertical File, Special Col­ lections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University. 11. "Bob Hope to Give Benefit Performance," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 10, no. 2 (February 1969), p. 24. 12. Author interview with Robert D. Erwin, 20 January 1987, Brooklyn, New York. 13. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 11 March 1969, p. 2. 14. "Seretean Center for the Performing Arts," Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 10, no. 7 (September-October 1969), pp. 10-11; Tulsa World, 27 June 1969, clipping, OSU Vertical File. 15. Tulsa World, 27 June 1969, clipping, OSU Vertical File. 16. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 11 March 1969, p. 2; Tulsa World, 27 June 1969, clipping, OSU Vertical File; "Seretean Center for the Perform­ ing Arts," pp. 10-11. 17. Oklahoma Journal, 7 July 1969, clipping, OSU Vertical File. 18. Author telephone interview with Melvin D. Jones, 2 January 1988, Oklahoma City, Okla­ homa; Author interview with Robert B. Kamm, 18 January 1988, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 27 August 1969, pp. 1-5, and Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 3-4 October 1969, pp. 1, 3. 19. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 14 November 1970, p. 23. 20. OSU Foundation Donor File, OSU Foundation Office; Intercom: An Oklahoma State University Development Foundation Newsletter, no. 6 (February 1977), p. 3. 21. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 14 November 1970, pp. 3-4. 22. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 14 November 1970, p. 14; "A Day Dedicated to Facing Critical Issues," Development Reports, vol. 1, no. 2 (April 1971), pp. 1-4, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office. 23. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 13-14 November 1970, p. 23, 22 October 1971, p. 8; Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 17 April 1971, newspaper clipping, OSU Vertical File; Author telephone interview with M. B. Seretean, 23 June 1987, Boca Raton, Florida. 24. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 22 October 1971, pp. 1-2, and "Director's Report, 1971-72," p. 1, in OSU Foundation Office. 25. Author's personal communication with Charles E. Platt, 15 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 26. Author telephone interview with Ray Sharp, 11 June 1987, Ada, Oklahoma; Appraisal by Jake C. Rogers, Rogers Taxidermy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 25 August 1972, OSU Foundation Office. 27. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 22 October 1971, pp, 1-2 and "Director's Report, 1971-72," pp. 1-2, in OSU Foundation Office. 28. Robert B. Kamm, It Helps To Laugh (Oklahoma City, OK: Southwest Heritage Books, 1980) pp. 39-40. 29. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 3 November 1972 pp. 1, 5. 30. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 25 June 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 31. London telephone interview. 32. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Development Foundation, 26 October 1973, pp 2-3; Author telephone interview with Raymond A. Young, 20 January 1987, Rancho Mirage, California. 33. Intercom, no. 1 (February 1974), p. 2.

60 Centennial Histories Series Bringing Tables In 5 1974-76

Every person who thinks of himself as responsible must care for every institution he touches, and for those he touches intimately, he must care deeply. Howard W. Johnson

With the energies of a new executive director focused on the goals of Oklahoma State University in 1974, the OSU Development Founda­ tion moved forward on a new level of intensity. A 1957 graduate of OSU, where he majored in management in the College of Business Administration, Charles E. Platt had returned to the university after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Back on campus, he held several student organization offices and joined the American Legion, becoming the first student, the youngest veteran, and the first from the Korean War to be elected commander of the Stillwater post. With graduation came a position with Continental Pipeline Company. Assignments took Mr. Platt to company locations in the Western and Southwestern United States. Over the years with Conoco, he became acquainted with and later worked for N. B. Mavris, OSU alumnus of the class of 1948, who would accept a seat on the foundation's Board of Governors in 1970. One of Piatt's positions included coordinating the work of more than 200 recruiters. He visited more than 100 colleges and universities seeking graduates for employment and was able to retain close contact with his alma mater. As Mr. Platt went through management positions for Continental Oil Company, a promotion led him to the company's natural gas liquids

Oklahoma State University 61 department in Houston, Texas. One day Mr. Mavris phoned Mr. Platt at work to ask if he had donated to OSU through the foundation. Like many graduates, Platt had been too engrossed in his career to give the matter of alumni responsibilities more than a fleeting thought. He recalled Mr. Mavris saying, '*It's time you started putting something back. I'm sending you a pledge card.''^ Piatt's first gift was a check for $50 for the Raymond D. Thomas Scholarship honoring the former dean of the College of Business Administration. And it kindled the alumnus' interest in how the *'extras" at OSU were initiated and financed. In later years, he would learn that fund raisers refer to that reaction to personal contact as '*peo- ple giving to people,'' a method which usually initiates a response more readily than a mailing piece can. As his personal interest increased in Oklahoma State's needs, Platt found his giving also increased. Spurring it on was a visit to Houston in 1970 by Murl R. Rogers, OSU Alumni Association director. Rogers met with other Cowboy alumni, including Phil White, son-in-law of Dr. Robert B. Kamm, and Bill and Toni Stone. Mrs. Stone had been an alumni employee earlier. The group became involved in organizing the Houston OSU Alumni Association, which would grow into the largest organization of OSU alumni in the country by 1987. At the time of Piatt's appointment to the foundation's chief leadership position in 1974, he was president-elect of the group.^ When he arrived on June 17, Mr. Platt discovered a foundation staff of seven in the offices adjacent to the OSU Alumni Association and University Placement. Business office affairs were the primary respon-

Merlin London (right) is presented a plaque in appreciation for his service as interim director of the OSU Development Foundation by new executive director Charles Platt (center). Looking on is Tom Turvey. London and Turvey served as assistant directors.

62 Centennial Histories Series sibility of Mrs. Judith Willis. She was responsible for receipting, the post­ ing of gifts, and the processing of vouchers. Assisting her were part-time employees. Merlin E. London had been acting director for more than a year, supervising projects from his own office. The director's office was nicely furnished, but bare. Nothing had been deposited in the **In" basket for more than a year. The desk drawers were empty. And, while his new domain was a friendly one, Platt noticed a certain lack of activity, except in the area of donor records processing. That began to change. His first days were spent preparing a budget, analyzing cash flows, and perform­ ing other managerial activities. In 1974 the foundation tallied $1,296,026 in cash gifts and $178,383 in goods-in-kind for a total of $1,474,409.^ Six weeks into the new assignment, Mr. Platt attended the Big Ten Fund Raisers Institute in Michigan. It was his first exposure to the com­ plex world of fund raising programs. Even the vocabulary of the profes­ sion was unfamiliar. 'That's where I learned about annual giving. That's where I learned about planned giving. That's where I heard about endow­ ments, how important they are to a university's existence," he reminisced later. At the institute, a lasting friendship was begun with Bob Walker, executive director of the Texas A. and M. Development Foundation. Mr. Walker helped Mr. Platt blend his corporate background with a thor­ ough understanding of the field. Upon his return, Platt changed the staff **from generalists to specialists," directing specific campaigns instead of more broadly organized efforts.^ For years fund raising areas had been loosely carved by geographi­ cal location. Activities west of Interstate Highway 35 had been consid­ ered Mr. London's territory and those east of 1-35 were Tom Turvey's. Once assignments were restructured, Mr. Turvey became director of planned giving. Experience and acquaintances gained during his sports career at OSU made Mr. London a natural choice for heading athletic giving. The tempo shifted sharply. *1 sometimes look back and wonder what happened to the inac­ tivity," Mr. Platt said a bit wistfully during a momentary lull in a busy day in 1986. The director set about building an appealing case for pri­ vate support by presenting evidence of the institution's distinctive character, valuable service, good management, and genuine need. As the public grew to understand that gift dollars were applied directly to achievements for education, the foundation's revitalized program attracted wider support. But while increased personal contacts by the professional staff and a growing corps of volunteers aided general acceptance, one widely held

Oklahoma State University 63 belief was still deeply rooted. The greatest single obstacle to private gift support lay in Oklahomans' assumptions that legislative appropriations supplied **all the money needed" for a public institution. It was a fal­ lacy that both haunted and hampered higher education's goals for young Oklahomans. Through the years, those who had initiated the foundation in 1961 kept an eye on the young offshoot. And they were never reluctant to impart advice. Even while interviewing for the foundation position, Mr. Platt had received some strong guidance on the philosophy of fund rais­ ing from Dr. M. R. 'Tete" Lohmann, former dean of the Division of Engineering. Dean Lohmann recalled telling the prospective executive director, *'If you only get a buck, it isn't just a dollar. Now you've got a guy interested in Oklahoma State University, and he votes! Particularly if he lives in Oklahoma, he can do more for us. The people who give will say good things about your institution. They'll talk to their legislators about you. And they'll send their children to school at OSU!"^ Over the intervening years, Platt made particular use of Dr. Loh- mann's words revealing that private fund raising was more important than the money involved. Another Lohmann quote which also became familiar within the foundation was, 'The state provides the basic edu­ cation, the cake. Private gifts provide the frosting." During the interview process, foundation volunteer. President Ray­ mond Young, co-founder and former president of the T.G.&Y. Stores, took pains to pass along several stories from his own business experience. For all their apparent casualness, the stories' essence soon found its way into Piatt's own management style. One anecdote involved a store salesmanager known for always wear­ ing his hat in the store. Puzzled, someone queried the man about the unusual habit. And, according to Young, the manager responded, ''It's to remind me that I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be on the road, where the customers are." Although the man who accepted the foundation position that week never wore a hat in the office, the message remained: You can't sit in tlie office. You have to be on the road. You have to go out where the donors are. Another offshoot from that first Big Ten Fund Raiser's conference came when Dean Lela O'Toole of the College of Home Economics asked the new foundation director to talk at an annual luncheon for her alum­ nae. A little unsure exactly what the women would expect to hear from someone who'd been in the position only a few short weeks, Platt hesi­ tated. But the persuasive dean convinced him the group would enjoy any brief comments he cared to make. And he accepted the invitation. But when Platt walked into the room for his maiden talk about fund

64 Centennial Histories Series In 1975, a bronze plaque honored Lottie and Edith Shepherd, Oklahoma City sisters whose Shepherd Foundation gave OSU $300,000 for student loans. Viewing the plaque are R. A. Young, (leff) chairman of the board, T.G.&Y. Stores, Oklahoma City, and president of the OSU Develop­ ment Foundation and L. Ed Riffe, (right) chairman of the board, Riffe Petroleum Company, Tulsa, and a foundation trustee.

raising, he saw U.S. Representative John N. "Happy" Camp and U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon in attendance. Quickly he shifted oratorical gears, borrowed liberally from his new acquaintance, Texas A. and M.'s Walker, and told humorous stories as though he were a seasoned vet­ eran of the fund raising world.^ Back in his office, there were more serious aspects to consider, as well. It was a time for learn-as-you-go training. Platt had inherited an endowment investment policy of 60 percent bonds and 40 percent stock. Shortly before his arrival, Frank Crews of Guthrie had given the foun­ dation $5,000, which had been invested in the pool of stocks. But a let­ ter from the incensed donor triggered a change in that form of money management. "Mr. Crews told me that there was no way we could outguess the people on Wall Street," Mr. Platt explained. "If we were going to frit­ ter his money away in stocks, he wasn't going to give us any more. I invited him up to see me and he came up. Shows you how much about fund raising I knew. Today, I'd go see him! "We had a very good understanding that he wanted his money to be invested with security, in which the corpus [main body] would never be lost. He didn't care how much we earned, but he did not want his

Oklahoma State University 65 $5,000 to be lost. We took his money and started a pool of bonds only. Today it's our only pool. We tracked it and through the years, it has earned us thousands of dollars more than it would if we had stayed with equities." Once his advice was heeded, Mr. Crews was responsive. Annual donations of $5,000 toward a scholarship continued to arrive. Through his will the university gained an additional $50,000 in bonds, for use in bringing deserving, college-bound students to OSU from Guthrie High School. 7 One of the initial grants to arrive at the foundation's door under the new administration came that June when Dr. Donald Cooper, OSU's team physician and Student Health Center director, received the prestigious National Athletic Trainers Association President's Challenge Award for outstanding accomplishment in sports medicine. The 1968 Olympic team physician was the first to be honored. His award netted the univer­ sity $1,500.8 With the hiring of Roger D. Cagle in September 1974, the professional staff was operating at full capacity for the first time in three years. Cagle was named assistant director-support services. Later he was the first director for administrative programs, working full-time while he com­ pleted a master's degree in business administration. London was then associate director-annual giving, and Turvey was associate director- special and planned giving.^ But alunmi in general were still unfamiliar with the depth of the foun­ dation's efforts, opportunities, and commitments. One of Director Piatt's first experiences with hosting a dinner for prospective campaign work­ ers brought the problem into focus. "Merlin, Tom and I drove over to Enid, Oklahoma," he recalled in later years. "A motel had set up a U-shaped banquet table and Merlin had arranged for about thirty volunteers to be there. It was my job to go in and introduce myself and give 'em a motivating speech." The trouble was, only a dozen or so showed up. Seated along the snowy expanse of tables set for thirty, the gathering looked sparse indeed. It took some scurrying about, but the extra tables were removed. With chagrin tempered by passing years, Mr. Platt related, "I learned a good lesson then that those who showed up looked at all those empty plates and wondered why they showed up! There were a lot of uneaten salads that night." Nonetheless, the guests received the full thrust of the talk promoting OSU. And, as the men drove home, Platt promised London and Turvey, "The next time we have one of these, we will have to bring tables in! We will not have to carry tables out." "It's more fun to have to bring tables in," Platt summed up the experience wryly. And, through the following decade, his determina­ tion continued to fulfill that goal.^°

66 Centennial Histories Series A wide spectrum of achievement and interest among governors awaited the new executive director. Volunteers at work to aid Oklahoma State University were E. L. Ball, board chairman. Cities Utilities Con­ struction Company, Miami, Florida; Ralph Ball, board chairman, Hudgins, Thompson, Ball and Associates, Oklahoma City; F. M. "Pete" Bartlett, president. Rotary Drilling Services, Tulsa; Armon Bost, presi­ dent, Midwesco Industries, Tulsa; Veldo Brewer, president. Brewer & Anderson, Inc., Holdenville; Warren B. Cooke, vice president, Clint Cooke Company, Stillwater; James B. Cummins, president, H. E. Cum­ mins & Son Construction Company, Enid; and Mrs. Kaye Barrett Droke, president Real-Life Athletic Research, Inc., Fayetteville, Arkansas. Also John Dunn, board chairman. Woodward Production Credit Association, Woodward; A. Tate Edmondson Jr., insurance broker, Harlan Insurance Agents & Brokers, Tulsa; Melvin A. Ellsworth, presi­ dent Fluor Corporation, Los Angeles, California; Robert D. Fenimore, district manager, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Still­ water; Ralph Goley, retired, Enid; George H. C. Green, retired, Okla­ homa City; D. A. "Pug" Griffin, president. Griffin Oil Well Cementing Company, Gushing; and James Hasenback, board chairman. Casualty Corporation of America, Oklahoma City. And F. L. Holton Jr., manager, F. L. Holton Industries, Poteau; Ken­ neth Hurst, CPA, Haskins & Sells, Oklahoma City; Dr. Melvin D. Jones, president, Mark Twain Insurance Company, Oklahoma City; OSU Presi­ dent Robert B. Kamm; James J. Kelly, president, Kerr-McGee Corpora­ tion; Dr. Daniel R. Kroll, OSU professor and director of curricular affairs for arts and sciences; Carl M. Leonard Jr., president, Carl M. Leonard & Son, Inc., Tulsa; Wendell V. Locke, president, Locke, Wright, Fos­ ter, Inc., architects and planners, Oklahoma City; Harold R. Logan, executive vice president, W. R. Grace & Company, New York; E. M. "Jim" Lookabaugh, real estate and investments, Oklahoma City; S. D. McCloud, president, McCloud Investment Company, Tulsa; and Ger­ ald W. McCullough, McCullough Enterprises, Inc., Bartlesville. Also, Edwin Malzahn, president, Charles Machine Works, Inc., Perry; N. B. "Nick" Mavris, president. Continental Pipeline Company, Houston; Fred Merrifield, Merrifield Farm, Enid; R. O. "Dick" New­ man, president. Public Service Company, Tulsa; Scott E. Orbison, presi­ dent, Scott E. Orbison Company, Tulsa; William T. Payne, president, Payne, Inc., Oklahoma City; C. Virgil Richardson, president, Claude Oil Company, Oklahoma City; L. Ed Riffe, board chairman, Riffe Petroleum Company, Tulsa; Dr. Lynn Roberts, physician, Stillwater; James A. Robinson, attorney, Rogers, Bell & Robinson, Tulsa; Burton D. Salmon, oil producer and investments, Tulsa; Sidney E. Scisson, president, Fenix & Scisson, Inc., Tulsa; M. B. "Bud" Seretean, board chairman. Coronet Industries, Inc., Dalton, Georgia; William J. Sherry, oil consultant, Tulsa;

Oklahoma State University 67 Active supporters of Oklahoma State worked to aid the university through the OSU Develop­ ment Foundation. On the board of trustees in 1974 were: (front row, left to right) M. B. Sere­ tean, Dalton, GA; R. A. Young, Oklahoma City; Scott Orbison, Tulsa; Ralph Ball, Oklahoma City; (back row) E. M. "Jim" Lookabaugh, Oklahoma City; L. E. "Dean" Stringer, Oklahoma City; R. O. Newman, Tulsa; L. Ed Riffe, Tulsa; and F. L. Holton Jr., Poteau. The remaining trustees were James A. Robinson, Tulsa; OSU President Robert B. Kamm; and Dr. Daniel R. Kroll, profes­ sor and director of curricular affairs for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Floyd E. Stanley, general partner, Midwestern Welding Company, Tulsa; and L. E. "Dean" Stringer, attorney, Oklahoma City. And A. W. Swift, president, A. W. Swift & Company, Sand Springs; John Taylor, president, Enid PubHshing Company, Enid; Roy M. Teel, president. Midland Petrochemical Company, Tulsa; Raymond B. Thomas, executive vice president, Cities Service Oil Company, Tulsa; Charles Thompson, vice president, Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Jacksonville, Florida; V. M. Thompson, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Utica National Bank & Trust Company, Tulsa; Dail C. West, board chairman, Westco, Inc., Miami, Oklahoma; Clyde A. Wheeler Jr., director of government relations. Sun Oil Company, Washington, D.C.; Dr. A. W. Wortham, head, industrial engineering department, Texas A. and M. University, College Station, Texas; and Raymond A. Young, board chairman, T.G.&Y. Stores, Oklahoma City.^i Mr. Platt was introduced at the October 18 meeting of the Board of Trustees by President Young. The articles of incorporation were amended to show the principal office was located in the Student Union Building instead of Whitehurst Hall, as previously listed; to require that one trustee be a representative selected by the alumni board of directors instead of specifically the OSU Alumni Association president; and to expand the number of trustees from nine to twelve. The first external audit of the corporation had just been concluded. It covered the fiscal year 1973-74 and was presented to the trustees by C. Frederick Falldine, new managing partner in Haskins and Sells. Fall- dine had recently arrived from Rochester, New York, but would "adopt'' OSU almost on sight. Later he would resign, become president of Hanover Investments, and serve on the foundation board.

68 Centennial Histories Series "I was always appreciative of the fact that Dick Poole had that audit started before I came," Mr. Platt commented in later years. "Prior records had been checked. Everything was fine and ready to go from there, a fresh beginning. But Dr. Poole formalized and made visible the account­ ability of the foundation. Poole's management style is one of his strengths. Under his direction, copies of the external audit were presented to all of the foundation board members and to the OSU Board of Regents. They were also shared with the media, and this tradition has been carried forward. "^^ The annual banquet for the Board of Governors that night was not without a small surprise. Intent on becoming acquainted with each of the board members and their spouses, Platt and his wife. Sue, sat with Governor Kaye Barrett Droke and her husband, Jim. "Kaye kept taking pieces of food off her plate and putting it under­ neath the table," he said, smiling. "I couldn't figure out what was hap­ pening. Finally, I realized what she was doing. She had a dog in her purse! And she was feeding it. That dog was the best thing. Nobody knew it was in there. She'd just close that purse up." Intrigued, Platt became the Droke dog's defender in a mini-saga.

Jim and Kaye Barrett Droke stand outside the Kaye Barrett Droke Track and Field Center with their dog, Che Che. Mrs. Droke, a successful businesswoman and foundation governor, is one of OSU's major donors. Che Che, a constant companion of the Drokes of Arlington, Texas, often attended OSU Foundation functions tucked into Mrs. Droke's ample purse.

Oklahoma State University 69 "The Student Union Hotel manager would just raise cain. He took it upon himself to keep that dog out of the hotel. The first year, the man­ ager just fussed at Kaye. The next year, when she arrived for the gover­ nors' meeting, a prominent 'No Dogs Allowed' sign greeted her." Mrs. Droke, a successful businesswoman and one of OSU's major donors, turned from the hotel registration counter and headed directly for the foundation office, just off the lobby. As Platt recalls, she said, "I can't stay here because I can't have my dog." And he assured her, "Yes, you can have your dog, Kaye." A dog that ate so quietly that other diners were unaware of the tiny poodle's presence would be no problem in the hotel, he was convinced. A phone call to Dr. Kamm brought a speedily typed letter approving the special guest. Although the manager reluctantly agreed to waive the house rule, the story goes that when Mrs. Droke checked in for the following year's meeting, he couldn't resist asking, "Where's that dog? I know you've got that dog!" To which Mrs. Droke innocently responded, "What dog?"^^ On Saturday, following that 1974 banquet, the Board of Governors reconvened. The board confirmed the trustees' re-election of Raymond A. Young and James A. Robinson as president and vice president, with the selection of Mr. Platt as secretary-treasurer of the foundation.^^ The drive to familiarize Oklahomans with the foundation and to be of service intensified. On November 7, 1974, the foundation personnel hosted a workshop for twenty-eight volunteers from around the state. The gathering was an attempt to reach prospective contributors through alumni and friends of the university. Dean Lohmann's own well-honed fund raising skills made his remarks more pertinent during the work­ shop. Special emphasis was placed on "doing the extra." "The general public overall, and especially employers, judge the value of a person's education and his degree by the educational institu­ tion's reputation for excellence," Dr. Lohmann said. "Excellence is not achieved by doing the routine, the average, the usual, but by doing the extra. The routine of education is financed very poorly—the ingredients for excellence not at all! Funds contributed to the Development Foun­ dation provide the ingredients for excellence. "^^ One of the familiar elements linking gifts to the foundation was, in donors' words, "care, concern, and kindness" found at Oklahoma State. In the spring of 1975, that type of friendly reception for a dying German Shepherd triggered funds that would benefit OSU veterinary medicine students for years. Suffering from a heart ailment, a nine-year-old dog named Cindy was flown March 28 by chartered jet from Nashville to Stillwater by owners Virginia Wenger and Marie Goodner of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The

70 Centennial Histories Series $1,500 ambulance flight was arranged so that Dr. Gerard Rubin, associ­ ate professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, could diagnose the dog. Once her condition was stabilized at the OSU Small Animal Clinic, Cindy was taken to Veterans Hospital in Oklahoma City for tests OSU then lacked the equipment to perform. By then, the story of the dramatic mercy flight had appeared in newspapers across the country. The fatal ailment was pinpointed as scleroderma, rarely seen in humans and then almost never recognized in animals. When Cindy was returned to an oxygen-supplied cage on the campus, it became the College of Veterinary Medicine's task to learn all that could be discovered about the disease in the weeks before her death, and from the autopsy, with the hope of helping humans or animals similarly stricken. Three checks totalling $2,050 arrived at the foundation from the grate­ ful owners, a nurse and an anesthetist, and from a friend who worked at the same hospital, to purchase "the kind of equipment students can learn on." And because of the Tennessee dog, OSU was able to make a significant contribution to knowledge about a rare disease.^^

A chartered Lear jet brought Cindy, an ailing German Shepherd, from Nashville to Stillwater for diagnosis and treatment of a rare disease in 1975. Although the dog could not be saved, valuable studies were made before her death. Contributions toward much-needed equipment for the College of Veterinary Medicine were made by her owners, Virginia Wenger and Marie Goodner of Murfreesboro, TN.

Oklahoma State University 71 To broaden the interest of Stillwater people in befriending the univer­ sity and gain some first-time donors, a one-day blitz was held in April 1975. "I had always felt women were good fund raisers," Mr. Platt com­ mented. "I talked to Merlin and told him I'd like to have a Stillwater drive using women fund raisers. Well, he got caught up in the idea and he asked Marguerite Shelton to head it up. So Marguerite got that lively group of women she ran around with. And each of those got five. They didn't just call on alums. They went in and asked businesses to give. We got a lot of involvement." Nor was Piatt's wife. Sue, exempt from telling the foundation's story. She was enlisted as a volunteer and received five cards with names to call on that day. After that, university people were pleased to see the OSU Founda­ tion sticker on merchants' doors. That episode succeeded in drawing the community into the campus activity as 308 townspeople gave $38,329. The same day, a companion drive was headed by the faculty and netted $42,029 as 317 OSU employees participated.^^ As the need developed, staff assignments continued to be reshaped. Mrs. Reid was assigned the new role of coordinating donor communi­ cations, publication of brochures, and overall coordination of correspon­ dence. With the arrival in May 1975 of Mrs. Charlene Pinkston as Mr. Piatt's secretary, replacing Mrs. Robbie Shipley, reorganization of the staff was complete. The wills emphasis program was initiated in April with a special mailing. The annual giving program continued with per­ sonal solicitation drives in key cities.^^ A sudden June tornado savaged the city and the campus on Friday the 13th, damaging Old Central and twenty-eight other university build­ ings. Only seven of the buildings had been insured. Repairs would mount to $498,002, but with immediate aid from hundreds of students, faculty and staff members, and local residents, campus events went right on. Typical of widespread concern was a letter from Mrs. Earline Y. Webb, retired Teague, Texas, teacher. ''I feel sure OSU will be even better than before,'' she predicted. Six­ teen years earlier Mrs. Webb had attended a math institute on campus and was "so pleased with the courtesy and kindness shown me." Her check for $10 was "a token of the sympathy I feel." Through the foun­ dation, that donation was put to work in the massive restoration. ^^ A major program, the $2.5 million capital campaign for stadium expansion launched in 1971, was almost completed by June. Former OSU football head coach Jim Lookabaugh had headed the five-year drive for chairbacks, box seats, and major gifts and was strongly aided by mem­ bers of the board.20 Since the foundation's incorporation, a primary emphasis of gift sup­ port had been university uru:estricted scholarships. From an initial

72 Centennial Histories Series Ten founding governors were among those attending the 1976 annual meeting of the OSU Foundation. Presenting awards in recognition of their outstanding service are: Mr. H. Harber LampI, chairman of the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University (top left) and Mr. Ed Ketchum, vice president of the regents (top right). investment of $5,000 for the 1961-62 academic year, the foundation had increased scholarship appropriations to $35,000 for the 1975-76 school year. The total reflected an increase of more than $5,000 over the previ­ ous year. The funds were made available to students selected by the University Scholarship Committee.^i The President's Distinguished Scholars (PDS) program was conceived in 1975 when OSU received the Oliver S. and Susan E. Willham estate. The program was developed in an attempt to secure the finest high school scholars who also displayed leadership abilities. Two foundation gover­ nors and their wives. Dr. Melvin D. and Mary E. Jones of Oklahoma City, and Melvin A. and Aladine Ellsworth of Laguna Beach, California, were the next to endow living memorials with gifts of $25,000 or more. The estate of Judge Edwin R. McNeill of Pawnee provided another. In a year's time, there were ten scholarships, with each endowed gift invested to provide income to support a four-year scholarship award. In 1977, the first four PDS recipients would be chosen from the state's outstanding freshmen. Receiving the $l,200-a-year scholarships were Becky Jacks, Pryor, Ellsworth Scholar; Lynn Loomis, Mooreland, Jones Scholar; Cheryl Phillips, Midwest City, McNeill Scholar; and Michael Ragsdale, Perry, Willham Scholar. In 1978, four more would be selected,

Oklahoma State University 73 with seventeen additional PDS endowments committed to funding.22 Another foundation project involved sending out donor cards. Each indicated the year a gift was made and how many consecutive years con­ tributions had been made. One response was from long-time donor T. A. Halbrook of Tulsa. The Tulsan thought he had given every year, but his card indicated a year had been skipped. Could he send a gift now and be credited with an unbroken series of donations? When the foun­ dation replied, "Absolutely!," another check for $1,000 arrived. A new card was on its way to Tulsa, and, until his death, Mr. Halbrook kept his "streak" going.23 That fall the trustees selected as officers for 1975-76 James A. Robin­ son, president; M. B. Seretean, vice president; Platt, vice president and executive director; and staff member Roger D. Cagle, secretary-treasurer. Piatt's election as vice president also carried the title of trustee and marked the first time in which a staff member had been so named. Mr. Young had completed two years as president, and his service at the helm had been extremely valuable.2* Later that year Hal William Ellis, an attorney who was on the Col­ lege of Business Administration faculty, was retained to assist the foun­ dation in the development of trust and endowment agreements, estate planning, and a variety of other matters. As the foundation grew, Mr. Ellis would become an important volunteer, working with the organi­ zation in numerous clinics and estate planning workshops. He traveled with the staff from Woodward to Houston to Bartlesville. Through the years he would continue to advise the organization on legal issues.2^ Bicentennial fever burned brightly on the Oklahoma State campus in 1976, but one of the most appealing programs to fund the future of education, the OSU Bicentennial Trust, began in the fall of 1975. It came about when geography professor Dr. Robert C. Fite and electronic engineering technology student Bryan Burns figured the value of a sin­ gle dollar bill invested at an average of 7 per cent interest compounded annually until America's Tricentennial in 2076. Dr. Fite and Burns, who headed faculty and student Bicentennial efforts, realized that a one-dollar donation to Oklahoma State would then be worth more than $1,000 to tomorrow's students when the country observed its 300th birthday. The concept met a warm reception from the foundation staff. Immedi­ ately, the goal to obtain 100,000 volunteer "Minutemen" was set. "In terms of dollars and cents," Platt stated, "if one dollar is worth $1,000 in 100 years, then it logically follows that the potential is there for a staggering sum by 2076.'' But he pointed out that the ultimate size of the fund itself was still not as important as the total number of peo­ ple who would take part in the project.2^ Only a dollar per Minuteman was accepted by the foundation for the Bicentennial Trust. For that dollar, the donor received a wallet-sized

74 Centennial Histories Series When America celebrated her 200th birthday in 1976, student Bryan Burns of Eva, Oklahoma, and Dr. Robert Fite, who headed the campus' bicentennial effort, were looking ahead to 2076. Funds raised through dollar-per-person contributions were invested by the OSU Foundation to benefit the education of students celebrating the USA's 300th birthday.

certificate. Minuteman "recruiting centers" were established through­ out the state, and the cards were sent to all seventy-seven OSU county extension offices, to alumni district directors, and to merchants and civic groups. Student living groups sold them, as did fraternities, sororities, and other campus organizations. Grandparents bought them for future Cowboy and Cowgirl grandchildren. Other families tucked the keepsake certificates into Christmas cards. On December 14, 1976, a list of the 10,947 donors, along with OSU memorabilia, circa 1976, was placed within a three-ton Oklahoma granite time capsule in OSU's newly-landscaped formal gardens west of the Stu­ dent Union. And the Minuteman dollars were placed in trust, not to be touched until students yet to be born enroll in the year 2076.2^ Contributions were at an all-time high in other projects as the pub­ lic provided private support to fund OSU's drive toward excellence. And never again were there "a lot of uneaten salads" when the OSU Foun­ dation hosted dinners for campaign volunteers.

Oklahoma State University 75 Endnotes

1. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 15 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. Stillwater NewsPress, 5 May 1974, clipping, OSU Vertical File, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Platt interview, 15 May 1987. 3. Annual Report '74, OSU Development Foundation, Oklahoma State University Founda­ tion Office, Oklahoma State University. 4. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 25 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 5. Author interview with M. R. "Pete" Lohmann, 17 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 6. Platt interview 15 May 1987. 7. Platt interview, 15 May 1987. 8. "Doc Cooper First to Receive NATA Award," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 15, no. 7 (September-October 1974), pp. 8-9. 9. Intercom: An Oklahoma State University Development Foundation Newsletter, no. 3 (January 1975), pp. 1-2. 10. Platt interview, 25 November 1986. 11. "The Foundation's 'Working' Board of Governors," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 15, no. 9 (December 1974), p. 7. 12. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 18 October 1974, pp. 1, 3, 4, OSU Foundation Office; Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 25 June 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 13. Platt interview, 25 November 1986. 14. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 18 October 1974, pp. 1 -2. 15. Intercom, no. 3 (January 1975), p. 3. 16. "From Nashville to OSU-Dog Makes 'Ambulance' Trip in Chartered Jet," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 16, no. 6 (June-July 1975) p. 29. For more information on the College of Veterinary Medicine, see A History of the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine by Eric I. Williams. 17. Intercom, no. 4 (July 1975); Platt interview. 18. Intercom, no. 4 (July 1975), p. 2. 19. "A Close Call," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 16, no. 7 (September-October 1975) p. 15. 20. Intercom, no. 4 (July 1975), p. 2. 21. Intercom, no. 4 (July 1975), pp. 3, 4. 22. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 5 February 1976, p. 2; "OSU's Distinguished Scholars: A Contribution to Vitality," Oklahoma State University Out­ reach, vol. 19, no. 5 (November-December 1978), pp. 6-7. 23. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 28 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 24. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 26 September 1975, pp. 1-2. 25. Author's personal communication with Charles E. Platt, 22 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 26. "Faith in Our Future," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 16, no. 8 (November- December 1975), pp. 4-8. 27. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 12 October 1977, p. 15.

76 Centennial Histories Series Vision and Vitality 6 1976-79

There are two characteristics of a great institution of higher education: vision to plan and vitality to achieve. President Henry G. Bennett, 1928-1951

As an outgrowth of the Oklahoma State University Alumni Associa­ tion, the OSU Development Foundation's evolution continued to be of keen interest to association officials. By assisting in the creation of the foundation, the Alumni Association had achieved one of its most vital objectives, a structure for funding scholarships. The foundation's mod­ est launching had in turn freed the alumni staff to concentrate on the university's graduates and prospective students. Still, for several years the public continued to view the fledgling philanthropic office as an arm of the bustling alumni office. Since 1961 the organizations had been housed in adjacent space in the Student Union. Their activities were not only compatible, but occa­ sionally overlapped. Many of the foundation's governors and trustees had also been active in the Alumni Association and carried strong loyal­ ties to both groups' goals. But it was essential as well as desirable to establish a distinctive style and identity for the fund raisers of OSU. As each new program began to achieve success, the foundation's activities and staff began to enlarge. The second floor suite became crowded, and expansion became mandatory. When the opportunity arose to move the university's fund raising branch downstairs to the former OSU post office complex, it was quickly snapped up. Construction closed in the long hallway outside the Student Union Hotel and formed a series of offices linked with the old postal site. As the foundation continued

Oklahoma State University 77 to add experts in various facets of fund raising, further expansion would follow about every two years through 1986. With the relocation to Suite 100 in the Union Hotel Plaza about May 15, 1976, the foundation's separation became complete. Office space grew from 1,300 to 2,000 square feet. Its location just north of the un­ ion's parking garage was convenient for visitors, as well. The new ad­ dress became known as Student Union South, but in later years was more often referred to as HIOO.^ Earlier it had been determined that the annual gift program, the life- blood of any charitable organization, must be expanded and further emphasized. Dave Carnahan had joined the professional staff as assis­ tant director of support services in time to help pack boxes and files and move with the foundation. Shortly thereafter, he was selected to head the annual fund raising effort. At the same time, Charlene Pinkston was promoted to director of ad­ ministrative programs. Mrs. Pinkston, who held both bachelor's and master's degrees in business education from OSU, had joined the foun­ dation as a secretary and had developed an excellent rapport with the foundation board and acquired extensive knowledge in donor adminis­ tration. Still, her training and experience in teaching at the junior col­ lege level left her interested in progressing beyond a secretarial role. Teaching appeared to be the answer. But her first long day as a sub­ stitute teacher found Mrs. Pinkston handling six consecutive psychol­ ogy classes at Stillwater's C. E. Donart High School. It was an eye-opening experience, and one which led her to accept the founda­ tion's offer of a professional-level job in fund raising. As her skills and responsibilities increased, she would become a cor­ porate officer, but at first Mrs. Pinkston's appearance at conferences was novel among other career fund raisers. *They would take me to the Big Eight Fund Raisers meetings—and I've gone to most of them," she said in 1986. 'The first year I went, I was the only woman. Gradually, through the years, there were a few more. The same thing was true with our attendance at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. CASE is a national organi­ zation of 1,800 colleges and universities. At the district meeting in Tul­ sa, I was one of the first women." Under Executive Director Charles E. Piatt's guidance, the office dis­ played a noticeable personality to everyone who opened its glass door from the hotel lobby. Inside lay an orange world—punctuated by black, of course, for true loyalty to school colors.^ *'Charles was so into orange that when we first moved to HlOO we had orange carpet," Mrs. Pinkston remembered. Of the unique look of the office, she explained, "We had a different kind of orange in the couch. He insisted that we have orange phones, and he always loved

78 Centennial Histories Series "The Bridge Builder"—Anon

An old man going a lone highway. Came at the evening cold and gray To a chasm vast and deep and wide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim The sullen stream had no fears for him But he turned when safe on the other side And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old Man," said a fellow pilgnm near, "You are wasting your time with building here. You never again will pass this way— Your journey will end with the closing day. You have crossed the chasm deep and wide. Why build you this bridge at eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head. "Good friend, in the way that I've come," he said, "There followeth after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way. This stream that has been as naught to me. To the fair-haired youth might a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim. Good friend, I'm building the bridge for him."

This poenn reflects the fund raising philosophy of the Oklahonna State University Foundation.

Oklahoma State University 79 to show off our orange typewriters. Well, it was—you can imagine! At that time we had temporary partitions and they were orange, and they were a different shade. Gradually, through the years, as we've redeco­ rated, I've substituted other colors and he accepts it now. "I kept saying, 'Now, Charles, we accent with orange. We don't decorate with orange.' He has gone from everything orange to a little smattering of orange. But it's taken so many years to wean him away from orange everywhere. A minimum of furniture was purchased, although some was upgraded. It's been a gradual process over ten or twelve years," Mrs. Pinkston said. "We do a lot of hand-me-downs. If you're the new person, you get the hand-me-downs." During the next decade in HlOO, the office functioned in the midst of spasmodic water hazards. Hotel guests who failed to tuck shower cur­ tains inside bathtubs precipitated damp ceilings, desks, and carpeting in the foundation below. Floods from accidents during renovation of the hotel above HlOO nearly led to all hands being issued life jackets at times. Water vacuums and drying carpets almost became a way of life. A break in the water line once led to a downpour directly onto the drawing board—and art work—of the publications editor. Fortunately, Editor Vonda Evans was not there at the time. "Once in a while, we could hear water trickling overhead and we would call maintenance right away and run for cover," Mrs. Pinkston recalled. "Water'd come gushing down. We had this routine, an emer­ gency drill, that we all knew." But the most serious episode occurred while Mr. Platt was out of town, calling on prospective donors. "One night about 11:30, I had a call from Mrs. Platt, who said, 'Charlene, OSU Security just called. A water line's broken and the foun­ dation is flooded. Can you go up there?' This was during the time we were renovating Suite 1600 on the second floor, and some paintings had just been brought over from Tulsa." All she could think of was the art work that was stacked against a wall. She called colleague Dale E. Ross, a new marketing director. Together they found the paintings unharmed, but about two inches of water was standing throughout. "That time it was a hot water line," Mrs. Pinkston said. "It had broken over a secretary's desk. If she had been there, she would have been scalded. It was scary. "^ In between air blowers and soggy carpet, HlOO's daily mail some­ times brought a smile. On July 28, 1976, Dr. James Farley of Edmond requested a new OSU Development Foundation sticker. He planned to pick up a new car and wanted to be able to put OSU stickers on it before heading out of the dealer's lot. He explained, "I want to leave no doubt in people's minds that the red/white car does not indicate my universi­ ty preference."* Programs to educate the public in the ways of giving continued.

80 Centennial Histories Series Traditionally women of moderate means had seldom been included in estate planning sessions, but in 1976 the foundation began to encourage women to be fiscally well-informed. Fifty-four participated in the Still­ water seminar, which launched a series that would spread across the state. ^ One of the women most instrumental in providing needed funds for OSU was Foundation Governor Kaye Barrett Droke. In 1976-77, she gave $100,000 to her alma mater toward a $200,000 multi-purpose track build­ ing designed to house dressing rooms, a track hall of fame showcase, training and equipment rooms, and offices. Ground was broken May 10, 1977, across from the Colvin Center for the much-needed Kaye Barrett Droke Track and Field Center. Coach Ralph Tate assisted Mrs. Droke in wielding a beribboned shovel.^ At the same time, the athletics improvement capital campaign was underway. Kicked off in February, the program offered 3,852 perma- glass seat-back chairs to football fans at $200 per seat. Only 350 remained as the 1977 football season approached, and a total sell-out was expect­ ed. Proceeds would pay for a $700,000 football educational and office facility between Gallagher Hall and Lewis Field. The following year, after a tour of the new Coaches Building at the

^^-*r iS ^-1

>

IIIISI iliiill Everything you wanted to know about American railroads—and more. A sampling of the 400-book treasury on the topic is viewed in 1977 by Dr. Roscoe Rouse, director of Edmon Low Library {lefty, Streeter B. Flynn Jr. of Oklahoma City, who donated the books; and Dr. Richard W. Poole, vice president for university relations, development and extension.

Oklahoma State University 81 east end of Lewis Field, former foundation president Raymond A. Young once again volunteered to provide $17,500 for Varsity Club lounge fur­ nishings. In 1969 he had been responsible for outfitting the Varsity Club when it took the place of the old wrestling room in Gallagher Hall. It had seen constant use as a hospitality center following games and matches. However, the 1978 Varsity Room with a window wall over­ looking the stadium was considerably larger and would be the scene of even more athletics-related dinners and meetings.^ In 1977 the OSU Library was the recipient of a comprehensive col­ lection of 400 books on American railroads, covering everything from railroad planning to construction and operation. The gift of Streeter B. Flynn Jr. of Oklahoma City, through the foundation, the books were made available to readers interested in such topics as history, folklore, biog­ raphy, and the effects of railroads on geography and economics, includ­ ing a lively volume entitled. To Hell In a Daycoach—An Exasperated Look at American Railroads.^ During the September 30 meeting of the trustees, James A. Robin­ son presided as M. B. Seretean was elected president of the board. The Kamm presidency had drawn to a close, and OSU President Lawrence L. Boger was now seated on the board. The foundation's assets for 1977-78 revealed another year of steady increase. Assets for July 1, 1977, to June 30, 1978, were up by $112,000 over the previous year, while total assets stood at $5,164,000. The bulk of the $2,563,000 actually collected went immediately into the univer­ sity. Areas benefited included improvements on campus structures, research, athletics, special projects, and programs for the separate col­ leges and departments.^ Responsibilities for key personnel were realigned in 1977. OSU alum­ nus Ross joined the staff as associate director in October, replacing Car­ nahan when the latter joined a family business in Indiana. Skilled as a writer and editor and experienced in working with volunteers through the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Ross was considered by Mr. Platt "the first individual brought in to take over a defined program." Taking the annual gifts program under his wing, Mr. Ross began to develop ways in which to reach more people for the benefit of the academic side of university goals. In December, Mr. Turvey was promoted, assuming the responsibili­ ty for the management of the university's central mailing department. He was replaced by Michael Nemec, an attorney from Tulsa. Mr. Lon­ don continued to direct athletic giving until August 1978, when he trans­ ferred to OSU's Health and Fitness Center and applied his expertise in raising funds for athletic stress and fitness programs. In November 1978, Dr. Jerry Gill, assistant director of high school and college relations the past five years, became director of the foundation for athletic gift pro-

82 Centennial Histories Series grams. With Gill's arrival, the foundation opened an Athletic Gift Office in Gallagher Hall. The athletic fund raising efforts could be effectively coordinated with the athletic department and visiting sports fans. Gill also directed the OSU Posse, the athletic booster club, from this office. It was a position Gill would hold until late 1984, when he became ex­ ecutive director of the OSU Alumni Association. The annual on-campus solicitation for contributions to the founda­ tion continued to provide backing for projects. In 1978, 367 faculty and staff personnel contributed $33,600 during a three-week drive. Beyond that dollar total lay an invaluable bargaining tool. "When we approach other sources about contributing to the foun­ dation, it is most beneficial when we can point to healthy internal sup­ port from our own campus personnel," Mr. Ross commented. "In reality, staff contributions have great significance in our overall giving pro- gram "10 Not only did the next foundation president, longtime benefactor M. B. "Bud" Seretean, increase the productive sessions for trustees from two to three a year, he worked to ensure that the programs adopted by the entire Board of Governors would give Oklahoma State University a boost in the years to come. "One of the most significant items dealt with at our meeting was the importance of a bequest on behalf of OSU,'' Mr. Seretean wrote Dr.

James A. Robinson, (left) of the law firm of Rogers, Bell and Robinson of Tulsa, served as president of the foundation from 1975-77. He was succeeded by M. B. "Bud" Seretean, (right) class of 1949 and longtime benefactor of OSU, who served until 1979.

Oklahoma State University 83 Boger on November 14, 1978. "I feel strongly that we, as governors, should take the lead in the Foundation's bequest program. Upon my return from the meeting, I notified the Foundation that I have included them in my will, and, since this is information used for planning, I ad­ vised them of the amoimt." The young entrepreneur strongly encouraged each governor to make a commitment to the foundation in his or her will by the October 1979 meeting.^^ Since the foundation was established in 1961 as the single agency to generate and receive private gifts for Oklahoma State, more than $13 million had been contributed. Yet there were always projects awaiting necessary funding. In early 1979, the Board of Trustees planned a new gift society to strengthen the university endowment fund. They saw it as a source of vision and vitality, one that could build income which could then be channeled into quality academic programs. The entity's name came easily. "Vision and vitality" were qualities Dr. Henry G. Bennett had believed were essential to achieve a great university. They were qualities he was known for, as well. The legacy of tremendous but carefully planned growth under Presi­ dent Bennett, who served Oklahoma A. and M. College from 1928 until 1951, struck a responsive chord. As Dr. Bennett guided the school, he had an eye firmly on the future. Could there be any more fitting affilia­ tion for those who assumed leadership roles than in building for the fu­ ture through a sound and continuing base of private support for OSU? As president of the Oklahoma State University Development Founda­ tion, Mr. Seretean announced the establishment of the new gift club, the Henry G. Bennett Society. Membership in the society was by invitation to alumni, former stu­ dents, and special friends of OSU. There were three types of pledges. A gift of $5,000 or more annually conferred the status of member. A sin­ gle gift of $50,000 or more, or a deferred gift or bequest of $100,000 or more, qualified the benefactor for life membership. A single gift of $5,000 or more conferred the status of member in memoriam upon a deceased friend or family member. "The challenge of the society," Seretean said, "is not simply to as­ sure the future of Oklahoma State University, but, through financial sup­ port and involvement, to assure a future of excellence." Within the first five years of inception, the Henry G. Bennett Society would quietly generate a half million dollars for the university's endowment. The per­ petual income-producing benefits would be pouring into education, research, and extension at OSU.^^ The sixteen founding members were Pete and Pat Bartlett, Tulsa; Ar­ mon and Jeanine Bost, Tulsa; Melvin D. and Mary Jones, Oklahoma City; Gene and Doris Miller, Brenham, Texas; William T. Payne, Oklahoma City; Sid and Betti Scisson, Tulsa; M. B. Seretean, Dalton, Georgia;

84 ' Centennial Histories Series Attorneys gather at a 1981 reception hosted by the OSU Bar Association. Bob Byrd, Leonard Court, and L. E. "Dean" Stringer were among those who had earned law degrees following their years at Oklahoma State. The group was organized in the fall of 1979.

Wayne and Nora Simpson, Tucson, Arizona; and Owen and Vivian Wim- berly, Okeene.^^ At about the same time, the OSU Heritage Society was begun as a way of recognizing those who had remembered OSU in their wills. Presentation of a special Heritage Society plate in a low-key ceremony enabled the foundation to express the university's appreciation. Later those who included OSU in charitable trusts and through life insurance policies were similarly honored. The Heritage Society was initiated by Mr. Nemec, as planned giving director. Nemec also assisted OSU in forming its own bar association in the fall of 1979. By then nearly 700 alumni had gone on to attain law degrees at other institutions after graduation from OSU. In addition to encourag­ ing comradery among OSU alumni attorneys, the association provided information about recent tax rulings, changes in tax laws, and other use­ ful informative data.^* As the foundation grew and matured, it developed sophistication in

Oklahoma State University 85 marketing gift opportunities, which included alternative forms of giv­ ing such as stocks, securities, and land for investment purposes. One of the initial donors of property was Miss Mary Leidigh of Stillwater, OSU professor emeritus of the College of Home Economics and an ex­ pert in food, nutrition and institution administration. Her first property gifts had been individual parcels she had acquired in Colorado and New Mexico. Her next gift was prompted by a bill. "One day I had a phone call from Mary," Mr. Platt recalled. "She said, 'You didn't pay the taxes on the land in Florida, and they've sent me a bill.'" A bit perplexed, the executive director promised to track down the problem right away. He checked. And then he returned her call. "Mary, you didn't give us any land in Florida," he said gently. He remembered her saying, "Charles, I meant to. I'll bring the papers down this afternoon.'' The generous Miss Leidigh not only paid the tax­ es, she gave the foundation the property the same day.^^ The 1978 donations had increased for the College of Veterinary Medi­ cine to aid the new teaching hospital. The next big push would be to increase athletic donations. Despite all efforts, OSU still ranked seventh in the Big Eight for development foundation contributions. In 1979, the executive director said this was primarily due to the fact that OSU was relatively new in the fund raising business and in taking gift programs to alumni.

OSU President L. L. Boger makes the first call during an evening phon-a-thon session as Dale Ross and a student volunteer look on. Ross conducted the first series of phon-a-thons which procured funding for the Greater University Fund. Frequent benefactor T. A. Mace of Okla­ homa City provided a challenge gift to encourage more donations for the 1980 phon-a-thon.

86 Centennial Histories Series "I was visiting a Big Ten school last year that has more than 300,000 living alums," Mr. Platt said. "OSU just graduated its 100,000th stu­ dent last year."!^ One of the university's major necessities had always been a pool of flexible private funds to aid academic programs with the greatest needs. One answer to creating a reservoir of unrestricted or discretionary as­ sets was the Greater University Fund (GUF), which proved to be a sig­ nificant step toward filling those needs. From 1961 until 1979, mailings had gone out to prospective donors, allowing them to indicate where they wanted their money used. It was natural for most to earmark checks for the college in their field of study or for a favorite sport. There was always the option of having funds go "where needed most," and a modest amount did come in that way. Those who indicated that their donation could be spent for the greatest need were thanked with special warmth, since those dollars were the hardest to acquire. Still, unrestricted giving, so essential to the university's well-being, was not something the average donor could identify with. Giving to home economics or agriculture was more easily understood, Mr. Ross realized as he began shaping a new annual drive. "We decided the problem was that there was nothing for people to identify with," he explained in later years. "If you restricted your gift to business or athletics, you were identifying with a specific part of OSU and you felt involved. Unrestricted support needed to provide some­ thing that the donors could identify with." When the Greater Universi­ ty Fund came about, it offered a program of plaques awarded for different levels of giving. Gradually the GUF built a stronger annual giving cam­ paign among alumni and other friends of the university.^^ Alumni first began hearing about the GUF in the fall of 1979, when it was kicked off with the Greater University Phon-a-thon. The empha­ sis placed on GUF quickly made it the alumni annual fund drive for the university. Each alumnus was offered the opportunity to give to the GUF during the year, regardless of what other areas they were supporting at the university. The phon-a-thon was a lively and successful event. A routine fund raiser for most American universities in later years, in 1979 the method was used by relatively few. At OSU, over a twenty-two night span, $59,529 came pouring in when 12,000 calls were placed by student volunteers to active alumni in Oklahoma and other states during the ambitious drive. Presentation of a facsimile check for that amount was made to President Boger during half time of the homecoming football game. The top six students contributing to the effort won ski trips to Breckenridge, Colorado, while top living groups earned plaques.^^ During the campaign, two outstanding callers, Lana Oakley and Alan

Oklahoma State University 87 Knust, accompanied Ross to the foundation Board of Governors' annual meeting to describe their experiences in "selling" the university via tel­ ephone. "They just charmed the governors," Ross related. "Lana was small and very soft-spoken, but she had a real tenacity about her. She told them about the man who hung up on her when she was half-way through her explanation of the GUF's benefits to OSU. She just dialed him right back and said, 'Sir, I think we must have gotten cut off,' and resumed her talk. I think both Lana and Alan had governors saying, 'See me about a job when you get out of school.'" It was also Lana in whose stack of names and phone numbers Foun­ dation Governor F. M. "Pete" Bartlett's name popped up. Major donors were not being contacted that night, but there was his number and she dialed it. All around her, volunteers were happily accounting for pledges of $10 and $20. One hundred dollars was a large amount and merited cheers. When Lana concluded her talk, the unsuspecting Elgin student was stunned to hear Mr. Bartlett promise $5,000. And he expected to be called annually, he said firmly. Although the organization was gradually growing in staff members, Executive Director Platt continued to be involved in virtually every de­ cision, every marketing effort that was undertaken, every approach that was mapped out. When it was time to set a goal for the second phon-a- thon, "$80,000 in 1980" had a nice ring to it. It also represented a con­ siderable increase over the $59,000 collected the year before. A greater number of people would have to be reached in order to generate more dollars. Platt and Ross began to think about a challenge gift, in which a donor matched contributions from first-time donors as well as increases from regular donors. Frequent benefactor T. A. Mace of Oklahoma City agreed to provide $25,000 to be used as a match on a dollar-to-dollar basis. The challenge money would not be included in the overall total, but each dollar of a new or increased contribution over the previous year by an alumnus or institution was matched by one of Mr. Mace's, effectively doubling many donations. The challenge was tied into the phon-a-thon, giving the stu­ dents a message that could be used in the ensuing phone conversations. "We struggled that year," Mr. Ross admitted. "But that stimulated enough new gifts that we got up to $80,800 in pledges." As it grew, the GUF settled in as a permanent and vital part of the foundation pro­ gram. ^^ Two significant changes were reflected in the actions of the Board of Trustees on October 19,1979. For eighteen years, the corporation had been known as the OSU Development Foundation. The foundation now shortened its name for clarity of purpose, deleting the word develop­ ment and becoming known as the Oklahoma State University Foun-

88 Centennial Histories Series dation. The other change was initiated in the organizational structure and was the result of a revision of the management framework. The chief volunteer position became the chairman of the board, with a vice chair­ man elected from the volunteer trustees. The chief salaried position be­ came president of the foundation, and the secretary-treasurer position was separated into two functions. In addition, each member of the profes­ sional staff responsible for an individual program would become a direc­ tor for that area. A new position, director-major gifts programs, was also created. Through action of the governors, F. M. Bartlett was chosen to suc­ ceed Mr. Seretean as head of the foundation's Board of Trustees and be­ came the first to wear the title of chairman. Mr. Carl Herrington became vice chairman. Mr. Platt was elected president of the foundation, mov­ ing from vice president and executive director. Associate directors Mrs. Pinkston and Mr. Nemec became treasurer and secretary respectively.^o The foundation had moved forward strongly during Mr. Seretean's second year of leadership as president of the Board of Trustees. The 1979 income topped the three million dollar mark and increased by 20 per­ cent in comparison with the previous year. The total surpassed the year's goal by $300,000. Contributions and earnings on investments mounted to $3,040,000, while 1978's income was $2,506,000. Already the Greater University Fund was beginning to strengthen the foundation's ability to serve, with greater promise for the years ahead.^i

Endnotes

1. "Carnahan Appointed," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 17, no. 4 (May 1976), p. 18. 2. "Serving Oklahoma State University," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 15, no. 9 (December 1974), pp. 4-7. 3. Author interview with Charlene Pinkston, 10 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 4. "A Letter Worth Sharing," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 17, no. 6 (August- September 1976), p. 23. 5. "Estate Planning Seminar Has the Answers," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 17, no. 7 (November-December 1976), p. 18. 6. OSUDF Proposed Objectives 1978-79 File, President's Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Intercom, An Oklahoma State University Development Foundation Newsletter, no. 7 (August 1977), p. 2. 7. Memorandum to Dr. Richard A. Young, Athletic Director, 21 August 1978, OSUDF Pro­ posed Objectives 1978-79 File, President's Office, Oklahoma State University; Intercom, no. 7 (August 1977), p. 3.

Oklahoma State University 89 8. Intercom, no. 6 (February 1977), p. 3. 9. Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 30 November 1978, clipping. Development Foundation File, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University. 10. "Development Foundation Sets Annual Fund Drive," 26 March 1979, clipping. Develop­ ment Foundation File, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library. 11. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 15 February 1978, p. 5, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University; M. B. "Bud" Seretean, Chairman of the Board, Coronet Industries, Inc., Dalton, Georgia to Lawrence L. Boger, 14 November 1978, OSUDF Proposed Objectives 1978-79 File, President's Office, Oklahoma State University. 12. Henry G. Bennett Society File, OSU Foundation Office; "The Legacy of OSU's Great Builder Becomes Part of a New Gift Society," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 20, no. 1 (January-February 1979), p. 10. 13. Annual Report '79, OSU Development Foundation, p. 6, OSU Foundation Office. 14. Author's personal communication with Dale E. Ross, 29 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Daily O'Collegian, 11 November 1979, clipping, OSU Foundation Office. 15. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 27 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 16. Daily O'Collegian, 8 May 1979, p. 8, 20 November 1979, clipping, OSU Foundation Office. 17. Press release by Michael Black, 25 October 1979, pp. 1-2. Division of Public Information, Oklahoma State University, OSU Foundation Office; Oklahoma State University News, 3 November 1979, p. 3. 18. Daily O'Collegian, 8 May 1979, p. 8. 19. Ross communication, 29 May 1987. 20. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, OSU Foundation, 19 October 1979, pp. 2-3. 21. Stillwater NewsPress, 6 February 1980, clipping. Development Foundation File, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library.

90 Centennial Histories Series 7 The Foundation's Giant

Pete used to hoe cotton. And he'd look up on the highway and see all these big cars going by and think, 7 don't have to stay here the rest of my life.' Mrs. Pat Bartlett

His first football Saturday in 1974, Executive Director Charles E. Platt opened the OSU Foundation office, anticipating a stream of pre-football game visitors. Out-of-town fans often stopped by the adjacent Alumni Association before game-time; hospitality was an important facet of serv­ ing former students and graduates. The stream didn't materialize, but Mr. Platt recognized an alumnus standing alone in the reception area shared by the two groups and invited him in. That began a close associ­ ation with the man who before his death in 1986 would become the university's largest individual benefactor. ^ An innovative Tulsa businessman, Floyd M. 'Tete" Bartlett had been a modest donor since the foundation's beginning in 1961. But soon after that Saturday morning conversation over coffee and doughnuts, he began to return the benefits he felt he'd gained at OSU in a style the state- supported school had never before experienced. During the decade that followed, Mr. Bartlett would send more than four million dollars flow­ ing through the foundation into scholarships, scientific research, the arts, athletics, and facilities for his alma mater. Even after his death in 1986, his benevolence would continue to help mold OSU's future.^ Adversity, that familiar common denominator in success stories, figured strongly in the making of Pete Bartlett. Born in 1919, he was the oldest of five children. He grew up on rocky tenant farms near

Oklahoma State University 91 F. M. "Pete" Bartlett, a true Cowboy and dear friend of OSU, had only visions of greatness for his alma mater.

Arkansas' sorghum mills, moving frequently, sleeping on a couch in houses whose plumbing was down a backyard path. Things took a turn for the better when he was twelve, and the family headed for Tulsa. There he and his father mowed lawns during the Depression to help keep food on the table. As times improved, his father would become a builder, able to provide more stability for his family.^ At Central High School, Coach Art Griffith was making a spectacu­ lar name for himself nationwide with his winning wrestling teams. And when Bartlett became part of Mr. Griffith's program, he caught a glimpse of his future: college. It seemed beyond his grasp until, aided by Coach Griffith, he landed a wrestling work-study scholarship at Oklahoma A. and M. College after graduation in 1939. The following year, upon the death of Oklahoma A. and M.'s dean of American wrestling coaches, Edward C. Gallagher, Griffith would also leave Central to continue the Oklahoma Aggies' winning mat traditions under Athletic Director Henry P. Iba. Another newcomer on the campus was Bartlett's high school sweet­ heart, Helen L. "Pat" Myers. While he moved into Hanner Hall, she was unpacking in the impressive new women's dormitory, Willard Hall. The heating system was less impressive, the coeds learned that winter.

92 Centennial Histories Series *The heat didn't get up to the top floor, so the girls would go to bed, wrap up and study," Mrs. Bartlett said in 1987. '*It was so cold up there!" An art student studying under Professor Doel Reed, she oper­ ated the elevator in Willard for fifteen cents an hour. When she landed a job in the old library, her pay jumped to twenty cents. Mechanical engineering classwork kept Bartlett busy, as did the daily wrestling workouts and constant odd jobs around the fieldhouse and in the athletic laundry. He was an extra pair of hands to knock the dirt from football cleats or, when severe weather required the field to be covered or uncovered, to lift and tug at the canvas. He'd made it to college, but a pair of problems came with him. His wardrobe was painfully limited. His finances were almost invisible. In those days athletic footgear was rarely seen outside a gymnasium or away from a playing field. But when his street shoes finally gave out, the only option was to wear his wrestling shoes to class. For three years he arrived at Willard for a date with his future wife in the same green corduroy jacket. There was no hope for a suit, but when he was a senior there was progress. Someone gave him a green tweed jacket.* In later years, **he felt he was given a chance, so he wanted to make a college education possible for a lot of other people," Mrs. Bartlett explained. Mr. Bartlett accomplished that by generously endowing scholarships and other financial aids. But while he never spoke of it, neither did he forget the days when he had little need of a clothes closet. On the other hand, most of America lived on a simple level in the thirties. Economizing did not bother the future Mrs. Bartlett. She came from a frugal family, too. **Unless there was a sporting event, there wasn't much for steadies to do on dates," she said. *The dorm did have a formal dinner once a week, and a juke box with tunes from the Lucky Strike Hit Parade. If we got a nickel coke, why, that was the evening's entertainment." Bartlett's mother took in laundry and ironing, and she would send him five dollars now and then. ''When he got that five dollars, we would go to the movies for a quarter," Mrs. Bartlett added, unable to repress a smile.^ Then there was Mr. Bartlett's first transportation. ''He bought a funny little car for $50. It had a rumble seat in it, and we had reupholstered the whole thing. That was in the days before any­ body had cars on the campus. But kids liked to double date with us because they liked to sit in that rumble seat! I always wondered what ever happened to that car, and I don't know how in the world he ever had enough money to buy gas," Mrs. Bartlett said. In January of their senior year, 1943, the pair married and set up housekeeping on Husband Street. Sidestepping the fuss and formality surrounding graduation, Bartlett went immediately into the Navy. Not

Oklahoma State University 93 until 1981 did he wear a cap and gown. His first experience in academic regalia came when he received the Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Serv­ ice Award and again that year when he was named the first Distinguished Fellow of OSU's College of Arts and Sciences, in gratitude for the gift that made possible the renovation of the studio arts center.^ After the war, Bartlett worked as an engineer, manufacturer, and businessman, primarily in the oil industry. He established Bartlett Engineering Equipment Company first, then founded and served as chairman of the board of Rotary Drilling Services, Inc., was chairman of Suntor Enterprises, and was executive director of Kelco Oil Field Group. As he achieved heights undreamed of in his cotton hoeing days, Bartlett became esteemed for his judgment and integrity. Three univer­ sity presidents sought both his counsel and his presence on OSU boards.^ And at Oklahoma State, Mr. Bartlett invested his energy and exper­ tise, as well as his benevolence. He had been involved with the Alumni Association for twenty-seven years when he became president of the group, succeeding Dr. Melvin D. Jones. At the close of that term in 1978, he observed, "I look at working for OSU more as an opportunity than an obligation.^

F. M. "Pete" Bartlett, chairman of the OSU Foundation from 1979-80, is joined by Carl Her­ rington of Claremore (left) and Charles E. Platt, OSU Foundation president and chief executive officer. A member of numerous OSU boards under three presidents, Mr. Bartlett once remarked, "I look at working for OSU more as an opportunity than an obligation."

94 Centennial Histories Series "I appreciated the opportunity simply to go to college," he recalled. "If it had not been for a wrestling scholarship, I could not have gone, and it has made the difference in my life of having security and a relia­ ble income as opposed to, say, driving a logging truck. There are two people. Art Griffith and Henry Iba, for whom I have always been grate­ ful and now, in what I do for OSU, I am only paying back those individuals for what they did for me."^ Bartlett saw as most important the quality of leadership and the qual­ ity of education found in Oklahoma State's young graduates. He added, "I feel it's important that our young people come out of OSU with a clear set of goals in mind—high enough goals to enable them to accom­ plish their best. Hopefully, they will someday repay the university for these things. "^° Tall and distinguished-looking, Bartlett had grown accustomed to fine restaurants. His office was one of the most beautiful in the "Oil Cap­ ital"; a second awaited him in Bakersfield, California. Travel took the Bartletts to more than thirty countries. At Christmas Mr. Bartlett was Santa's stand-in, doing all the family shopping, buying six of every won­ derful thing: one for each of his two sons and three daughters, and one for his wife.i^ That same spirit of giving also extended to working with those at the Tulsa Center for the Physically Limited. Mr. Bartlett flipped pan­ cakes at benefits and furnished an area that became known as "Pete's Place," a workout room for upper body development for those unable to leave their wheelchairs. Mrs. Bartlett began teaching weekly Bible classes. A writer and poet, she delighted many of the men and women attending the woodworking, pottery, and other classes by interviewing and writing about them. ^2 An outgrowth of that interest was the Bartletts' gift of $100,000 to the OSU College of Home Economics for renovation of the home manage­ ment house into an independent living laboratory for the physically limited. 13 As Mr. Bartlett observed other needs, the steady stream of contribu­ tions seemed unceasing. When the Student Union cafeteria was reno­ vated, the space occupied by the president's dining room next door was absorbed in the floor plan of the new Food Mart. Since hosting digni­ taries is a continuing element in the life of a university president, Mr. Bartlett felt that an appropriate facility should continue to be housed in the union. Thus Suite 1600 was born. The comfortable and attractive facility used by Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence L. Boger in greeting and entertaining guests supplanted what were for­ merly Parlors A, B and C. In addition to a change of site, the president's dining room gained both a new name and an extended flexibility as a suitable site, a "home away from home," for the Bogers to entertain large

Oklahoma State University 95 When a gift from Pete and Pat Bartlett (right) made possible the renovation of three parlors of the Student Union Hotel, President and Mrs. L. L. Boger expressed OSU's appreciation with a plaque. The comfortable area for official campus luncheons, meetings, and entertainment is known as Suite 1600, adopting the house number of the university president's home.

groups on campus. The new second floor facility was dubbed Suite 1600, after the street address of the president's residence, 1600 North Washington. Not only did Mr. Bartlett fund the renovation, he joined Mrs. Boger in planning the suite and deciding upon furniture, wall and floor cover­ ings, art work, silver, and china. The area was immediately put to con­ stant use and became Bartlett's favorite project. Another endeavor the university itself could not have afforded was the complete refurbishing of the president's office, which Mr. Bartlett saw as a necessity.^^ While he was enrolled as an OSU student, Don McClanen dreamed of an organization of Christian athletes and coaches using their influence to advance their faith in a nation of hero-worshipping sports fans. After graduation in 1950 he formally established the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Mr. Bartlett became interested in the new organization, which grew into a nationwide organization. On October 13, 1978, the foundation's Board of Governors invited McClanen back to commemorate the FCA's roots at OSU by dedicating a brick plaza at the southeast cor­ ner of Lewis Field. Pete Bartlett had been described as one who "championed ethics and

96 Centennial Histories Series deplored cheating . . . the quintessential straight arrow." Even though athletes in FCA in other parts of the country might not have heard of him, his commitment and his continued support helped establish McCla­ nen's dream. 1^ Oklahoma State Technical Branch at Okmulgee had also received funds from the Bartletts and responded with a hearty "Pete and Pat Day.'' At the luncheon, instead of the traditional, beautifully ornate cake bear­ ing the school logo, there was an equally ornate—and tasty—"Pete and Pat" potato salad. Recognized for students' bootmaking skills, the school presented the pair specially handcrafted boots.^^ Mr. Bartlett had joined the OSU Foundation's Board of Governors in 1974 and served twelve years. For seven of those years he was active on the Board of Trustees. In 1979-80 he served as chairman of the board, working closely with Mr. Platt and the professional staff. As the corpo­ ration grew, so did its share of "learning experiences." Piatt's favorite Bartlett quote dealt with the foundation's experience with a certain gift of a minority interest in a closely held corporation. "You really don't have anything if you have less than fifty percent, because the other guy will outvote you. And he did! So we learned a good lesson on this," Platt said. "I was reminiscing with Pete one day about this gift and the problems we'd had with it. He just smiled and said, 'You have a secure job here, Platt. We've paid for all the mistakes you've made and can't afford to train anybody else.'"^^ How does a university thank philanthropists like the Bartletts? Grati­ tude, sometimes difficult to express fully, can be demonstrated through ceremonies and courtesies both large and small. But even the most care­ fully polished production can wobble a bit when least anticipated. The day of the dedication of the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts in 1984 was eventful, in more ways than one. Mrs. Bartlett recalled, "They had a stretch limousine, flowers in the room, food in the room. Oh, we really were treated just like royalty! "^^ The final moments of the carefully orchestrated "Pete and Pat Day" came at a deliberately relaxed, low-key luncheon. On behalf of the foun­ dation, Charles and Sue Platt hosted the entire Bartlett family of twenty or more at a handsome new Stillwater motel. Beneath the casual air, it was intended to be the final thank-you, a perfect meal. Planning had taken weeks and involved almost the entire hotel staff in everything from flowers, menu, place cards, and table arrangements to having the maitre d' recognize and greet the Bartletts by name and the charges billed directly to the foundation, specifically to ensure that Mr. Bartlett would not automatically pay the bill—something he always insisted upon. But then it was never easy to one-up Mr. Bartlett. "We were sitting at the table," Mr. Platt began. "Pete was a great kidder. He was kind of kidding the little waitress we had, and she did

Oklahoma State University 97 Providing 40,000 square feet of runciionai space for classrooms, offices, a large auditorium, art gallery, and spacious studios, the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts preserves part of the historic fabric of the academic community. In 1988 the design for the Bartlett Center won the American Institute of Architects Component Award for the North Central Oklahoma chapter.

a good job. Brought the bill, and he asked for it. I said, 'No, Pete. This is your day and we'll pick up the check on this.' So I got it, and wrote, 'OSU Foundation, Charles E. Platt.' Put a nice tip on there and gave it to her. Didn't think any more about it." The group visited a few minutes longer, then rose to leave. Platt noticed the waitress standing nearby, a very timid expression on her face. When he asked what the matter was, she said, "I took this to the bookkeeper and she said that OSU is 'slow pay,' and she won't charge it." "Says this right in front of Pete, of course!" Platt recalled, with a rueful laugh. "Here I was, really trying to 'make' over Pete, a million­ aire donor. We've just dedicated a million dollar facility and they're say­ ing, 'Mr. Platt, we can't charge this to you.' Pete, of course, is reaching in his pocket to get out the money and I'm holding Pete off, saying, 'That is not charged to OSU. That's charged to the OSU Foundation!'" Platt deftly solved the situation. The bookkeeper accepted his sig­ nature. The honoree's money stayed in his pocket. But the irony of the "perfect ending" remained. He filed that lesson away, beside the one on closely held stock, as something not to be repeated.^^ There was no quenching Bartlett's orange pride.

98 Centennial Histories Series After Mr. Bartlett sold his companies and "retired," he invested in two dress shops, a beauty parlor, and a brick factory. In one of the dress shops, the fond Cowboy booster would always say, "Order Mama some- thin' orange." So Mama (Pat) got "somethin' orange."^^ At OSU gatherings, Bartlett himself was a familiar sight in his orange ultrasuede jacket and black slacks. A modest man, nonetheless he allowed the full heights of his school loyalty to be known during a cham­ pagne and cheese party he and Mrs. Bartlett hosted for three other cou­ ples following the Tangerine Bowl victory. While his guests were cheering key plays all over again on the delayed television broadcast, Bartlett excused himself "to get comfortable." When he returned, he was resplendent in bright orange silk pajamas and OSU cap.^i School spirit even invaded the Bartlett home. One sunny bedroom surely housed the largest collection of OSU memorabilia and awards under one roof. Anything black and orange, printed, manufactured, stuffed, woven, or needlepointed with Pistol Pete on it found a spot in the tastefully arranged room. Outdoors, a Pistol Pete thermometer hung beside Mr. Bartlett's cooker. Beyond that was an orange cabana awn­ ing. Moreover, bright orange mail boxes once greeted guests both at home and at the Keystone Lake house. When the Bartlett Center opened in 1984, Mr. Bartlett was already ill. Despite his battle with cancer, he remained actively involved with OSU, particularly on the foundation board. He continued to give, even from the cancer center at a Tulsa hospital. When he heard the station­ ary bicycle in the family waiting room had worn out, he promptly had it replaced. His death came in April 1986, at 66. Mindful of his strong­ est affiliations in life, his family buried him in his OSU jacket, a grand­ child's popsicle stick cross tucked in one pocket.^2 Like each alumnus and alumna whose steps once crisscrossed the campus, Pete Bartlett will remain an integral part of Oklahoma State University—OSU's "royalty." As a longtime friend confided, "I still get chills and feel the tears when I think of Pete lying there in his orange jacket. "23 Pete Bartlett set a standard of involvement with his alma mater which someday may be equalled—but never exceeded.

Oklahoma State University 99 Endnotes

1. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 18 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. Platt interview, 18 November 1986; "Stepping Up the Alumni's Role," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 19, no. 3 (June-July 1978), p. 15; Tulsa World, 18 April 1986, p. 1C; Karen Sullivan, "Pete Bartlett—a true Cowboy and Dear Friend of OSU—1919-1986," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 57, no. 4 (Summer 1986), pp. 6-7. 3. Author interview with Helen L. "Pat" Bartlett, 28 January 1987, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 4. Author's personal communication with Charles E. Platt, 25 November 1986, Stillwater, Okla­ homa; Bartlett interview. 5. Steve Hiller and Lloyd Wallisch, "From Acorn to Oak," Oklahoma State University Out­ reach, vol. 51, no. 1 (September 1979), p. 21; Bartlett interview. 6. Bartlett interview; Sullivan, pp. 6-7. 7. "The OSU Centennial Advisory Commission," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 135; Tulsa World, 18 April 1986, p. 1C. 8. "Stepping Up the Alumni's Role, " p. 15. 9. "Stepping Up the Alumni's Role," p. 15. 10. "Stepping Up the Alumni's Role," p. 15. 11 Bartlett interview. 12. Bartlett interview. 13. Bartlett interview. 14. Oklahoma State University College of Home Economics Alumni News, vol. 3, no. 1 (Fall 1986), p. 7. 15. "The Idea That Came Into Its Own," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 19, no. 5 (November-December 1978), p. 16; Tulsa World, 18 April 1986, p. 1C. 16. Bartlett interview. 17. Platt interview, 18 November 1986. 18. Bartlett interview. 19. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 9 January 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 20. Bartlett interview. 21. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 28 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 22. Bartlett interview. 23. Platt communication, 25 November 1986.

100 Centennial Histories Series Watershed Years 8 1981-84

H/e must be bold, we must be innovative, and we must begin now. President Lawrence L. Boger, 1977-1988

On a bright, sunny day in October 1981, Charles E. Platt and Ray Sharp met Oklahoma State University President and Mrs. L. L. Boger at the Dallas airport and headed toward an alumni gathering preceding the North Texas State-OSU game in the Cotton Bowl. As Sharp, OSU Alumni Association director, inserted the car into the heavy Dallas traf­ fic, what had begun as a pleasant football weekend suddenly exploded into the OSU Foundation's greatest challenge. It started when OSU's president leaned forward from the back seat and, with deceptive calm, asked Platt, ''How would you like a challenge to raise $15 million and have it matched by the state, for a $30 million research center?" As though a forward pass like this were tossed to him every day of the week, the foundation president responded, 'Xarry, that's a challenge we must accept!" Visions of $30 million vied with football for Piatt's attention Satur­ day, even as Cowboy freshman Larry Roach kicked three field goals for a lackluster 9-0 victory. On-field intensity may have been lacking, but a great deal of it was accumulating in Piatt's mind. In the next three fast-paced years, the momentum from the building campaign so briefly alluded to by Dr. Boger would lift the OSU Foundation from a $5 million- a-year organization to a $17 million-a-year organization.^ The following Monday, October 5, Governor George Nigh publicly voiced his recommendation for twin state appropriations of $15 million

Oklahoma State University 101 The OSU Foundation's 20th year saw 1981 revenues projected to hit $7 million, up from a rec­ ord $5.3 million in 1980. Assets were expected to climb from $7.3 million in 1980 to $9.6 mil­ lion in 1981, and endowment funds jumped from $3 to $5.1 million. Existing programs were being expanded rapidly as groundwork was laid for Centennial Decade goals to be met by 1990. Cakes baked by the Oklahoma State University Technical Branch at Okmulgee and bearing the foundation logo were served during the annual meeting of the Board of Governors. From the left are Robert L. McCormick, Raymond A. Young, Dr. L. L. Boger, Carl G. Herrington, and F. M. "Pete" Bartlett. to the University of Oklahoma for the energy research center and to Okla­ homa State for an agriculture and renewable natural resources research center. Nigh told the state legislature: *'Oklahoma is the envy of the other states because of its unprecedented growth and healthy climate. The question is asked many times over what we will do when this [boom] is over. Our desire is, of course, to become the energy center of the coun­ try. Equally important to Oklahoma's economy is agriculture. If there is any place in the Oklahoma economy that we need to shore up research and development, it's the agricultural area." The universities would have up to thirty months to raise the match­ ing funds after the state made its appropriation. The state's surplus was then $105 million, the budget office reported. Despite the fact that the farming industry was in the doldrums, the Oklahoma economy con­ tinued to be pumped up by the prospering oil and gas industry, making the otherwise insurmountable task of raising $15 million for OSU seem

102 Centennial Histories Series possible.2 The energy center fund raising campaign at the University of Okla­ homa had been announced earlier in the year. In the next few weeks after the Governor's announcement, the state newspapers carried fre­ quent headlines about the new center planned for OU and its expand­ ing list of major donors. The OSU Foundation staff followed OU's fund raising progress with considerable interest. No one had officially asked the foundation office in Stillwater, **Are you going to raise $15 million? Can you do it? Will you do it? When can you start?" Yet it was becom­ ing increasingly essential to prepare for the massive undertaking.^ The research center challenge lay squarely with the small founda­ tion staff in Student Union Suite HlOO, the foundation Board of Gover­ nors, the OSU administration, and other civic-minded leaders. Guided by Mr. Platt, Dale E. Ross, who had demonstrated a unique understand­ ing of fund raising principles, undertook much of the campaign coordi­ nation. The staff's response was positive, one of excitement and anticipation of the opportunities just ahead. Late in the year, Platt; Charlene Pinkston, director of administrative programs; Ross, director of planned gift programs; Cynthia Wegener, director of annual gift pro­ grams; and John Hopkins, director of major gifts, met at Mrs. Pinkston's home for a planning retreat. The fund raising structure for the university's first major capital cam­ paign was divided into three major components. Sharing responsibili­ ties would be the OSU Foundation; the university administration, colleges, and support areas; and volunteers. The latter would include the OSU Board of Regents, the OSU Foundation Board of Governors, the OSU Alumni Association's Board of Directors, and major donors to the university. Through the ''clearing house" in HlOO, all information and solicitation efforts would be organized and managed.* "In a campaign of this magnitude, experience dictates that 80 per­ cent of the money will be given by 20 percent of the donors," Mr. Platt reminded his staff. In the simplest terms, success hinged on determin­ ing who should be asked, how much they should be asked to give, and who should do the asking. Plans formulated in the day-long session were distilled into a position statement by Mr. Ross and Mrs. Wegener. Strategy in hand, Mr. Platt called on Vice President Richard W. Poole and President Boger. With the approval of the administration, the work began.^ One of the first considerations was a name for the center that would define it as a comprehensive research facility of the future. Realistically, there was a limited amount of interest statewide in contributing solely to an agricultural building. Once the full scope of the forward-looking, forward-thinking, scientific core was presented, donors were able to identify more closely with it as an investment in the future for all Okla-

Oklahoma State University 103 homans. Thus the name, 21st Century Center for Agriculture and Renew­ able Natural Resources, was born during a brainstorming session in Mr. Piatt's office in HlOO, with Mr. Ross and Vonda Evans, foundation pub­ lications coordinator. Presentations had to be planned. Brochures and descriptions of the complex that would rise on four acres directly north of the Edmon Low Library needed to be compiled before informative personal calls could begin. For the type of high visibility campaign the foundation envi­ sioned, there were also several promotional materials to be ordered: bumper stickers, belt buckles, key chains, summer- and winter-weight caps—all with 21st Century Center emblazoned on them. A logo was developed by Mrs. Evans, featuring three test tubes, sym­ bolic of the OSU project's promise. One of the most popular items based on the logo was a simple, distinctive gold lapel pin which continued to appear years after the initial thrust of the drive. Mrs. Evans, who had joined the staff in September 1980, designed all the campaign brochures and printed materials and played a key part in the foundation's first large- scale venture.^ Still, it was not a classic textbook campaign opening.

It began as the 21st Century Center before being formally named the Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources. Keepsakes developed to commemorate the campaign to fund the spectacular new hub for research prophesied "a breathtaking step into the next century."

104 Centennial Histories Series "In a normal capital campaign, before you even announce the drive you should have half the money raised," Mr. Ross explained in later years. "You need a year or more for behind-the-scenes work with top donors so that you can talk to them, get their decision. Then, when you announce it, it's a big splash when the public learns $7.5 million has already been raised. There's the immediate reaction to get on the band­ wagon and raise the rest." Because the state was watching OU's progress through news stories, there was understandable curiosity about OSU's capital campaign. There was no time for elaborate, step-by-step procedures. Suddenly, with less than $400,000 pledged, it became more important to unveil the OSU plan than to stick by the traditional capital campaign blueprint.^ On February 27, 1982, Governor Nigh joined Dr. Boger, Mr. Platt, the OSU Foundation Board of Governors, the OSU Alumni Association Executive Board, OSU representatives, and friends in Suite 1600 of the Student Union Hotel to announce the formal start of a private fund rais­ ing campaign to be matched by the state of Oklahoma for construction of the 21st Century Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources. Dr. Boger told those assembled that the four-building com­ plex, when completed, would focus on research and educational pro­ grams in areas which affect every facet of the state and national economy. "The facility will draw new people—renowned agriculturists, scien­ tists, and engineers with creative approaches to critical problems," Presi­ dent Boger said. "In establishing the 21st Century Center, we aspire not only to be counted as one of the nation's four or five leading research institutions in these fields, but foresee the time when the world will look first to Oklahoma State University to develop and extend knowledge in these areas. "^ At the close of the announcement. Dr. Melvin D. Jones, a founding governor of the foundation, and T. A. Mace, a longtime benefactor of OSU, both of Oklahoma City, were on their feet immediately. Both wanted to be "founders" in the 21st Century Center program, and each made a $100,000 commitment on the spot. With the line thus formed, fifty more would follow their example in ensuing months. Other levels of giving were million dollar founders, associates, benefactors, and affiliates.^ Although telephone and direct mail efforts would be included, the strength of the total campaign commitment lay in face-to-face fund rais­ ing. Half the cost of the complex would have to be found in the pockets of individual donors—in-state and out-of-state alumni, Stillwater and Oklahoma residents, and the faculty and staff. Friends of the univer­ sity, corporations, and private foundations would also merit personal calls and proposals. As many as 750 individual visits—perhaps more— lay ahead for the five-man professional marketing staff in the foundation.

Oklahoma State University 105 Noble Research Center Founders As a result of their gifts of $100,000 or more, these individuals, corporations, and foundations are recognized as Founders of the Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Nat­ ural Resources. Bill and Ann Atherton, Tulsa Aufleger-Garrett Enterprises, Inc., Stillwater Bank of Oklahoma, N.A., Oklahoma City Floyd M. "Pete" and Helen L. "Pat" Bartlett, Tulsa Clifford Roy and Geneva Carberry, Guthrie Cities Service Company, Tulsa Conoco Inc., Wilmington, Delaware The Cooperative Cotton Industry of Oklahoma Herbert G. and Shirley A. Davis, Edmond OSU Division of Agriculture Faculty and Staff First National Bank and Trust Company, Stillwater Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, P.O., Oklahoma City John W. Freeman, Oklahoma City Edward L. and Thelma Gaylord, Oklahoma City Getty Oil Company, Tulsa HTB, Inc., Oklahoma City James F. Hasenbeck, Oklahoma City Roy T. Hoke Sr., Stillwater Mel and Mary Jones, Edmond Edward C. Joullian III, Oklahoma City The Kerr Foundation, Inc., Oklahoma City Kerr-McGee Corporation, Oklahoma City Byrle and Caroline Killian, Stillwater Ed and Mona Long, Garber Mabee Petroleum Corporation, Tulsa T. A. Mace, Oklahoma City MAPCO, Inc., Tulsa McCasland Foundation, Duncan Wiley T. McCollum, Oklahoma City Samuel M. and Nellie Berry Myers, Stillwater Monsanto, St. Louis, Missouri Mr. and Mrs. Jean Neustadt, Ardmore The Noble Foundation, Ardmore Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, Oklahoma City Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville T. Boone Pickens Jr. and Beatrice Carr Pickens, Amarillo, Texas Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Tulsa The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Inc., Fort Smith, Arkansas Sarkeys Foundation, Norman Jeannette F. Sias, Edmond Mr. and Mrs. Dennis F. Smith, Oklahoma City Willard Sparks, Dibble Paul and Mary Belle Sterling, Oklahoma City Stillwater Industrial Foundation, Inc., Stillwater Stillwater National Bank and Trust Company, Stillwater The Telex Corporation, Tulsa Union Equity Cooperative Exchange, Enid Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, Tacoma, Washington The Williams Companies Foundation, Inc., Tulsa Raymond A. Young, Oklahoma City Mr. and Mrs. John S. (Jack) Zink, Tulsa Anonymous (1)

106 Centennial Histories Series In a special internal campaign, endorsed by Dean Charles B. Brown­ ing and other top administrators in the Division of Agriculture, 192 faculty and staff members in this unit joined together to commit $139,000 of their own money to the project. In addition to joining in as donors, OSU county extension directors provided invaluable input by identify­ ing those in their areas who might be interested in the progressive project. Early calls were made on nearly a hundred state banks. Another hun­ dred or so were devoted to Stillwater residents. From there, endeavors radiated in all directions. On the majority of the personal visits made by OSU administrators or alumni, a foundation marketer accompanied them for the presentation. The fund raising team soon found that while some decisions were made promptly, the lead time on others might be as much as eighteen months for corporation and foundation boards.^^ To coordinate calls, monthly meetings of the Solicitation Program Management Committee were called by Mr. Platt, committee chairman. The group was operative by March 18, 1982. Members were President Boger; OSU Regents Ed Ketchum, Byrle Killian, and Ed Long; Execu­ tive Secretary to the Board of Regents H. Jerrell Chesney; Vice Presi­ dents James H. Boggs and Poole; Deans Browning, Smith Holt, and Kenneth McCoUom; Assistant Vice President Dr. Bill Sibley; Founda­ tion Chairman Robert L. McCormick Jr.; Foundation Governor Dr. Jones, representing the alumni; and foundation staff members Mr. Ross and Mr. John B. Cathey. Initial meetings concentrated on identifying and assigning prospective donors of $100,000 or more, to be known as founders. ^^ Stillwater banker McCormick, apparently impressed by the vigor and depth of the planning at one of the early meetings, went home that night and said to his wife, "By golly, Peggy, I think those crazy people are really going to raise that money!"^^ In April 1982 the long-anticipated building funds were appropriated by the Oklahoma Legislature with the provision that OSU match the $15 million with private funds. Money and pledges began to arrive. Excite­ ment began to build on the OSU campus. Then, on June 18, 1982, Okla­ homa City publishing giant Edward L. Gaylord offered a million dollar challenge grant for the 21st Century Center. Calling it "a landmark day for OSU and Oklahoma," Vice President Poole said Mr. Gaylord's chal­ lenge, which called for obtaining three matching million dollar dona­ tions, "provided additional momentum and offered a benchmark to others to bring this important project to fruition. "^^ Although the premature plunge into the campaign had been a little unsettling, the staff began to appreciate the beneficial aspects. Had OSU waited a year to announce it, the 21st Century Center might never have fully materialized.

Oklahoma State University 107 Two weeks after the celebration over the Gaylord challenge, Penn Square Bank in Oklahoma City collapsed, sending tremors throughout the nation's banks. Other banks and businesses would begin to topple like dominoes as the state and national economy softened. The prolonged slump of Oklahoma's farming deepened. But the depth of the recession came home most sharply when the apparently unending oil boom began to buckle. Over 300,000 wells had been drilled in Oklahoma, more than in all of the rest of the free world. But the heady excitement of striking oil was swiftly being phased out, with experts predicting it would never return on such a scale.^^ It might have seemed advisable to place such a sizable project as the 21st Century Center on hold. Yet, to those involved, the economic mes­ sage to OSU was unmistakable: Oklahoma needed the new research cen­ ter. Its efforts could make tangible, long-range contributions to the state's well-being. Career possibilities were also in need of redirecting and broadening as the future beckoned through OSU's educational doorway. Oklahoma State University and its foundation bucked the tide of the downturn and continued the most ambitious building campaign in OSU's 92-year history. Preparations for two other major enterprises were afoot on the campus, with a million dollar gift for capital improvement for the studio arts center restoration and another million toward a new $5 million school of geology. The building program would thus fulfill several needs during the Centennial Decade. The decade itself was con­ sidered the ten years from 1980-90, which led up to Oklahoma State

^^m '^^"•"•"'^mm^M ^ ^

M During the first half of the 1980s, three distinguished men presided over the OSU Foundation. Carl Herrington, (/e/?) Claremore businessman, served from 1980-81. From 1981-82 the chair­ man was Stillwater banker Robert L. McCormick (center). To provide continuous leadership during the final thrust of the fund raising campaign for the 21st Century Center, L. E. "Dean" Stringer, (right) Oklahoma City businessman, chaired the foundation from 1982-85.

108 Centennial Histories Series University's 100th anniversary. It was designed to be a time of long- range planning and progress to prepare OSU for the next century.^^ A venture of the 21st Century Center's magnitude had not been attempted by the foundation in its twenty-one years. In fact, when the foundation generated income of $7,059,591 in the calendar year 1981, that total had been cause to celebrate. However, those funds were com­ mitted to specific scholarships and endowments, as well as to hundreds of other budgeted goals for the university. The 21st Century Center gifts had to be accumulated in addition to the ongoing needs of OSU for which the foundation normally sought funds.^^ A strong, steadying influence at this time was extended through the leadership of L. E. "Dean" Stringer of Oklahoma City. In 1982, Mr. Stringer was elected chairman of the foundation for what had in recent years customarily become a one-year term. As the complex project proceeded. Chairman Stringer was persuaded to remain in office for a second year to preserve the continuity of the campaign. Then, when it looked as though the effort would reach its climax in 1984-85 and begin winding down, he was persuaded to remain for a third term so that the campaign could be brought to a successful conclusion. Four personnel moves complemented the existing foundation staff in 1982. For some time before the research building project arose, there had been the need to add fund raisers with specific skills and interests. In January Mr. Cathey had joined the organization as director of cor­ porate and foundation gifts; in February Kurt C. Carter arrived as direc­ tor of special gift programs; and in April Larry Shell became the director of agricultural gift programs. All three were swept up in the 21st Cen­ tury Center campaign. Replacing Mrs. Wegener, who left to start her own public relations firm, Dolores Fowler arrived in December 1982 to direct the annual gift programs, including the Greater University Fund drive. Even as the marketers expanded and stretched to reach their goals, internal pressures were compounded for other areas of the foundation. While the influx of contributions greatly accelerated the business on a daily basis, the manpower to manage that rapid growth was not in place until much later. Once assignments were separated and three individuals were employed to handle business affairs, investments, and scholarship coordination, work loads were lightened and the office resumed a more normal tempo.^^ To acquaint prospective donors with the research center project, a large group was entertained at an afternoon reception at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Boger and heard alumnus James F. Hasenbeck pledge $100,000. On July 20, another group was welcomed by Governor Nigh at the governor's mansion in Oklahoma City. On behalf of the partners in the architectural firm, HTB, Inc., alumnus Rex Ball stood up and

Oklahoma State University 109 promised $100,000.^« Early in the campaign, before there was time for the university's Pub­ lic Information Office (PIO) to complete a detailed film about the pro­ ject, the foundation staff worked with Tom Johnston of the PIO to assemble a slide-tape show for prospective donors. Although the show was an effective marketing tool, it was the projector on which it was shown that made an indelible impression on the staff. Since constant travel in-state and out-of-state was involved, one or more members of the professional staff was always heading off by car or air, accompanied by the increasingly familiar, forty-pound self- contained projector, as well as luggage, briefcase, proposals, brochures, and mementoes. As the drive progressed, the slides and tape were updated. The bulky but breakable projector began to seem a permanent symbol of the marketing staff's assignment as it accompanied them from coast to coast. There were no O. J. Simpson sprints through airports with the leaden projector, and directors' arms seemed to lengthen with each trip. Eventually, the use of a second projector was required by the busy marketers. Mr. Cathey carried a projector seven blocks down New York City's crowded 42nd Street to a meeting with Harold Logan of Grace, Inc. Mr. Platt and Mr. Ross shared its company on eastern trips to Texaco in White Plains, Philip Morris in Manhattan, and IBM in Armonk, New York; Union Carbide in Danbury and Carpenter Paper Company in Stanford,

During the campaign to raise money for the 21st Century Cen­ ter project, Larry Shell and other OSU Foundation marketers repeatedly crisscrossed the United States with briefcase, luggage, and a 40-pound projector used to tell alumni, corporations, and foundations the story of the forthcoming research center.

110 Centennial Histories Series The Oklahoma Cotton Cooperative Industry pledged $100,000 to the 21st Century for Agricul­ ture and Renewable Natural Resources in 1983. Accepting the organization's first check is Charles E. Platt, (front row left) president of the OSU Foundation. Making the presentation are: T. J. Barton, (center) secretary of the Cotton Cooperative Foundation, Inc.; Bob Collins, (second from left, back row) secretary of the Oklahoma Ginners Association, Frederick; Tom Detamore, (third from left, back row), manager of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Oklahoma City; and R. C. Hall, (far right) manager of the Oklahoma Cotton Cooperative Associated Compress, Altus. Also pic­ tured are Dr. Charles B. Browning, (leff) dean and director of the OSU Division of Agriculture, and Robbie Robbins, (front row right) OSU regent, Altus.

Connecticut. At Carpenter Paper, a corporate gift officer who had been on the Oklahoma A. and M. campus during World War II unexpectedly greeted them with, ' * What happened to the Rock Castle Inn and big Bob Kurland?" At Laguna Beach, California, alumni Mel and Aladine Ellsworth saw the slide presentation, as did Weyerhaeuser executives in Tacoma, Washington, and dozens of other corporate gift officers from Raleigh to Houston to Los Angeles. The hazards of being constantly on the go were driven home several times. Accompanying Mr. Ross on one trip were Lloyd Long, Garber rancher and a frequent donor, and Dr. Robert B. Kamm, university profes­ sor and past president of OSU. They had headed off to Fort Cobb in the southwestern part of Oklahoma to acquaint W. D. Finney, a former mem­ ber of OSU's Board of Regents, with the promise of the 21st Century project. The roads were aswarm with huge, oil-related equipment bustling along. One speeding truck took a sharp curve on the narrow road and

Oklahoma State University 111 headed toward the Stillwater car. Ross herded the car into the nearest deep ditch, and the trucker thundered past. With a deep breath or two, the men were back on the campaign trail, unscathed.^^ During these months it was rare to meet Dr. Boger without his own 21st Century Center hallmark. While he was speaking to an individual or before a group of any size, the OSU president would reach into his coat pocket and hold up two or three test tubes that were indicative of a current phase of research. Dr. Becky L. Johnson, Department of Botany, saw to it that he was supplied with the latest samples. She and her associ­ ates became the first to harvest field-grown peanuts successfully from a cloned parent plant. Some of those results were present when Dr. Boger and Mr. Platt appeared on a "Candid Campus" television program filmed on the campus. As Platt recalled, Marshall Allen, head of OSU's Telecommunica­ tions Center, directed the taping and advised the men to expect a sixty- second break midway through the program. The camera would then pull away for a commercial for higher education. However, about two or three minutes before the break. Dr. Boger reached for his test tubes. And, Platt added, "When Larry picked up his test tubes, he talked about them." Behind the camera there were signals of the impending break in thirty seconds, but the president continued an enthusiastic overview of the potential for future scientific breakthroughs in OSU research. Off-camera there were firm gestures, warning of the need to cut away. "But Larry was saying, *And in this test tube ...,'" Platt remem­ bered with a smile. "He just kept going. The scheduled commercial never occurred to him," the foundation's chief executive explained. Comfortable before the camera's eye, the men felt as though there were just the two of them talking with the moderator. And that day there was no commercial break on "Candid Campus. "^^ As plans were formulated for the 21st Century Center project, the previous pattern of casual calls on corporations and foundations was set aside and definitive goals were established. The campaign began to roll. 21 "We had always enjoyed a fair amount of support from corporations who came in to OSU and recruited our students," Foundation President Platt said in 1987. " They understood the reason to put the money back, to keep the quality of education high, because it benefited them through the people they would be employing. "The 21st Century Center campaign marked the first time we really started identifying corporations who were either not donating or not donating substantially to OSU—and started going out and calling on them. At the same time, that is true with foundations. We had relied primarily on two or three foundations that were helping us. That cam­ paign caused us to want to identify, cultivate, and motivate additional

112 Centennial Histories Series foundations to donate to us." Mr. Ross added: "Our work with corporations before that had been directed toward identifying corporations that had a high concentration of OSU aliunni and then having a fund raising drive among those alums. We did that quite a bit. I think it probably helped us, laid some ground­ work with those corporations, because we had been educating the employees there."22 On October 29 and 30, 1982, during the annual meeting, the foun­ dation's Board of Governors came in for some education, as well. Mr. Ross brought the governors up-to-date on the overall capital campaign. Mr. Cathey reviewed proposals being sent to corporations and founda­ tions. Mr. Shell presented the 21st Century Center campaign slides as an example of one type of media being used. Dr. Bob Wettemann, OSU professor of animal science and industry, spoke on improved cattle reproduction, while Dr. Margaret Essenberg, associate professor of biochemistry, described the use of enzymes to split genes in the genetic engineering of plants.^^ In the midst of the search for funding, it was again time for the Board

OSU Foundation trustees took a break during the annual Board of Governors meeting in the fall of 1982. One of the chief items on the agenda was the progress report on the funding of the 21st Century Center.

Oklahoma State University 113 of Trustees' meeting on February 16, 1983. Mr. Platt had the task of advising the board of the foundation's recent audit by the Internal Rev­ enue Service. However, the only question raised by the IRS regarded lease income received for a horse donated six years previously. This was considered to be unrelated business income. Thus the foundation was required to pay tax on the income generated by stud service!2* Later that month, the first anniversary of the campaign's announce­ ment brought 21st Century Center founders back to Suite 1600 for Founders Day. For a flavor of the type of research their money would be supporting, a tour of OSU's laser lab was arranged by Dr. Richard C. Powell. The group also visited Dr. Roger B. Koeppe's biochemistry laboratory. During the June meeting of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Ross presented an update on the 21st Century Center and Mr. Cathey announced the gift of $500,000 from the Phillips Petroleum Company. In recognition of the role he had pursued as a director in developing foundation pro­ grams and helping shape the current capital building campaign, Mr. Ross was recommended for the position of vice president of the corpo­ ration by Mr. Platt. The trustees agreed unanimously.2^ In addition to the progress report, more was on tap for the trustees. Philanthropist Pete Bartlett, always an imposing figure, rose unexpect­ edly. His remarks were brief and spontaneous. Although it spanned no more than two or three minutes, the message had a powerful impact. Those who were present remember Mr. Bartlett beginning, "Let me tell you why this big project is important to me." Recently Bartlett had been diagnosed as having cancer, he revealed. He'd been looking into various forms of treatment, including experimental chemotherapy at Stanford Medical Center. That program utilized the latest biotechnol­ ogy to aid cancer patients. The former foundation chairman's search for help had really brought home to him the enormous potential of the many forms of basic research that might lie just ahead for the 21st Century Center. Investigation and breakthroughs in cellular research, genetic engineering, and biochemis­ try could have a vital impact on food and water supplies, animal—and human—life, he said. It was a highly charged moment for Bartlett's acquaintances, old and new. No longer was the 21st Century Center a soaring contemporary structure wrapped in brick and glass. Seen through Pete Bartlett's eyes, it was a project that spoke of personal hope and promise for mankind.2^ After that, the sense of a deeper mission remained with the market­ ing staff. Fund raising efforts were intensified. As the campaign's first year ended, $6.3 million in cash and pledges had been given. Just weeks after the final, campus-compatible design had been selected. Dr. Boger told the foundation trustees on September 30, 1983, that the drive had

114 Centennial Histories Series touched the half-way mark on the way to the $15 million goal. Continu­ ing to follow up on its regular programs, the foundation produced income of $10,258,946 for 1982 and $13,405,999 for 1983.2^ Handsome native Oklahoma granite plaques created by former Still­ water resident Bill Willis, now of Granite, were unveiled at the confer­ ence. The large plaques would be on permanent display in the completed center to recognize those founders whose gifts of $100,000 or more helped make it possible. Smaller versions in granite were given as mementoes to the donors and symbolized the center's future focus on the strong natural resources found in the state. On April 12, 1984, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., of Ardmore committed $3 million toward the research center. Earlier the Noble Foundation had contributed $1.5 million to support a variety of other OSU projects, including the world's first outdoor petroleum labora- tory.28 The Ardmore foundation was created in 1945 by the late Oklahoma oilman Lloyd Noble to help agriculture in southern Oklahoma. He estab­ lished the institution in honor of his father, a pioneer Oklahoma mer­ chant and teacher. In the early days of his business, Lloyd Noble often used a private aircraft, explained John F. Snodgrass, Noble Foundation president. "From this aerial vantage point, he saw firsthand the severe erosion problems being experienced in the 1940s by Oklahoma farmers," Mr. Snodgrass said. The foundation was set up "to help Oklahoma's hard- pressed farmers improve the quality of their life. Because the 21st Cen­ tury Center emphasizes agriculture and renewable natural resources, we see the gift as a logical extension of that original interest," he added. "The Noble Foundation's magnificent leadership gift represents the largest single private contribution in the university's history," Mr. Platt said. "It had a major impact on our fund raising campaign and virtu­ ally assured we would reach our $15 million goal." It also propelled the campaign past the 80 percent mark, with private commitments stand­ ing at $13.5 million. The Noble grant represented months of groundwork by the staff. It was a pleasant undertaking because the OSU Foundation was aware of the Noble Foundation's specific interests in the areas the new research facility was centered about. But that contribution was also a dominant factor in another way. In addition to financing the renovation of the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts, Mr. Bartlett had set up a charitable lead trust to benefit OSU. Earnings generated by that trust could, if needed, be used for the 21st Century Center, the Tulsa businessman agreed. Then an Oklahoma City builder, who remained anonymous, pledged a million. Those gifts, plus the Noble gift, satisfied the requirements necessary for the Gaylord con-

Oklahoma State University 115 Robotics of the future captured the audience's attention May 11, 1984. With the command, "Platform to OSU Groundbreaker 21, complete groundbreaking function," a robotics-enhanced tractor plowed a furrow with precision to cap the ceremony for the 21st Century Center. tribution.29 Following months of making arrangements, the week-long ceremo­ nies spotlighting the 21st Century Center culminated on May 11, 1984. Working closely with Mr. Platt and other officials throughout the plan­ ning stages from February through May was Dolores Fowler. Not one, but three, keynote speakers set the tone for the future structure. Dr. Ralph W. F. Hardy, director of life sciences research for E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware, represented the scien­ tific sector; Frank A. McPherson, chairman of the board and chief execu­ tive officer of Kerr-McGee Corporation and a foundation governor, represented the private sector; and Governor Nigh, represented the pub­ lic sector. This time there was no long line of dignitaries poised with gleam­ ing shovels. Instead, a tractor was dubbed "Groundbreaker 21." It was a gift from the John Deere Company through the efforts of alumnus Charles Cause of Kansas City, Missouri. It had been customized and com­ puterized by Marvin Stone, Sam Harp, Norvil Cole, Jim Summers, and Cliff Riley, all from the agricultural engineering faculty; Bruce Lambert, an electronics technician; and Mark Marston, a mechanical technician. AH had worked under the guidance of Dr. C. T. Haan, head of the agricul­ tural engineering department. Groundbreaker 21 stood alone as the final portion of the ceremony

116 Centennial Histories Series began, waiting to be introduced by Mr. Plitt. Although it appeared that Platt was manipulating the tractor by voice through a walkie-talkie, agricultural engineering Professor Stone was actually in the crowd with a remote control. The added electronic gear had performed well in test runs, but there was always the faint possibility that with 2,000 eyes focused expectantly .... Dr. Boger introduced the foundation's president. Holding the walkie- talkie and speaking into a microphone so the audience could hear, Platt commanded from the platform, "Groundbreaker 21, start your engine." The engine promptly started. Then he directed, "Groundbreaker 21, proceed to groundbreaking area. Wait for further instruction to start." The tractor began moving. Photographers swarmed around the high tech scene-stealer, shoot­ ing repeatedly as it rolled along. After making a left turn, the tractor halted. With a final command from Platt, a small, specially-attached golden plow dropped. Then Groundbreaker resumed its task, dramati­ cally carving a perfect furrow on the building site. The audience was captivated. It was a proud day for everyone; the massive building pro­ gram was under way.^o

OSU's new $30 million research and education facility was officially named the Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources in honor of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc. on February 27, 1985. OSU President L. L. Boger (left), Charles E. Platt, (cen­ ter) vice president for university development, and John F. Snodgrass, (right) president of the Noble Foundation, are pictured with a drawing of the newest campus addition.

Oklahoma State University 117 When the OSU Foundation's Board of Governors gathered for its annual meeting September 21, 1984, the group's banquet was the first campus event recognizing the mid-point of the Centennial Decade. Many of the governors would be among the distinguished alumni and friends of Oklahoma State who would be named to the Centennial Advisory Commission guiding the special occasions preceding the 1990 celebra­ tion.^^ On November 9, 1984, the OSU Board of Regents approved the "Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources" as the official name of the 21st Century Center. The deci­ sion was made public February 27,1985, during a founders' apprecia­ tion luncheon marking the third anniversary of the foundation's campaign. Special guests were members of the Board of Trustees of the Noble Foundation, the OSU Board of Regents, and university officials.^2 Dr. Boger commended the name, saying, "The Noble Foundation has distinguished itself through its support of higher education. There is scarcely a college or university in this state which has not been aided in some significant way by this foundation. "^^ Noble Foundation President Snodgrass responded: "The Noble Foun­ dation's participation in this project indicates our belief that this new complex will have a significant impact on areas of scientific investiga­ tion in which our foundation has been vitally interested for many years.'' He also expressed his foundation's pleasure at having "the Noble name associated with this world-class research and education facility at Okla­ homa State. "3* By year's end, the foundation had accumulated an income of $14,905,961 during 1984, increasing the Centennial Decade income total to $50,727,041. The growth in income, assets, and endowments over the last five years had been stimulated by the interest generated by the centennial observation. The average annual growth rate for income was 38 percent; for assets, 63 percent; and for endowments, 59 percent. Despite the demanding Noble Research Center project, in 1984 only 15.4 percent of total income resulted from the capital campaign. Stu­ dent scholarships still remained the highest priority of the foundation board, with the ability to retain excellent faculty second. Requiring atten­ tion were such priorities as the class of 1957's granite entry marker, a proposed OSU golf course, an athletic capital gift program, the Wes Wat- kins Distinguished Lectureship Series, the OSU Marching Band uniform campaign, and the Edmon Low Library endowment.^^ "The [Noble] campaign really gave us a good kick in the butt!" Mr. Platt reflected at its conclusion. "The truth of the matter is that a lot of people didn't think we'd raise that money. There were a lot of skep­ tics, both internally and externally, who didn't think the thing could be done. Dr. Boger says this, and he points with pride that we went out

118 Centennial Histories Series and did it.''^^ The Noble Research Center provided a watershed mark that would not be forgotten nor easily topped. Through the dedication of hundreds of people, OSU was able to fund the center fully before its completion. And, as both OSU and OU strove to meet their building goals, it was a beneficial era for the state, as well, in that there was no competition for dollars. Made aware of the twin projects, corporations often made contributions to both. "It's been said, 'A rising tide raises all ships,'" Mr. Ross noted. "Dur­ ing that period there was so much going on in that arena of private fund raising that it helped increase the awareness of people all over the state to the need for it. It helped generate a lot of activity and a lot of excite­ ment for us. "2^ While it was an especially stimulating time for the foundation, some problems on campus developed. A "drop everything else" focus that was essential in order to pull off a drive of this magnitude naturally raised some concern when a few department heads found their own major projects had to be put on hold as a result of both the campaign and the state's recession. The university's central fund raising agency had little choice as it pursued the high priority project that was identified by the campus itself.

By 1986 construction of Phase I of the Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources was highly visible north of Edmon Low Library.

Oklahoma State University 119 "Some of the other needs for private funds on the campus had to be put on the back burner because we just couldn't do more than one project of this magnitude at once," Mr. Ross commented in 1987. "We felt we had to ask people to give first to this, so that the $15 million could be raised within the very limited time frame the legislature origi­ nally gave us. And then if they weren't interested in this project, we were glad to suggest others. "^^ In the final analysis, attitude was a major factor that brought the $30 million facility to life on the campus. In directing the Noble Founda­ tion since March 1982, Mr. Snodgrass had visited campuses through­ out the southwest and particularly those in Oklahoma. He found an upbeat approach at OSU. "The thing that always impressed me in coming to OSU, in the face of 'down' economic conditions in the state and underfunding of educa­ tion, was that Dr. Boger and Charles never had a defeatist attitude," he underlined in 1987. "They always had the attitude that, 'We're going to take what's available to us, we're going to do the very best job possi­ ble with those funds, and we think we can accomplish our goal.' That contrasted to what I heard other places. It was always refreshing and encouraging to hear."^^ For its key leadership role in the Noble Research Center campaign, the OSU Foundation was honored in 1984 with the Philanthropic Achievement Award, presented by the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. Mr. Piatt's own leadership and that of his staff had not gone unno­ ticed within Oklahoma State University. During his ten years of guid­ ing the foundation, remarkable progress had been made. Revenue had increased by 793 percent, from $1.5 million to $13.4 million annually; assets had increased by 689 percent, from $2.8 million to $22.1 million; and endowments had grown by 1,863 percent, from $540,000 to $10.6 million. On September 24, 1984, the OSU Foundation president was named vice president for university development and given the added respon­ sibility of administering and coordinating the programs of the univer­ sity's 100,000 alumni.*o The first half of the Centennial Decade itself saw the first million dollar gift to the OSU Foundation, the first multi-million dollar capital fund drive for the university, and the largest single gift in the history of the institution. The events commemorating OSU's Centennial provided potent motivation. From 1980 to 1984, the foundation amassed income of more than $50 million from alumni and friends, corporations and foundations.

120 Centennial Histories Series Endnotes

1. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 28 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 6 October 1981, p. 4. 2. Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, 6 October 1981, p. 9; Tulsa World, 28 February 1982, p. 6A. 3. Author interview with Dale E. Ross, 10 June 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 4. Dale E. Ross, "Meeting the $15 Million Challenge," 11 January 1982, p. 2, position paper, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 5. Ross, "Meeting the $15 Million Challenge," p. 4. 6. Ross interview, 10 June 1987. 7. Author interview with Dale E. Ross, 18 June 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 8. Oklahoma State University Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 1 of pull-out section; Nestor Gonzales, PIO news release, 27 February 1982, p. 1, and Tulsa World, 28 February 1982, clipping, in OSU Foundation Office. 9. Platt interview, 28 May 1987; Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Foundation, 27 February 1982, p. 2, OSU Foundation Office. 10. Campaign letter, 7 February 1984, OSU Foundation Office. 11. Memorandum to Members of the Solicitation Program Management Committee, 15 April 1982, OSU Foundation Office. 12. Author's personal communication with Mrs. Robert L. McCormick Jr., 12 June 1987. 13. Dr. Richard W. Poole to Edward L. Gaylord, 22 June 1982, OSU Foundation Office. 14. Daily O'Collegian, 1 March 1983, p. 1; Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Foundation, 29 September 1983, p. 5, OSU Foundation Office; "Story of Noble Research Center Filled With Firsts for OSU," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 122; Ross interview, 18 June 1987; Tulsa World, 30 November 1986, p. ID; Stillwater NewsPress, 12 August 1987, p. 7. 15. Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 1 of pull-out section. 16. Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, pp. 1-2 of pull-out section. 17. Author interview with Charlene Pinkston, 10 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 18. Ross interview, 10 June 1987. 19. Ross interview, 18 June 1987. 20. Platt interview, 8 June 1987; C. B. Browning "Moving Through the Decade With Great Hopes," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 56. 21. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 25 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 22. Platt and Ross interview, 25 November 1986. 23. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Foundation, 29-30 October 1982, pp. 2, 4. 24. Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Foundation, 16 February 1983, p. 4. 25. Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Foundation, 15 June 1983, pp. 3, 5. 26. Author's personal communication with Dale E. Ross, 15 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 27. Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Foundation, 30 September 1983; Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 2 of pull-out section. 28. "Research Center Named in Honor of Noble Foundation," Oklahoma State University Out­ reach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 123. 29. Stillwater NewsPress, 12 April 1984, clipping, OSU Vertical File, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University; Ross communication, 15 May 1987.

Oklahoma State University 121 30. Stillwater NewsPress, 12 April 1984, 11 May 1984, p. 1, clippings, OSU Vertical File, Spe­ cial Collections, Edmon Low Library; Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 2 of pull-out section; Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 8 June 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Stillwater NewsPress, 10 May 1984, clipping, OSU Vertical File, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library. 31. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Foundation, 21-22 September 1984, p. 4. 32. Oklahoma Stater, March 1985, p. 4, April 1987, p. 3 of pull-out section. 33. Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 3 of pull-out section. 34. Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 3 of pull-out section. 35. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Foundation, 3-4 October 1985, p. 2. 36. Platt interview, 28 May 1987. 37. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 28 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 38. Ross interview, 18 June 1987. 39. Author interview with John F. Snodgrass, 17 July 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 40. Charles E. Platt, "A Record of Firsts, Largests, and Mosts," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 92; Minutes of Board of Trustees, OSU Founda­ tion, 21 June 1984, Exhibit D (proclamation).

122 Centennial Histories Series 9 A Lasting Imprint

It has given me direction to know that out of 22,000 students [at OSU], somebody knows who I am and really cares. [The President's Distin­ guished Scholars program] lets me know that there are people high up in the university who want to get close to the students and really help them, who really want to give them a good, well-rounded education. Tonn Bonenberger

Gifts for the mind come in many packages. Most are simply wrapped. Quietly given. Warmly received. Their dimensions vary from the size of a scholarship check to the four-acre Noble Research Center for Agricul­ ture and Renewable Natural Resources. By the 1980s, the Oklahoma State University Foundation had made great strides toward establishing endowments that would provide hundreds of scholarships and fellowships annually, extending into the twenty-first century. Developing and making these and other funds avail­ able was, of course, the primary purpose for which the foundation was formed. The extent to which this ambition had been achieved was reflected by the constant growth in numbers of scholarships over the foundation's nearly twenty-six years. In 1961, $3,000 had been devoted to scholarships. In contrast, in 1986-87 each semester over a thousand recipients came to the founda­ tion office in the Student Union Building to collect a check. Those checks totalled more than a million dollars and were in addition to scholarships and grants given through OSU's Financial Aids Office.^ Most significant among the financial assistance offered by the foun­ dation was the initiation of the President's Distinguished Scholars (PDS)

Oklahoma State University 123 PDS scholars Leslie Sharpton and Dale Flowers serve as hosts during the President's Distinguished Scholarship banquet in 1976. The banquet honors donors and recipients in Oklahoma State University's most prestigious scholarship award program. program in 1977." Its single goal was to attract the finest high school graduates who had demonstrated outstanding academic and leadership abilities. It also provided a living memorial to those who supported OSU by establishing permanently endowed four-year scholarships through gifts of $25,000. With the principal for each scholarship held in trust, only the endowment earnings were used to support a promising scholar. Candidates were selected by the President's Distinguished Scholars Committee, which was made up of representatives from the PDS donors and the OSU Foundation's Board of Governors. Contrasted with the four who received the first awards in 1977, eighty-seven PDS scholars were on campus for the 1987-88 academic year. Through the fall of 1987, 151 students had gone through OSU on PDS scholarships. OSU continued to attract a high percentage of Oklahoma's most talented high school graduates. By the 1987-88 school year, 143 scholarships had been estab­ lished. 2 The PDS award often came to mean many things to those who received them. Each winner became linked with the name of the benefac­ tor. When a recipient became known as the Mel and Aladine Ellsworth Scholar, for example, the honor provided the student an instant iden­ tity on campus among administrators, faculty members, and other stu­ dents. It afforded a degree of financial freedom that might not have been available otherwise. Its prestige often opened doors to membership and

124 Centennial Histories Series leadership roles in influential student organizations. It provided a scholarship based on the student's own merit, and it was a continual reminder that OSU wanted that person on campus. In return, students with exceptional academic skills contributed a special vitality to the university's classrooms and laboratories.^ One of the original 1977 PDS honorees was Perry High School gradu­ ate Michael E. Ragsdale. Ten years later, he appraised that scholarship, saying, 'It was tremendous. I feel fortunate to have been involved in the program as one of the first four selected."* Now a marketing executive in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with Kayo Oil, a subsidiary of Conoco Inc., Ragsdale spoke warmly of the PDS pro­ gram: "It's obviously an attraction [for students] to come to OSU versus other schools. There's no question that it is an attraction." Second in his high school class of 88, he had already planned to attend Oklahoma State, admitting, "I would have been there one way or another!" Still, the financial assistance was ''certainly an encouragement." "One of the nice things about it, the scholarship helps you as far as planning your time. If you want to work or don't want to work, it takes the pressure off. I did work during school, but I would have had

One of the first four OSU students to be named President's Distinguished Scholars, Mike Rags­ dale returned to the campus in 1986 to speak to current PDS students. Early in his business career, the young Conoco executive began supporting OSU programs through the OSU Foun­ dation's Presidents Club.

Oklahoma State University 125 to work a lot more." On campus, he was a desk clerk and held other jobs. On weekends, he returned to Perry to work with his parents in the family hardware store. That experience spurred his desire for a degree in business, he said. 'T thought that I'd seen the direction that I would be interested in going. Haven't really regretted it." The PDS funds also allowed the personable student time to become involved in other activities. And he had no trouble finding things to do. "The atmosphere of OSU is so friendly and the people are friendly, too. Probably one of the biggest selling points for OSU is that it's a large school, but you never feel like a number." On his way to graduation in 1981 with a double business major in finance and management, he served as a senator in the Student Government Association, as vice presi­ dent of the Internal Affairs Committee, secretary of his residence hall, and governor of his living complex. He was a member of the Business Student Council, as well. "The other part of it that was really good for me was the other doors that opened. I got to meet a lot of people through the foundation, from being involved through the PDS banquets. There were so few of us at the beginning of the program that we had a lot of chances to be involved in activities of the foundation," Ragsdale said. He found genuine interest in his college career among those who funded and distributed his Oliver S. and Susan Willham President's Distinguished Scholarship. "There's no question about it. We met a lot of the people who backed those scholarships. Hopefully, we helped encourage the program. It was good experience to meet the people who are such strong proponents of OSU. It undoubtedly turned me into one, too." Becoming acquainted with the other PDS recipients was a plus, too, he found. "It definitely attracts quality people, sharp individuals. As I always tell Charles Platt, I don't know how I slipped through the crack, but I figured the rules weren't as tough the first time!" Although the PDS program was just getting underway in 1977, the OSU faculty was already aware of the promise it offered the educational process. Again, there was more personal attention than Ragsdale had anticipated. "I was a business major and, undoubtedly, I got to meet some of the heads of the department as a result of being on the PDS. They were also at some of those same foundation functions. OSU is a good-sized school, and it's tough sometimes to get to know those people—the Dean Robert Sandmeyers and the John Bales. And I met them as a freshman. It's nice to walk down the hall and say 'hello' to the dean or the president of the university. That was really nice." There were benefits, too, when it came to job interviews as a senior. Recruiters scanning his resume were unfamiliar with the program and

126 Centennial Histories Series assumed it was simply another scholarship. When he was queried about it, Ragsdale was primed. In fact, he recalled, "You always hoped an employer would ask questions about that." With genuine enthusiasm, he could describe the program and the benefits of having the largest, most prestigious scholarship Oklahoma State University had to offer. On reflection, he found the PDS "something that set you apart from others, because there weren't that many of them." A summer internship with Conoco led to a full-time position. Again, the foundation was present behind the scene, quietly attesting to the potential of the outstanding student. In Mr. Ragsdale's case, the Col­ lege of Business Administration did the same. Over the years, Ragsdale has been such an ardent supporter of OSU's PDS scholarships that the foundation invited him to return in 1986 to speak to the current PDS students. "It was a lot of fun to come back and see how much the program has grown. It's been very successful. It is really, really, a good program, no question about it." He supported that vocal enthusiasm by turning the tables shortly after graduation by becoming the youngest donor- member of the Presidents Club. And he promised to continue. "I'll do whatever I can to help in getting more PDS scholarships established," he said. Providing scholarships for ambitious young adults like Mike Rags­ dale has been a long-term endeavor for the Lloyd Long family of Garber. More than a hundred students have been assisted by the Longs in the

The Lloyd Lof.^ .j.:....j _. _;_:-,jr has provided education for many students over the years. Here Blanche Long (left) and Lloyd Long (right) are getting acquainted with incoming fresh­ man Randall Brown of Pryor and congratulating graduating senior Solita Stadler of Stillwater.

Oklahoma State University 127 pursuit of a college degree. A 1926 alumnus, the rancher and former Garber mayor was recognized in 1964 for his numerous achievements when he was named to the OSU Animal Science Hall of Fame. The Longs' generosity extended to other state institutions over the years as well as to Oklahoma State. In the days before computerization, records management was arduous, and there was little communication with donors to inform them of the amount of money in their account and who had received the scholarships.^ "Lloyd came in to see me shortly after I began working with the foun­ dation in 1974," President Charles E. Platt recalled. "He introduced him­ self and said he would like to know how much was in his scholarship fund. I got the information for him, and he was very appreciative. "Lloyd told me, 'This is the first time I've ever been able to receive a report on my endowment fund at a university and learn how much it had earned.' Then he added, 'I want to add to my fund with you.'" With the need for a better flow of information made evident, new scholar­ ship report procedures were built into the foundation's operation, foster­ ing a closer partnership with OSU donors. Now and then a surprising bit of college history popped up in con­ versation with donors like Long.

President L. L. Boger congratulates Joe and Paula Reed for their donation to establish a Presi­ dent's Distinguished Scholarship. The program draws the best and brightest high school stu­ dents to the university.

128 Centennial Histories Series "Lloyd also came in my office one day after the office had moved downstairs to HlOO," Mr. Platt remembered. "He looked around, and said, 'Boy, this is a nice office. When I was in school here, this location was the cesspool.'" The "low spot" Mr. Long remembered disappeared when the block-long Student Union Building was erected. Far removed from those days, the foundation was now engrossed in helping to pro­ vide financial "high spots" for thousands of students attending OSU.^ Lloyd and Blanche Long established their first PDS endowment in October 1976. One of the first couples to endow scholarships at OSU, they later added two more. Their sons, Hal and Ed, were also graduates and funded the Long's FFA and 4-H Achievement Scholarship. At the same time, the third generation of Longs was beginning to graduate from OSU.^ The senior Long in 1977 characterized his family as "Cowboy sup­ porters who wanted to do something for Oklahoma State University." Of his half-century tie to the institution, he commented, "I still believe in OSU's philosophy. Even a boy in blue jeans (that meant you had to work for a living when I was in college) can get a fine education if he wants it." He added, "By participating in the foundation's scholarship program, Blanche and I hope to help OSU continue its fine tradition as 'the people's university.'"^ Scholarship gifts are often the fruit of special memories. Like the Longs, another Garber family, the Naugles, translated the warmth of their own family ties into providing educational opportunities for others. Thomas E. Naugle, chairman and president of Naugle and Company in Tulsa, and a 1961 chemical engineering graduate of OSU, began in 1981 by funding a pair of scholarships awarded Garber High School graduates in honor of his father. Earl H. Naugle. The senior Naugle was self-employed in the aftermath of the Depression, following the wheat harvest in the summer, and depending upon carpentry and other skills to support three daughters and a son. Practically from birth, young Tom heard, "You are going to college!" And, although it meant study time was sandwiched in between work hours, he earned the diploma his father had steadfastly insisted upon. Toward the end of his own working days. Earl Naugle became the custodian of the Garber High School. "Dad was the kind of guy who, if people didn't know him, seemed kind of gruff," Tom Naugle explained. "Inside, he was soft. There'd be tears when people retired and that kind of thing. But he would make sure students in street shoes didn't walk on the basketball court!" In short, Mr. Naugle maintained his dignity and took pride in whatever he turned his hand to. The Earl H. Naugle scholarships may be awarded to young people who never knew him, but Tom Naugle has made sure his father isn't forgotten. Through the scholarships. Earl Naugle is still

Oklahoma State University 129 saying gruffly, "You are going to college!" In 1987, Tom Naugle and his wife, Barbara, endowed a PDS. In addi­ tion, he set up a unique scholarship as an investment in Tulsa's—and Oklahoma State's—future. His goal was to assist underprivileged black students from Tulsa who had had delinquency problems to overcome and who were determined to turn their lives around. Naugle said his intent was to help those who'd gone astray. "I'm talking about someone who is not a criminal but may have done bad things. If we reach out and give him a helping hand, we will help him and society, too." His approach earned Naugle praise in a TuJsa World editorial, as well.^ Dr. John D. Hampton, professor emeritus and ardent sports fan, was one who understood that only so many waking hours can be devoted to studies by youthful scholars. The retired professor made it plain the Hampton PDS scholar's check did not have to be spent solely on books and educational needs. "Anyone who is worthy of earning a scholarship is worthy of living his own life. I've given what I can. Those selected for scholarships are mature and can take it and do what they want with it," he said.^^ Platt recalled visiting with Dr. Hampton, as arrangements for the Hampton scholarship were being completed. "He meant it, too," Platt said. "John wanted to make it clear that if a Hampton Scholar needed money for a date, that use was fine with him."ii Sometimes confidence and common sense, basic ingredients in the fund raising profession, balk at asking prospective benefactors for a much greater than anticipated amount. On the other hand, with a project as essential as increasing endowments to draw top students to OSU, inno­ vation can shoulder aside reluctance. A turn toward a bolder approach began in 1979 when a check for $10,000 arrived from Edward L. Gaylord of Oklahoma City. "Before 1974, we would have written him a nice letter and the staff would have said, 'Boy, wasn't that a great gift!'" Mr. Platt explained. "But we had come up with a method of recognizing mqjor gifts' involve­ ment and potential. The PDS program had just gotten started. We got to thinking, 'Wouldn't it be nice to have a scholarship with Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord, and have a plaque up on the scholarship wall outside the foundation office, honoring them?' Well, to do that required more funding." The thank-you note was written, but Dr. Robert B. Kamm, former OSU president, also secured an appointment with the Oklahoma Pub­ lishing Company president. Dr. Kamm and Mr. Platt then drove to Okla­ homa City, letter in hand. It explained the possibility of a President's Distinguished Scholarship in the name of Edward L. and Thelma

130 Centennial Histories Series In recognition of their support of the President's Distinguished Scholarship program, Edward L. and Thelma Gaylord accept a plaque from OSU President L. L. Boger (right).

Gaylord. "It takes a little bit of nerve, when you've got a sizable check from a major donor to ask for more!" Platt said, ruefully. "I will never forget the look he gave me when I thanked him for the $10,000 and said we'd like to have $15,000 more. He said, 'Well, let me think about it.'" The next morning, there was a call. It was brief. Mr. Gaylord said, "Charles, this is Ed. That's a good idea. I've put a $15,000 check in the mail." The check's arrival warmed a cold January afternoon and made it possible for the first of a series of Gaylord scholars to study at OSU.^^ Frequently general scholarships have been directed toward donors' own fields of study. Although Raymond A. Young's generous support lay in helping College of Business students, in the seventies he enlarged his interest in assisting minority students from the Oklahoma City area. "One of the best things I ever did at OSU as far as scholarships was for a young black student in engineering," Mr. Young commented. "I called up the dean to see whether I ought to do it or not. He said Legand Burge was a smart student and they wished they had a hundred more just like him." With Mr. Young's aid, including a summer job, the Oklahoma City student completed his undergraduate degree in 1972. In 1979, he earned a doctorate at OSU. While teaching electronics at the Air Force Academy,

Oklahoma State University 131 |ii^. i^^K^SM

% 1 i^^\

V \> .' A •

f=\ i^l^v The establishment of the Wilburta and Wendell Locke President's Distinguished Scholarship is commemorated by a plaque presented the Lockes by OSU President L. L. Boger. Mr. Locke is a member of the OSU Foundation Board of Governors and national president of the OSU Alumni Association.

Dr. Burge began a career in the military service that led him to a posi­ tion as chief of technology and planning with the U.S. Department of Defense at Ft. Meade, Maryland.^^ In the continued quest for scholarships, every opportunity to tell OSU's story was accepted. After a discussion of endowments by the foun­ dation president on a televised "Candid Campus" program, a phone call from Gladys T. Logue of Tulsa followed. Often, scholarships have been created by OSU graduates as a memorial, and Mrs. Logue had this in mind. The 1931 home economics education graduate established an endowment in her husband's name. Through the years, the endowment grew large enough to support the Burton W. and Gladys T. Logue Dis­ tinguished Graduate Fellowship. A Distinguished Graduate Fellowship provided the highest form of scholastic support for post-baccalaureate students at OSU. Earnings from Mrs. Logue's endowment enabled the recipient to receive $2,000 annu­ ally for one to three years, contingent upon the course of study and aca­ demic performance. The recipient was required to pursue an advanced degree from the OSU College of Home Economics and to have displayed achievement and outstanding leadership ability during undergraduate education. 1^

132 Centennial Histories Series John Skinner of Midland, Texas, exemplified the same generosity. He wanted to help outstanding students augment their university expenses and also to honor his late wife, Mildred, whom he met when both were then Oklahoma A. and M. College students. Mr. Skinner received a B.S. in chemistry in 1928. He went on to distinguish himself in the field of geology. Considered an international expert on fusulinids and Permean stratigraphy, he authored or co-authored over thirty pub­ lications. The Mildred H. and John W. Skinner Endowment Fund supports thir­ teen scholarships and four fellowships in geology, chemistry, and home economics. As of January 14, 1988, the endowment had aided 131 stu­ dents since its inception in 1980. He became a life member of OSU's Bennett Society and Presidents Club, as well as a member in the Heri­ tage Society. "The Skinner story is kind of like the Logue story," Mr. Platt said. "Mr. Skinner wanted to do this for these kids. He gave these scholar­ ships and he said, 'I've worked for Exxon all my life. It's a good com­ pany and it's paid me good dividends. I'd prefer you hold the stock.' I assured him we would do as he asked."^^

The first undergraduate Skinner scholarship recipients in the College of Home Economics, left to right, are: Jeannette Jones-Webb, Kimberly Barresi, and Sheila Alexander. Mr. John W. Skin­ ner, class of 1927, made these awards possible for 1981 -82, in addition to the many other Skinner scholarships which have been awarded over the years to outstanding OSU students.

Oklahoma State University 133 Often donors met and grew closer to their recipients over the years. Carl G. and Gladys L. Herrington established a PDS in 1979, along with an engineering scholarship. Mr. Herrington is a member of the OSU Alumni and Engineering Halls of Fame. He was senior vice president of Exxon Company, U.S.A., in Houston before retiring in 1975 to oper­ ate his polled Hereford breeding ranch. Skiatook's Greg Quarles was the first to be awarded the Herrington Scholarship. As a result of their interest in their PDS student, the former foundation board chairman and his wife later attended Quarles' wedding and proudly followed his career as he worked toward his doctorate at OSU.^^ Another PDS scholarship has benefited OSU students because Alice Murphy Cleveland wanted her own sons to have an education. In 1917 she sold the family property at Anadarko and moved with Horace, then 12, and Marion to Stillwater. Both attended Oklahoma A. and M. Col­ lege, and Horace, nicknamed "Cleve," received his degree. "She believed in our young people, and she believed it is our obli­ gation to provide the opportunity for a good education for all of our youth," Mr. Cleveland wrote the foundation staff in recent years from his home in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife. Norma, established a PDS for promising students. Later they entered into a unitrust agree­ ment which will establish another PDS in memory of Cleve's mother.^^ One of their recipients, Kent Major, turned out to be "a very respon­ sive student," the Clevelands discovered. He corresponded with them after his arrival at OSU, and when he was in San Antonio to visit his sister, a 1985 OSU graduate and an elementary teacher, Lisa Major Seit- ter, he got in touch with the Clevelands. Mr. Major and his sister were promptly invited to brunch and church by Mrs. Cleveland, a graduate of Indiana University who had "nothing but kind thoughts for OSU." Mr. Major learned they would enjoy attending an evening OSU Alumni meeting in San Antonio. The problem was that the Clevelands no longer drove at night. Presto! Since Mr. Major could not be there, his sister volunteered to chauffeur them and the three Cowboy fans enjoyed the evening. And a year later when Major was awarded the pres­ tigious Truman Scholarship in addition to his Cleveland PDS, Mrs. Seit- ter quickly shared the news with the Clevelands. Among his other laurels was the 1987-88 Student Government Association presidency.^^ When Owen and Vivian Wimberly of Okeene brought their scholar­ ship endowment to the $100,000 Centennial Scholarship level in 1987, their gift became the ninth Centennial PDS endowment. Mr. Platt and Dale E. Ross, director for university gifts, were reminded anew that Mr. Wimberly had been responsible in 1979 for one of the high points of Mr. Ross' early career as an OSU fund raiser.^^ On this occasion, Ross had been out to Woodward, where he visited with the Mead Ferguson family and completed an agreement for a PDS

134 Centennial Histories Series Senior Angela Baysden shares news of her college year with Vivian and Owen Wimberly, Okeene, during the President's Distinguished Scholarship banquet held in the spring of 1986. The Wim- berlys established the PDS which Ms. Baysden has held during her years at Oklahoma State.

to be made in the name of Mr. Ferguson's father, Dwight Ferguson. With a check for OSU in his pocket, he drove back through Okeene in the late afternoon. The Wimberlys had been part of the university's donor family for years, so Mr. Ross stopped to visit. When Mr. Wimberly asked him what he'd been doing, he said he'd been making some calls in Woodward. Mr. Wimberly, then senior vice president of Shawnee Milling Com­ pany, said thoughtfully, "You know, I used to be out on the road, call­ ing and making sales, and I always remember how disappointed I was to go back empty-handed." He wrote the foundation a check for $20,000. Although the two checks totalled more than Ross had ever brought back to Stillwater in his fund raising career, the first had been anticipated. The second cer­ tainly had not. "At the time we had started the Henry G. Bennett Society," Mr. Platt recalled. "You became a life member for a $50,000 endowment and Dale had explained this to Owen. When Dale got into Stillwater late that night, he called me at home to tell me about the gift from Mr. Wimberly. I was excited for him." The next morning the men were still elated and Platt said, "Dale, you know, I ought to tell Owen how thrilled you were to come home with that $20,000, how much I appreciate that, and tell him a little more about the Bennett Society. When I did, Owen said, 'Well, I'll send you a check for another $30,000.'" Thus, the Wimberlys, who had known

Oklahoma State University 135 Dr. Bennett and had hosted him in their home, became life members in the Henry G. Bennett Society through a stop to say hello and the phone call follow-up.20 Education is a many-dimensioned investment. A timely helping hand provides a distinctive sense of accomplishment for the donor, an oppor­ tunity to make a difference in the future of new generations. For all the Mike Ragsdales and Legand Burges, there's the assurance that opportu­ nities can be pursued, dreams attained. And, as scholarship recipients attest, there's something more. Gifts for the mind linger in the heart.

Endnotes

1. Minutes of Organization Meeting, Board of Trustees, OSU Development Foundation, 11 September 1961, pp. 1-2, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. Charles E. Platt to PDS scholarship donors, 5 December 1985, OSU Foundation Office; Author's personal communication with Phyllis Sanders, PDS Scholarship Coordinator, 14 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 3. "OSU's Distinguished Scholars: A Contribution to Vitality," Oklahoma State University Out­ reach, vol. 19, no. 5 (November-December 1978), pp. 6-7. 4. Author telephone interview with Michael E. Ragsdale, 6 August 1987, Chattanooga, Ten­ nessee. 5. Annual Report '86, Oklahoma State University Foundation, p. 30, OSU Foundation Office. 6. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 28 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 7. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 25 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 8. "Lloyd and Blanche Long Donate to Scholarship Fund," Oklahoma State University Out­ reach, vol. 18, no. 1 (January-February 1977), pp. 16-17. 9. Author telephone interview with Thomas E. Naugle, 5 October 1987, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Tulsa World, 12 May 1987, clipping, OSU Foundation Office. 10. Author telephone interview with John D. Hampton, 20 July 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 11. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 2 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 12. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 25 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 13. Author telephone interview with Raymond Young, 20 January 1987, Rancho Mirage, California. 14. Platt interview, 2 October 1987; Oklahoma State University Oklahoma Stater, April 1987, p. 2. 15. Platt interview, 28 May 1987. 16. Author telephone interview with Mr. and Mrs. Carl G. Herrington, 28 July 1987, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 17. H. M. Cleveland to Charles E. Platt, 6 November 1980, Cleveland File, OSU Foundation Office. 18. Author telephone interview with Mrs. Norma Cleveland, 24 July 1987, San Antonio, Texas; Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 21 April 1987, p. 1. 19. Inside Report: An Oklahoma State University Foundation Newsletter (May 1987), p. 1. 20. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 9 January 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

136 Centennial Histories Series 10 Celebrating the Ties

I'm a great believer in maintaining strong ties with the people and insti­ tutions that have been important to you. I think that you have an obliga­ tion to provide financial support for your alma mater. T. Boone Pickens Jr.

Over the years, generosity continued to revitalize the Oklahoma State University campus and its scholarship programs. Although perhaps not readily apparent, gift tags that read, *Tor my alma mater ..." often made the difference between surviving and thriving. Since Dr. Oliver S. Willham helped mold the fund raising branch in 1961, the Oklahoma State University Foundation had served as a cat­ alyst for progress. In the intervening years, the institution's quest for excellence had accelerated as private funds helped ease the taxpayer's burden, allowing the busy, bustling university to succeed at ensuring the future for its students and its state. For each giver and each gift—from three dollars to three million— the reasons behind the gifts have been as diverse and as special as the donor. This is how the foundation came to know and work with three couples who have been among OSU's major benefactors. Although their schooling and careers span different decades, they are linked by their common interest in the university. Dr. Melvin D. Jones was an Oklahoman whose career took him out of the state and the country to work, but the dapper red-head's heart never left OSU. His undergraduate achievements sparkled. As he pur­ sued a degree in agronomy at Oklahoma A. and M., he served as national president of the student section of the American Society of Agronomy.

Oklahoma State University 137 He earned a bachelor's and a master's of science in 1942 and 1943 and completed his doctorate in 1945 at the University of Nebraska. Then, at twenty-four. Dr. Jones returned to join the Oklahoma A. and M. faculty and the Alumni Association. In 1949 he became a professor of agronomy, the youngest full professor in the history of the university at that time. By 1951, the young educator and scientist was one of the country's leading agronomists. He was the first American assigned to the United States' Point Four Program which provided technical assistance to nations around the world. He spent four years in various diplomatic assignments for the U.S. Department of State including a stint in Cuba where he was responsible for highly successful agrarian reforms. He was co-developer of six varieties of farm crops and produced two textbooks. Post-doctoral studies in the field of insurance came at Southern Meth­ odist University. In the succeeding decades, the educator-scientist- diplomat turned to business and civic work and became known as an

\ ^

1 X. 1 1 1 OSU President Robert B. Kamm presents a plaque to Dr. and Mrs. Melvin D. Jones of Okla­ homa City for their endowment of a President's Distinguished Scholarship. Accompanying the Joneses is their son. Jay, a junior at OSU. Dr. Jones was also elected president of the OSU Alumni Association at this same luncheon in 1976. He once commented, "I've often thought that you haven't had a memorable day until you've done something for somebody, and in my book, helping OSU is top priority."

138 Centennial Histories Series eminent Oklahoma philanthropist. A member of the Abilene Christian College board. Dr. Jones borrowed the concept of that school's President's Club, which called for an annual gift of $1,000 from each member. He was the first $1,000 donor to OSU's Foundation. '*As I remember, all sixteen of us gave $1,000 in the regu­ lar meeting. And then we raised $7,000-something to go with it. Of course, we didn't have any money to pay salaries. That's the nucleus, the early start of it. *Tt turned out that the University of Texas had raised $8 million in 1960! That was such an enormous amount of money. Their corporate gifts were in addition. I told them at that first meeting what the Univer­ sity of Texas had done. We were just flabbergasted, as a group, and never dreamed that we could raise that kind of money!"^ '*Mel Jones is the ultimate volunteer," Charles E. Platt, foundation president said in 1987. ''Every time there was a major OSU project, Mel was there with his check, encouraging others to give. He has gone the extra mile for his alma mater, investing both personally and financially, and many times in both dimensions. He's always enthusiastic, always positive about the projects."^ '*The OSU Alumni Association was the nucleus from which volun­ teer leadership was identified," Dr. Jones once pointed out. ''Most of them became affluent enough that they had some money, and they were giving for various causes. It was the source that spawned many of the foundation's early leaders." Jones felt his own greatest contribution lay in knowing a great many people. He had become widely acquainted in the early years after World War II, when classes were enormous. After he had left the academic world, he became a Certified Life Underwriter and traveled extensively in Oklahoma. "You've got to know where prospective donors are," Dr. Jones explained. "As I sold life insurance, I got a picture of how they were financially set up and a feel for first, who could give, and second, who probably would. They've got to be willing." After a dozen years spent in guiding two insurance firms, in 1968 he became president and chair­ man of the board of Mark Twain Life Insurance Company in Oklahoma City. His own warm, friendly approach made him a hard man to refuse. His approach was simple and effective. He explained his mission, then added, "I gave and it's a good cause, and I thought you'd like to give. Can we depend on you?" But first, he gave. And, along the way, he developed his own philosophy. "Giving is kind of unusual. Many people have to learn to give. I had to learn. I grew up in the poorest family in Oklahoma. I was the young­ est of ten children, and we never had anything to give—except love.

Oklahoma State University 139 But when I got to where I made money, giving was something that was new to me. I believe a lot of our alumni are that way. "One of the biggest things that's working for us today is that we've got a broad base of alums, many of them not giving a lot of money, but they're giving. Some of them will become highly successful. When they do, they may remember when they were giving the smaller amounts. As I grew in my ability to earn money, it was just natural to give. "A lot of people who have really helped us down through the years have been people who have been willing to work. Didn't have a lot of money. They gave leadership and time in the early stages; and now some have made money, and today they're giving both. But the easiest thing is to get young people involved, before they've made any money. They love the university and we need to capture that love and imagination while they're still young and full of vim, vigor, and energy. "There's still a place for the small donor and some people may never get to the point where they can give a lot of money. But their ten dollars may be like in the Bible, the woman who gave her last penny. There's a place for every alumnus. If they can give one dollar, there's a place for them, and if, like Pete Bartlett they can give a million dollars, there's a place for them. Bud Seretean and other people have, many of them have grown to the point where they can. Others may not have the good fortune to reach that pinnacle. But if they give five dollars and that's all they can give, hey, I appreciate that alumnus or alumna!" The marked increase in available scholarships has been a source of pleasure for Jones. He reminisced, "I attended the agronomy department banquet in 1986. Back in the days when I was a professor, we had one $200 scholarship. This past spring, more than $200,000 was given in scholarships." He advocated continuing to make "everybody conscious about fund raising. They'll raise it for their cause. And it's great that you have a lot of causes, because you've got a lot of different groups raising money. There are people who will give money or leadership for one particular project—just become a ball of fire. That's important. If you get enough different people, who have a bin-ning desire to contribute in one area, then you have a whole lot of areas with leaders out there." President of the OSU Alumni Association in 1976-77, Dr. Jones held the same position in the Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma in 1981. And it is to the alumni that his thoughts constantly return. "We've got 100,000 alumni. Thousands of 'em have never given a dime! But that is an objective Charles is working on with the Greater University Phon-a-thon. We picked up 800 new alumni in 1986 who had never given. The kids here at the university got on the telephone and raised about $100,000. They phone you, and it sounds reasonable. You've never sent in anything. And you send in a little check. You're

140 Centennial Histories Series Former faculty member Dr. Melvin D. Jones is also a charter member of the OSU Foundation's Board of Governors, past president of the Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma, and co-founder of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. When the opportunity arose to become one of the founding donors of the 21 st Century Center, later the Noble Research Center for Agricul­ ture and Renewable Natural Resources, Dr. Jones and his wife, Mary, did not hesitate. Their participation is recognized by President L. L. Boger. advised about projects. You grow into being an alumnus. That's how it begins." The growth of key programs such as the Presidents Club continued to be a source of satisfaction to Dr. Jones, as was the Henry G. Bennett Society. "Nobody dreamed back there in 1961 people'd give $100,000. Now we have forty or fifty who've given an amount like that. I was excited about that. I thought it was a great thing. I participated in that." The Oklahoma Citian was the first governor to fund a $25,000 President's Distinguished Scholarship, a concept he endorsed so heartily that the Joneses funded three such scholarships over the years.^ "Mary and I both got a lot of scholarships," Dr. Jones explained. "If it hadn't been for scholarships, I'd never have a Ph.D., or a lot of things. They're very dear to us." A 1949 graduate v^th a bachelor of science degree in home economics education, Mrs. Jones served in leadership positions in the Oklahoma Extension Homemakers Council and in other university and community activities. In 1985, she received the OSU Alumni Association's Distin-

Oklahoma State University 141 guished Service Award. Perhaps it was the agronomist in Dr. Jones that enabled him to suc­ ceed in his role as volunteer fund raiser. He enjoyed "harvesting dol­ lars and volunteers" when there was a need. Quick to praise others' efforts, he said, "Charles has done a good job of reaching out to people, helping them grow in areas where they can contribute." His satisfaction with the long way the OSU Foundation has come in its twenty-five years was apparent when he said, "We're raising money today that looks like big sums, $16-17 million." Then he promptly predicted, "Someday we'll he raising $50 million a year." Dr. Jones served the foundation's Board of Governors continuously since 1961, with one year off after the rotation rule was adopted. He was honored by induction into the Oklahoma State University Alumni Hall of Fame in 1973 and in 1980, the Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor conferred by Oklahoma State Univer­ sity, was given to him. In reflection of his widespread interests, in 1981 he was one of eight national 4-H Club alumni inducted into the 4-H Alumni Hall of Fame, and in 1983 he was the recipient of scouting's national accolade, the Silver Beaver Award.* Along the way, his business acumen led to the selection in 1977 of Mark Twain as the best all-around performer in its industry by Okla­ homa Business Magazine, and in 1979 the same publication selected the insurance corporation as the outstanding stock buy among all Oklahoma-based corporations. A third honor came in 1981, with the magazine selecting Mark Twain Life the best five-year performer in the Oklahoma insurance industry.^ When Oklahoma A. and M. became the first college to win back-to- back NCAA basketball championships in 1945 and 1946, high school stars all over America yearned to take to Gallagher Hall's court under the watchful eye of famed Coach Henry P. Iba. An Amarillo High School eager named T. Boone Pickens Jr. was no exception. Up for graduation in 1946, basketball meant so much to him that he stayed another year to play out his eligibility. That tended to confound those organizing Amarillo High reunions in later years. "Now they invite me to the class of '46 and '47," Mr. Pickens said in 1987. "I've got them so confused they don't know when I graduated."^ The entrepreneur, whose early office was, briefly, his station wagon, who built Mesa Petroleum into the nation's largest independent oil com­ pany, and whose takeover bids made him a household name in the mid- eighties, was by his own definition, "a plain vanilla student" in high school. He remembered being "kind of immature, which causes you to kind of keep your mouth shut. Or it should. I didn't feel real confident. I didn't have a lot to say. But I played basketball and that's the reason why I was known. "^

142 Centennial Histories Series A recent reunion found a former classmate assessing the young Boone as "a quiet guy, real low-key." And he assured a surprised Beatrice Carr Pickens, "Lot of people didn't know Boone in high school." The super-oilman's mild response was, "I thought I was fairly well known." When his friend persisted, saying, "Well, you weren't, though," Pickens was neither ruffled—nor convinced. He tried out for basketball at Oklahoma A. and M. in the summer of 1947 but was offered no financial assistance. Scholarship offers did come from Texas Tech, the University of Oklahoma, and Texas A. and M., with partial aid on tap at the University of Texas. After a year at Texas A. and M., he transferred to Oklahoma A. and M. in 1948, again hoping to make the team. And, although the story persisted that Mr. Iba had downplayed his speed on court, Pickens straightened the rec­ ord in 1987. "It wasn't Mr. Iba. Gene Smelser said I couldn't run fast. That's not quite right. I was pretty quick. He was kind of out of sorts with me and I think I smarted off some and he said, 'You can't run fast enough to scatter leaves.'" Appraising his own lack of height and Oklahoma A. and M.'s wealth of good athletes, Pickens dropped out of practice dur­ ing Christmas break in 1948. To help pay his way through school, the geology major went to work as breakfast cook in the kitchen of the Kappa Alpha Theta house. (In later years, he would joke, "The Theta job seemed more rewarding."} An only child, it may not have been essential for Pickens to finance his education, but he noted, "I think it sure helped my mother and dad. My mother worked for the government there in Amarillo in the Selec­ tive Service Office and my dad was a landman for Phillips. We had a good, mid-level family life. It was a happy family."^ Earning his own way appealed to him. Earlier, he started delivering papers for the HoJdenviJJe Daily News as a sixth grader. At OSU, his parents paid for his Sigma Alpha Epsilon house bill, and he paid for everything else. Since the SAEs were just "back door" to the Thetas, Pickens was close to his morning job. He took that temporary vocation seriously. "I finally got some of those girls eating bacon and eggs," he said, with satisfaction. "Got them off doughnuts, coffee and cigarettes." But that led to a new problem. "They said, 'We're gaining weight!'" The nineteen-year-old who would be worth more than $100 million by his mid-fifties told the girls sternly, "You look a lot better." As he continued classwork in geology, Pickens began to appraise his career prospects. He remembered asking Dr. Brown Monnett about job possibilities after graduation.

Oklahoma State University 143 '^^k*^ Celebrating the announcement of a new $4 million geology building in 1982 are from the left: Dr. V. Brown Monnett, former head of geology; Dr. Wayne Pettyjohn, head of the geology depart­ ment; T. Boone Pickens Jr., founder, president, and board chairman of Mesa Petroleum Com­ pany, whose gift triggered the construction effort; Herbert G. Davis, member of the OSU Foundation Board of Governors; Dr. John Naff, faculty member of the geology department; and Dr. L. L. Boger, OSU president.

"Pickens, when do you get out?" Monnett asked sternly. Told it would be in 1951, the professor roared, "Well, let me tell you some­ thing. Right now, they aren't even hiring the good boys!" The future Phillips Petroleum employee quickly buckled down. "It caused me to get very serious about what I was doing," he said in 1982. "I made some very good grades the last two years of school."^ He also earned a strong recommendation from Monnett that led to his first job. Of the professor whose influence he valued, Pickens said, "Dr. Monnett was a good teacher and a good leader. He said and did the right things and was the right kind of image for young men who were in geology." John Naff was another geology professor whom Pickens regarded highly. Until the eighties, when computerization and other sophisticated methods of researching alumni came into use, the OSU Foundation relied primarily on word-of-mouth recommendations for calls on graduates and businesses. In a mobile era, it was difficult to maintain accurate address files. Alunmi almost had to come to the foundation office and introduce themselves. In the late seventies, Jerry Walsh, a Borger, Texas, resident and a prominent OSU alumnus in his own right, suggested that some­ one from the foundation should call on a well-to-do alumnus in Amarillo. As others, including Dr. Monnett, had also mentioned Pickens, it seemed a good idea to discover whether the 1951 graduate was still interested

144 Centennial Histories Series in OSU. Plans were made for the trip. An 8:00 A.M. appointment in hand. Foundation President Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, director of annual gift programs, drove through western Oklahoma the day before in a large, older model car that had been donated to the foundation. It had, Mr. Platt recalled, a hood that "looked like it went out there ten yards,'' and it demanded frequent stops for gasoline.^° After a couple of visits with alumni along the way, the men reached Amarillo. Before turning in, they scouted the downtown area to be cer­ tain they could locate the energy concern known as Mesa Petroleum early the next morning. Traffic was lighter than anticipated the following day. By 7:30 A.M., they were seated in Mesa's foyer. When Mr. Pickens arrived, he told his receptionist two men from OSU would be there at eight o'clock. Platt rose and said, "Two men from OSU are here." Once they were comfortably seated in Pickens' office, one of the first questions they were asked was, "How did you guys find me?" Over cof­ fee and Perrier, and around phone calls, for the next two hours the con­ versation centered about Oklahoma State. "He knew we were there representing the fund raising business of the campus," Platt said. "We weren't there on this first trip to ask him for money, because we didn't know what he might be interested in or if he was interested at all." Pickens was. As their visit lengthened, the Oklahomans asked if they were keeping him. Pickens casually replied he was to speak at noon—in Houston. Platt and Ross quickly took their leave. From that exploratory visit grew a cordial relationship between the university and the alumnus who had excelled so dramatically. It was also a fellowship fostered by the ties between Dr. Monnett and his former pupil. On April 13, 1982, Boone and Bea Pickens presented a gift of one million dollars for the OSU School of Geology. Two compelling factors made the expansion essential. One of them was an enrollment increase of over 800 percent within six years. Ranked fifth in the country by the American Geological Institute in 1980-81, the OSU geology program had 283 undergraduate geology majors. The sec­ ond was the growing, predominant need to study soil and water apart from the petroleum industry.^^ At the time of the Pickens' gift, Mr. Pickens told OSU administra­ tive officials growth would continue in the petroleum business as long as schools turn out highly qualified geologists prepared to focus on com­ plex problems. "Oil and gas has to bridge us into the next energy level, whether that be coal, syncrude, gasification, liquification and also nuclear," he said. "I think you're going to need these people to solve our energy prob-

Oklahoma State University 145 lems. That's the reason for our gift." Of the T. Boone Pickens Jr. School of Geology, he added, "We want to be sure this school will be of the quality to attract excellent students, give them the best education, then turn them loose and let them per­ form. If you take something out of this system, you should certainly con­ tribute something back into it." A grateful Oklahoma State honored its alumnus as a Distinguished Fellow of the OSU College of Arts and Sciences during that visit. ^^ Thus plans for yet another building got under way shortly after the campaign to fund the 21st Century Center for Agriculture and Renewa­ ble Natural Resources had been announced. The final architectural plans for the geology building presented a new thrust, however. Instead of the two stand-alone buildings OSU administrators had anticipated at first, the 21st Century Center and the geology school structures would be combined. Even greater potential would be gained, with each shar­ ing certain facilities in common, avoiding duplication. The T. Boone Pickens Jr. School of Geology would occupy the east half of the cap­ stone building of the research complex. ^^ "Boone is a very level-headed, brilliant manager," Mr. Platt com­ mented. "After he made the gift to us, the oil business started declin­ ing. On March 26, 1983, we held the groundbreaking. It was raining, so we held a symbolic ceremony on the third floor of the Student Union. As we were driving in from the airport, Boone said, 'I want you to know the million dollar gift is secure. My question is, is that really where you want to put the money? Do you really want to build and expand your school of geology?'" OSU was keenly aware, Mr. Platt pointed out in later years, that the study of water in the state of Oklahoma was extremely important. By 1987, it had become more and more important. "We may be on the ground floor of developing hydrogeology into something big. But we had to have Boone and Bea's gift to do that," he explained. "My answer to Boone was, 'Yes!'"^* Recognizing the importance of geology and hydrogeology to Okla­ homa State, a ceremony in Gallagher Hall on Saturday on May 5, 1984, officially designated the OSU School of Geology the T. Boone Pickens Jr. School of Geology. The same day. Mesa's president told the 1984 graduates at com­ mencement, "You'll look back on your time at OSU as some of the best years of your life. Remember as you leave today that it's important to return a portion of the success you find, whether it be in time or money, to the institution that helped you. In some way, then, you can assist another young student to follow the tradition of excellence and success that Oklahoma State University fosters."^^ A supporter of Mike Holder's OSU golf program, Pickens knew the

146 Centennial Histories Series was in.ucte. as a OistinguisheSw^orSiuTc^l- Pickets

golfers and played in the Cowbov-Pro Am A an^^ • u son found him hunting regulaX Tf }Tv. ^f °t'^^'^8 ^hot, quail sea-

beer or drink of wLsW T h.vIT t'^" '^^ °^ ^"^f^^' ^'^l have a life. So I'm involerin tLat nlnlT' ^"^ °? P-'^-ticed fitness all my Among the art woi ^ the ptli "'. T ^^"^^"dicap golfer."- ing depicUng blue cSt d qu Jlt^^^^^^ Amarillo was a paint- Dr. Rudy Miller A eift of tiTf f. ^ Oklahoma State zoologist to compWnTBea M n^%'rf T••*^P""*^"^ ^^^ ^^^-'^d authority. Also a fine v^^nrshotZSr^*"^^^^^ " ' "^''"^'^^ ing big game on safaris, as'well ^hroklahoma nat' "" '"T '' ^""*- Interior Department of Wild Life Fm,nH f T^'""^ '^"^^^ "'^ Texas'

Platt. One evening ^^ platt drovr.W v . " ™'u''>' **"'« ""'' "ue was going to deliver to Amarillo Mrs Za>J^ f 'u"' ^°°°= aboardthePalcon,et.Hcke.n,entt':;:drreZrd1i^ta":

Oklahoma State University 147 Houston office and offshore drilling rigs, and had less need of it, he planned to sell the jet. Years of marriage to a fund raiser surfaced as Mrs. Platt asked,' 'Why don't you donate it to OSU?" '*My God, Sue! This is an $8 million plane!" an obviously surprised Pickens replied. Undaunted, she assured him, '*Charles'll accept big gifts, too!!"^^ In 1985, Boone was named Man of the Year by the Oil Trades Associ­ ation. His biography, Boone, topped the country's best seller lists for a dozen weeks in the spring of 1987. At the same time, he was ranked as one of the six best chief executive officers in the oil and gas industry by Financial World and also selected by Petroleum Management maga­ zine as one of the ten most influential people in the industry.^^ In 1978, a phone call led the foundation into a deeper role with the Townsend History Trust and also helped OSU put down orange and black roots in Iowa. Like Mel Jones, Dorothy DeWitt Wilkinson was a former faculty mem­ ber. When the spirited little teacher lost her teaching position at Okla­ homa A. and M. College through a politically-motivated firing in 1933, she got even a half-century later. Mrs. Wilkinson responded, not in kind but in kindness, by bestow­ ing her $500,000 family farm on Oklahoma State University. In 1953, she had been instrumental in bringing the Townsend History Trust to the campus, and, as OSU neared its hundredth anniversary, she and her husband, Jim, also became Centennial donors by bequeathing endow­ ments for four President's Distinguished Scholarships and Distinguished Graduate Fellowships. Mr. Piatt's introduction to her came with that first phone call. With the death of her sister Maude, half the interest from the Townsend Trust would now be coming to OSU, through the foundation. The trust had been set up twenty-five years earlier as a separate entity, with its own trustees. To update the trust, Mr. Platt visited the Wilkinsons in Okla­ homa City and heard their remarkable story. Like the fabled Molly Brown, Mrs. Wilkinson, too, had proved unsinkable. In the summer of 1929, the pert Iowa native sailed onto the Still­ water campus as the next-to-youngest Oklahoma A. and M. faculty mem­ ber. Twenty-four, after two years of teaching high school, she had just completed her master's degree in Michigan. She remembered being only the twelfth Oklahoma A. and M. College faculty member to have a master's. 20 Barely five feet, the lowan came equipped with enough drive and ability for a seven-footer, with a matching voice of authority. Those qual­ ities managed to alienate her new department head, who balked when

148 Centennial Histories Series 1

four years, however, Dean Clarence McElroy, who headed the Snn^

Oklahoma State University 149 firing awaited her. Her job went to the daughter of a former Oklahoma governor, a colleague of Governor William Murray's. On Friday the young woman had been a student in Mrs. Wilkinson's class. On Satur­ day, she had received her bachelor's degree. Monday she was teaching speech classes for which a master's degree had been required. 'That was it," Mrs. Wilkinson recalled almost fifty years later. * There were fifty-seven of us, I think, who got the axe. Some went back to work at A. and M. at half-time . . . eventually." Oklahoma A. and M.'s early fortunes had long swayed in the wind with political whims and favors, but President Henry G. Bennett had brought about considerable stability for the faculty. Still, rancor seeped through the DeWitt family because the president had complied with Governor Murray's wishes. Shortly after the Wilkinsons' marriage, the full brunt of the Depres­ sion had become apparent when they learned the DeWitt family farm was heavily mortgaged. Saving it became a long term commitment. Along with Mrs. Wilkinson's sister Maude, and an aunt and uncle. Tut­ sans Pauline and Frank Townsend, the Wilkinsons worked to reduce the debts. They repaid even the smallest notes and debts others might not have honored. During World War II, Mr. Wilkinson flew fifty missions in the Euro­ pean theatre as a waist gunner in the Army Air Corps. Mrs. Wilkinson's own career also sparkled with achievement in those years. She was associate state employment director for the Works Progress Adminis­ tration in Oklahoma, before joining the American Red Cross Hospital Service in 1942. She became an assistant field director for the Women's Army Air Corps Field Hospital at Ft. Desmoines, Iowa, and was then dispatched to head the 4,100-bed McCloskey Army General Hospital at Temple, Texas. In addition to the hospital for South Pacific casualties, at McCloskey she oversaw two theatres, a guest house with forty rooms for relatives of the critically ill, German and Italian prisoners of war, a K-9 corps, and a hospital detachment of men. The hospital had its own landing field and train siding. The five-foot Mrs. Wilkinson ran it all with volunteers. On the DeWitt farm, wartime crops were good. From then on, life was a little easier. The Wilkinsons ventured into investments when Mrs. Wilkinson used part of her husband's flight pay to buy ten shares of respected stock. From time to time, more was added. Mrs. Wilkinson's aunt, now widowed, followed their lead and began buying and retain­ ing stock through all the splits of the post-war decade. With no heirs other than Dorothy and her sister. Aunt Pauline placed her growing funds in what became the Townsend History Trust. And, because she felt OSU had treated her niece harshly, those funds were offered to

150 Centennial Histories Series another major state institution. When the other university did not move swiftly enough in accept­ ing it to suit Mrs. Wilkinson, she telephoned Oklahoma A. and M. Col­ lege. Dr. Oliver S. Willham, then president, listened to her brief explanation and drove to Tulsa the following day. '*Dr. Willham didn't say anything about money," Mrs. Wilkinson said. ''And I didn't rehearse him, either! I thought, 'If you make a mis­ take, I'll go to Grinnell next.' My A.B. was from Grinnell College." Presi­ dent Willham and Aunt Pauline held lively discussions on Oklahoma and Iowa farming and about her paintings that reflected the heritage of the land. Shortly thereafter, the 1953 Townsend Trust was designed to bene­ fit the college at Stillwater. It was later administered by the OSU Foun­ dation when that body was created. In 1987 the trustees were Mrs. Wilkinson, the beneficiary; Dr. L. L. Boger, as president of OSU; Dr. W. David Baird, former head of the history department; Ms. Lynda Wim-

Oklahoma State University's Dr. W. David Baird (left) Lynda Wimmer (right), and Dorothy and Jinn Wilkinson inspect a $1,000 American history slide collection. The early American history teaching aids were purchased by the Department of History at OSU from a trust fund estab­ lished by Mrs. Wilkinson's aunt, the late Pauline Townsend. Administered by the OSU Founda­ tion, the Frank and Pauline Townsend United States History Endowment Fund has provided special funds for study and teaching since the mid-1950s. Dr. Baird is a professor in the history department. Ms. Wimmer, a Townsend trustee, is a former teacher of American history and IS now assistant director of OSU's Center for Economic Education

Oklahoma State University 151 mer, who taught American history before she became assistant director of OSU's Center for Economic Education; and Mr. Platt of the founda­ tion, representing OSU's financial interest. "The trust was to be devoted to history prior to 1914, because Aunt Pauline said at the time the League of Nations was formed that America would never be the same again. She was about right." A provision added by Mrs. Wilkinson directed that part of the money be used for minority scholarships in the history department. At a luncheon meeting of the Townsend trustees, the parameters of the trust, now being administered by the OSU Foundation, were dis­ cussed. Mildly puzzled, one trustee asked, "Why would we want to restrict its use to the study of early American history before the League of Nations was formed?" Mrs. Wilkinson tartly replied, "Because it was Aunt Pauline's money!" "That's the very best reason I can think of!" the trustee quickly and warmly agreed.^^ In 1976 the Iowa Department of Agriculture recognized the land of Dorothy DeWitt Wilkinson as a "century farm,'' one of Iowa's few farms remaining in the same family for a hundred years. A metal sign denoted the centennial honor. But in 1977, the family banker, whose father had been Mrs. Wilkinson's father's banker, and their grandfather's, advised them to sell the farm and invest in stocks. The Wilkinsons, who already owned an ample portfolio, demurred. Stocks might fail, but land endures, they reasoned. Mrs. Wilkinson later turned down a $500,000 offer, saying, "I don't need a full-length mink coat." One day during a phone call regarding some aspects of the Town- send Trust, Platt happened to ask if she had everything taken care of that she wanted to. "Everything but the farm," Mrs. Wilkinson replied. "What about the farm?" "I don't want the government to have it," she said. "How about our talking about it at lunch tomorrow?" Mr. Platt sug­ gested. Following their meeting, OSU owned a hundred-year farm in Iowa. The Wilkinsons' appearance at a foundation meeting shortly after that led to an impromptu admonition by the irrepressible Mrs. Wilkin­ son to the governors and their wives. On the spur of the moment and with considerable effort, the distinguished-looking little lady then enter­ ing her eighties, mounted the stage. With mock-sternness, she warned the group, "Beware, if Charles Platt ever invites you to lunch. He'll come home with your farm!" It was a story she relished telling, and one that became a Platt favor­ ite, as well. Nor was she above further teasing. Following one planning

152 Centennial Histories Series session with Mrs. Wilkinson, Mr. Platt took her to his home to meet his wife; and Mrs. Wilkinson said, "The 'little old lady' he was telling you he was going to see in Oklahoma City, that's me!" A half-century after Mrs. Wilkinson's abrupt dismissal from the faculty, the full irony of the situation flowered when, in recognition of the contribution of the DeWitt farm to OSU, the foundation staff decided the Wilkinsons belonged in the Henry G. Bennett Society, the univer­ sity's most prestigious honor. At the outset, it had the appearance of a sticky situation. "When we began talking about it, I didn't quite know how to han­ dle it," Mr. Platt admitted. "So I asked, 'How do you feel about Henry Bennett?'" "Didn't like him! He fired me!" she snapped. "I know that," Platt told her, "but your gift qualifies you for mem­ bership in the Henry G. Bennett Society." Her eyes twinkled. She knew he was a little uncomfortable. Her response was as forthright as ever. "Wouldn't mind," she told Platt, letting him off the hook unexpect­ edly. "He was a great president for OSU. A wonderful finance man and a wonderful educator. But first, he was a good politician," she wryly maintained. 22 Three pairs of donors, different but alike in their feelings for their alma mater, Mel and Mary Jones, Boone and Bea Pickens, and Dorothy and Jim Wilkinson have had unique experiences as a result of their ties to OSU. All have been generous with gifts for tomorrow's students as a reflection and a celebration of those ties.

Endnotes

1. Author interview with Melvin D. Jones, 11 December 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 25 June 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 3. Jones interview. 4. Myron Roderick to Nominating Committee, National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Stillwater, 10 June 1983, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Files, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 5. Biographical data appended to Roderick letter to Nominating Committee. 6. Author telephone interview with T. Boone Pickens Jr., 29 January 1987, Dallas, Texas. 7. T. Boone Pickens Jr., Boone (New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987); "Boone Speaks," Fortune Magazine, vol. 115, no. 4 (16 February 1987), pp. 42-56; Pickens interview. 8. T. Boone Pickens' remarks to Stillwater Rotary Club, 9 June 1987, Student Union, Okla­ homa State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Pickens interview.

Oklahoma State University 153 9. "T. Boone Pickens, Jr.," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 53, no. 4 (Summer 1982), p. 5. 10. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 9 January 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 11. "T. Boone Pickens, Jr.," p. 3; Craig Chappell, "OSU Gets $1 Million Gift For Its Geology Program," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 53, no. 4 (Summer 1982), p. 3. 12. "T. Boone Pickens, Jr.," p. 5. 13. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 25 November 1986, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 14. Platt interview, 25 November 1986. 15. T. Boone Pickens Jr., "The Next Step Toward Success: Building a Reputation," Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 55, no. 4 (Summer 1984), p. 14. 16. Pickens interview. 17. Platt interview, 25 November 1986; Pickens interview. 18. Platt interview, 25 November 1986. 19. Stillwater NewsPress, 31 May 1987, p. D1. 20. Author interview with Dorothy and Jim Wilkinson, 30 January 1987, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 21. Author's personal communication with Charles E. Platt, 15 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 22. Dorothy Wilkinson interview; Platt communication, 15 May 1987.

154 Centennial Histories Series Small Donors Are 11 the Bedrock

Caught up in the excitement of large gifts, we find it easy to let those donors know of our appreciation. Yet all of the thousands of donors to the OSU Foundation are important in our efforts to serve Oklahoma State University. In fact, it is this broad base of contributors which serves as the bedrock of OSU's total giving program. President Robert B. Kannnn, 1966-1977

And then there's the coffee cup story. It began as an appealing way to expand the number of supporters of the Greater University Fund (GUF) campaign in 1987. A mailing piece pointed out, "A cup of coffee and you means a greater OSU." A dona­ tion as modest as the cost of a daily cup of coffee each workday morn­ ing for three months would make a difference in reaching the university's needs. A gift of $30 or more meant the donor received a cup printed in Oklahoma State University's colors from the OSU Foundation. It was a reasonable request, and it fit a great many budgets. Checks began to arrive. Half of each GUF gift supported university-wide projects; half went directly to the individual college the donor had attended or had chosen to support. Into the mail went hundreds of boxed cups bear­ ing the message, "I gave for a Greater University." Tucked inside each mug was a coupon good for a free cup of coffee at the foundation's office in the Student Union. That was in March. Then the academic year was over. Planning for the next GUF drive began. But OSU alumni have good memories. In September, just before the OSU-Southwestern Louisiana football game, staff assistant Rebecca Bir whisked into the office to put away

Oklahoma State University 155 A record response flooded the OSU Foundation and OSU Alumni Association in response to a 1986 query for information for an alumni directory. Working long hours to open the thousands of replies are: Sharia Ray Curtis (left), Faith Lemler, and Carol Terry of the foundation staff.

supplies just used at a special Presidents Club function. As Mrs. Bir started to leave, in drifted three hopeful out-of-town game-goers, GUF cups—and coupons—in hand. Since it was a Saturday, HlOO was closed and the coffee pots were empty, awaiting Monday morning. As grace­ fully as possible, the surprised aide explained the coffeeless situation. The football fans were understanding. But Foundation President Charles E. Platt, pleased by the response, was not sure that marked the last appearance of the special cups. "I've been told by staff assistant Jane Eikenbary and others that there've been more cups poured than you'd think," he said. "And Jane makes good coffee."^ That was one campaign of many. As in any quest for private funds, no one script guarantees success. Each drive is centered about the needs of a vigorous university. Whether gifts are for new test tubes or new tubas, they say the same thing: Oklahoma State University or someone on the campus has had a direct and lasting influence on the donor. One of the more rewarding aspects of this influence has been the initiative taken by hundreds of alumni and friends in raising funds for scholarships or other projects. In the process, they've become informal

156 Centennial Histories Series partners in the foundation. Frequently the results of efforts by one man or one woman quietly pursuing small donations for a very compelling reason have been both impressive and refreshing. For Ruby Naeter, this partnership began when she continued a news­ letter that provided a network of names and addresses for OSU's elec­ trical engineering graduates who had been students of her late husband. Over the years, her friendly, unassuming "letters from home" led to the endowment of two prestigious annual awards—the Naeter Memorial Scholarship and the Albrecht and Ruby Naeter President's Distinguished Scholarship. Head of the School of Electrical Engineering from 1929 until his retirement in 1959, Naeter was recognized by his peers nationwide. His tough stance on good grades was legendary, but he was also remem­ bered as one who taught "with a twinkle in his eye." The newsletter that occupied Professor Naeter in retirement was adopted by Mrs. Naeter after his death in 1976. She wrote "Al's boys" about the growth in under­ graduate and graduate programs, exclaimed over improved starting sal­ aries for electrical engineers, and kept them posted on everything from changes in the Student Union food services to lively reminiscences on Professor Naeter's adventurous childhood—and hers. There were notes and letters and phone calls in return. Sometimes there were checks to be applied to postage for the far-flung newsletter.

Unassuming "letters from home" to "Al's boys" led to the endowment of two prestigious awards—the Naeter Memorial Scholarship and the Albrecht and Ruby Naeter President's Distinguished Scholarship. Professor Albrecht Naeter, a longtime professor of electrical engineering, wrote a newsletter to former students. After his death, Mrs. Naeter continued the newsletter. OSU graduates Thomas N. Ewing (left) and Vaughn L. Conrad (right), both of the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, present Mrs. Naeter a new typewriter on behalf of other electrical engineering alumni.

Oklahoma State University 157 Occasionally her Christmas letters asked for advice about the memorial scholarship established upon her husband's death. Those who had remained in touch with OSU through the newsletter began to contrib­ ute to the scholarship. When the first award to a student for $250 was made in 1978, she voiced hopes that the fund, then $6,000, might some­ day reach $10,000. By Christmas 1979, it topped $14,000. The memorial scholarship could now offer a larger stipend. She was delighted. Then the OSU Foundation asked her to consider establishing a $25,000 Presi­ dent's Distinguished Scholarship (PDS) to provide its recipient $1,200 annually for four years. The prospect was almost as alarming to Mrs. Naeter as it was attrac­ tive. She could not fund it by herself. But the former teacher certainly understood what a PDS scholarship would mean to a young college stu­ dent. Like many, the Naeters were acquainted with lean days dating back to the Great Depression. In the newsletter she wrote, "I once bought ONE egg, to make Al's birthday cake. Can you imagine a grocer willing to sell one egg at a time? I brought it home, cradled in my hands, as Al opened doors, solicitously." Now widowed after fifty-two years, she sent the foundation a per­ sonal check annually to commemorate their wedding anniversary. And once again she wrote about the dilemma. How would the new scholar­ ship ever be funded? And again, the electrical engineering graduates with whom she had corresponded through the years responded. The President's Distinguished Scholarship was completely endowed. The years of combing OSU correspondence files and directories for current addresses, the phone calls made and letters written on her resources, could not have culminated more satisfactorily for Ruby Naeter and "Al's boys."2 Another success story came about when a campus group saw a need that would go unfilled unless they took unusual steps. In 1986 a Depart­ ment of Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology alumni group formed an advisory committee. Along with increasing the current enroll­ ment, the council wanted to develop rapport with graduates of the pro­ gram. It was also essential to upgrade some learning tools in the campus fire station. ' 'We had a room that was loaded with antiquated equipment,'' Harold R. Mace, head of the program, recalled. He invited Dale Ross of the OSU Foundation to meet with the committee and help members prepare for the venture into fund raising. It was exactly the type of campus partici­ pation the foundation was interested in encouraging. "Dale recommended that we tell our story to alumni, revealing our strengths and our weaknesses, and stating what we wanted to do with the money," Mace said. "People, he advised us, like to give brick and mortar—lasting things that they can go to in fifty years and show to their

158 Centennial Histories Series great-grandchildren.'' With that in mind. Mace designed a personal explanation of the need for a library-study area. He intended to strip Room 306 in the station, install a computer network available to students twenty-four hours a day, along with new furniture and key technical publications the fire serv­ ice had not had available and sorely missed. The letter went to almost a thousand alunmi. "When the smoke cleared, we had a little over $20,000," Mace added. Mailing addresses were updated for the highly mobile group, and there was the bonus of genuine interest in the form of friendly notes from familiar names. David Jelmini responded from an offshore drilling rig near Tananger, Norway. Mace's responsibilities covered three main thrusts. He served as head of the Department of Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technol­ ogy. He oversaw the fire publication division, the world's largest pub­ lisher of fire training materials. And he was director of fire service training in Oklahoma. Although Mace and the council viewed them-

Journalism professor James Stratton (left) presents his extensive record collection to Oklahoma state University and radio station KOSU through the OSU Foundation. Also present are Charles E. Platt, (center) foundation president, and Dr. J. H. Boggs, (right) vice president for academic affairs and research.

Oklahoma State University 159 selves as "infants in the business of fund raising," that $20,000 was a very important part of the year's budget. Room 306 was revitalized to provide the best computer-student ratio on the campus. Mace also followed up on foundation advice: Tell them what you want to do. Do it. Tell them what you've done. But it didn't end there. A year later, in December 1987, a second donor letter went into the mail. In less than a month, over $8,000 in checks and pledges had arrived. The strengthened program also brought the fire service school a nearly doubled enrollment. As a bonus, a $2,000 donation arrived toward overdue repairs for that perennial favorite at parades and other public appearances, the school's 1927 Ahrens-Fox fire engine.^ Enterprise, both personal and by groups, has benefited the univer­ sity since the earliest days of Oklahoma A. and M. College. Dr. Robert B. Kamm, president emeritus, reviewed the progress of the institution early in 1988, commenting, "The Oklahoma State University Founda­ tion has become the great asset it is to OSU because of the labors and support of many, whose cumulative gifts have also contributed might­ ily to furthering OSU's mission. Everyone who elects to give some amount becomes an investor in the university. "An investor, of course, will wish to follow that investment, will become more active in the institution, and, in most cases, will become a 'salesperson' for OSU. With a donation usually comes greater loyalty and commitment to the university. The more committed alumni and friends there are, the brighter OSU's future will be!"* Something special happens when students identify campus problems and set about tackling and taming them on blue jean-budgets. In 1974, a wave of determination arose among those whose class routes constantly led them across the library plaza, where the once-elegant fountain was cracked and leaking. The Residence Halls Association undertook the extremely ambitious $25,000 renovation project. The fountain had been a focal point of beauty since 1952 and under Jim Smith, a Tulsa junior, the drive began to restore it. Although the RHA donated the first $1,000 and organized a phon-a-thon, a venture of this size was not destined to be an overnight success. In 1977, Tulsa senior Barton Black and a committee selected the foun­ tain as their memorial gift. Graduating seniors were asked to designate their $20 enrollment deposits as funds for the giant plumbing renova­ tion. Again, gifts were handled through the foundation, and the total moved upward. In turn, the class of 1978 took up the quest. Jay Jones, an Oklahoma City senior, also encouraged the transfer of enrollment deposits and helped whip up "Fix the Fountain Week." Classmates scheduled a day of mourning for the fountain, a funeral, a talent and untalent program, a sack lunch, a frown contest, and a joke-telling con­ test by "several illustrious faculty members."

160 Centennial Histories Series When the campus' beauty was marred by an ailing fountain in front of the Edmon Low Library students took a personal interest and worked for years to raise money for the extensive repairs' Students, led by Jay Jones, spread sleeping bags on the worn tile interior of the fountain and staged a sleep-a-thon to lend further emphasis to the dry fountain bed.

Then, to lend emphasis to the dry fountain bed, Jones and his fel­ low seniors spread out sleeping bags on the worn tile interior and held a sleep-a-thon for three nights in September 1977 to raise further funds. On sale were T-shirts bearing the legend, ' 'Thirty thousand coins in the fountain." The total climbed to $10,200. To it were added the $1,300 from the 1974 RHA efforts and $1,200 by the 1977 seniors. Impressed by the sustained, campus-wide drive, in January 1978 the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents offered to make up the difference. At last, awaiting returning students and visitors once more that fall was the refreshing beauty of water playing over more than three tons of polished marble and tile.^ The lifeblood of hundreds of special campus projects had always been the infusion of gifts received through the daily mail in the foundation office in the Student Union. Donations had always varied in size as widely as graduates' family or business budgets varied. Almost immedi­ ately after they were received, the gifts of stocks or bonds, cattle or land had been transformed into cash, scholarships, or equipment to nourish specific programs, both large and small, within the university. The

Oklahoma State University 161 importance of many small donations was something the organization tried never to lose sight of. Still, there came a moment in the late seventies when the founda­ tion's philosophy of giving—and receiving—for OSU was unexpectedly questioned. During an early day, locally televised religious half-hour, a minister invited Mr. Platt to talk about giving. It was an informal, live show and a new experience for most participants. The men were seated on a divan in a small studio, facing the single camera. The show proceeded smoothly until, halfway through, the minister turned to Platt and casually said, "You would really prefer to get big gifts than little gifts, wouldn't you?" A little nonplussed, the foundation director said, "No, that's not right. '"Well,"' Platt recalled the minister pursuing the thought, on- camera, '"when I'm up there in the pulpit and I'm really laying it on the people, I get to thinking, gosh I just wish somebody would drop $1,000 checks in here and not those $10 checks.'" Platt agreed that the minister might feel that way. But he said, "It's been my experience that a lot of people who give you the small checks can't afford it as much as some of the people who give you the larger checks.'' The show's host had the grace to smile when his guest added, "I've always found that when you add up all those little checks, they come to a significant amount of money." The memory of the blunt question resulted in frequent reminders to foundation staff members to be aware of the essential role played by the smaller donors. The success the foundation began to enjoy in 1984 generated a spe­ cial concern. There was the real possibility that the visibility of the major gifts then being received for the Noble Research Center might discourage some of the warm-hearted donors who were used to participating in a more normal giving range for ongoing projects. "Some people come in now and say almost apologetically, 'I know this isn't a big gift,'" Mr. Platt observed in 1987. "It kind of hurts me that they would say this. We don't want them to feel that way. Every gift is a big gift to that person. And it's a big gift to us. In fact, the objec­ tive of the foundation's annual gift program is participation—our alumni and friends giving what they feel they can to support OSU. "Those who understand the need to strengthen the Edmon Low Library, for instance, and who send us a check for one book or even two, are making a personal investment in their university. They want the library to grow, to be a magnificent research institution housing every­ thing the students and faculty require. That check for $25 or $50 is important.

162 Centennial Histories Series To honor his 1930 graduating class, OSU alumnus Moxie Goll contributed funds for an entry- way marker at the site of the original entrance to Oklahoma A. and M. College, near the campus fire station. The new 10-foot landmark is similar to the marker at University Avenue and Mon­ roe. Charlene Pinkston and Charles Platt expressed the university's appreciation with an OSU Cowboy jacket for Mr. Goll, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in dairying. The gran­ ite marker was dedicated June 3, 1988.

"Those amounts were significant when they first started coming through the foundation in 1961, and the university appreciates them just as much today. Whether those checks are from familiar names that have continued through the years or from first-time donors, they pro­ vide benefits for education OSU could gain no other way."^

Endnotes

Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 15 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Ruby Naeter's 1977 newsletter to OSU electrical engineering graduates, and Richard L. Cummins, School of Electrical Engineering, to Kent Huett, OSU electrical engineering stu­ dent, 29 March 1979, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State Univer­ sity, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Author interview with Harold R. Mace, 12 January 1988, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Author's personal communication with Robert B Kamm, 6 January 1988, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State University 163 5. Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 1 February 1974, 22 November 1974, 3 April 1975, 30 November 1976, 31 August 1977, 8 September 1977, 27 September 1977, 15 February 1978, 5 May 1978, 27 July 1978, 21 August 1978, Edmon Low Library File, OSU Vertical Files, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University. 6. Author interview with Charles E. Platt and Dale E. Ross, 28 May 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

164 Centennial Histories Series 12 Making a Difference

Oklahoma State University today is on the verge of completing its first 100 years. OSU people have built a great institution, and, with continued support, this university will surge into the year 2000 and beyond. Every gift from an alumnus or friend helps ensure OSU's destiny as a truly great university. Charles E. Platt

People getting other people involved with their favorite university. That's what the OSU Foundation was designed to do. Scholarships for bright young minds were the first priority of the original one-man cor­ poration and its founding governors. Of course, if other capabilities were developed as the foundation grew, that would also be satisfactory. With the aid of volunteers, faculty, alumni, and staff, those capabil­ ities have broadened into milestones that glow like beacons along the still youthful organization's innovative path. The foundation's history spans the moment the first governors met and made an initial $1,000 per person Presidents Club donation ...... to the first significant capital gift by M. B. "Bud" Seretean ...... to the establishment of the President's Distinguished Scholar­ ship Program ...... to multiple expansions to athletic facilities ...... to funds for research and equipment. There was OSU's first million dollar gift from Pete and Pat Bartlett ...... and million dollar gifts from Boone and Bea Pickens and Edward L. and Thelma Gaylord during the capital campaign for the 21st Cen-

Oklahoma State University 165 tury Center ...... the major support of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation of Ardmore ensured the 21st Century Center's success and led to its com­ pletion as the Noble Research Center. Then, late in 1987, Jim and Dorothy Wilkinson also became million dollar donors.^ The generosity of alumni, friends of the university, corporations, and foundations had been solicited, welcomed, invested, and channeled through OSU's fund raising corporation for twenty-six years now. In a fourth of Oklahoma State's lifetime, the foundation's "capabilities" generated $82,182,937 for educational enrichment. By October 1987, the corporation had assets of $45 million.^ Through these privately-funded gifts, the OSU Foundation has made a difference. During this time, the Presidents Club had undergone several changes, but in its present form was more than 250 members strong in 1987. There was considerable elation when the membership first spanned the United States, from New York City to Tampa, and from Houston to Los Angeles. "I think it's interesting to note that the Presidents Club is now truly international, with members in London and Tokyo," Mr. Platt said. With him in the pleasant third floor conference room adjacent to his office in the Student Union was Dale E. Ross, foundation vice president and director for university gifts.

Through the Class Challenge program, graduates of 1933 contributed funds for a permanent information kiosk located between the Student Union and the Classroom Building. A campus map, building directory, and list of departments and services aids visitors and students daily.

166 Centennial Histories Series "One of the things we're really proud of is the starting of the Class Challenge," Platt continued. "It has provided significant landmarks for the campus for future generations." That program began in 1975 when the class of 1950 established a memorial scholarship. Selection of these lasting tributes to OSU have come about as alumni began planning to attend class reunions on the campus each spring. Some projects have been shared by two or more classes. "The Class Challenge provides an opportunity for graduates to work together and decide upon a gift that is decorative, functional, or educa­ tional," he said. "The class of 1933 chose an information kiosk that con­ tains a campus map, an alphabetical building directory, and a campus directory which lists the various departments and services." Made of brick and limestone, it was erected at a busy "crossroads" between the Student Union and the Classroom Building and dedicated in 1987. Nearly 40 percent of the known alumni of that group were active in the project. Another sparkling campus enhancement is the memorial walk­ way that traces its way along the southern side of Theta Pond. The area's 1982 beautification by the class of 1956 also improved walking safety along University Avenue.^ Rapidly becoming a familiar symbol of the university is the 20,000-pound entry way marker at the corner of University Avenue and Monroe Street, next to Theta Pond. A gift of the class of 1957, the polished granite monolith rises thirteen feet from semi-circular natural stone steps and bears the dedication, "Presented to Oklahoma State University by the last graduating class of Oklahoma A&M College." Although it rapidly became "the" spot to have students' and visi­ tors' pictures taken all year around, the beginning of each school year and graduation found the marker's popularity increasing dramatically. Each August, cameras recorded the arrival of new students, especially as international students lined up to pose for snapshots to send home. At commencement, long lines of graduates with caps, gowns, new diplomas, and their proud parents awaited a turn at posing on the steps for posterity. And, fulfilling another important need, members of the same class also endowed a $25,000 President's Distinguished Scholarship.* As a side benefit, these challenges provided the impetus for involve­ ment of graduates and their spouses, some of whom had perhaps returned to the campus infrequently in the years before the foundation was formed. "I'm not sure those people who graduated before 1961 really felt a part of this big, modern university," Platt mused. "All of a sudden, somebody just started asking them for some money. But when the early classes returned for their fiftieth anniversary reunions, their reactions were interesting. They worked hard as individuals for those diplomas.

Oklahoma State University 167 A gift of the class of 1957, the Oklahoma State University entryway marker stands 13 feet high, framed by shrubbery and trees near Theta Pond. The polished native Oklahoma granite marker is mounted on a three-tiered base of natural stone and cement.

Then, for the first time, they were asked to give as a group. It brought back memories of their years here when the campus was smaller, when it was still Oklahoma A. and M. At the same time, through these memorials, they've made a meaningful imprint on Oklahoma State University."^ In September 1984 when Mr. Platt became vice president for univer­ sity development, his supervision of the OSU Alumni Association meant that the association and the foundation were more closely linked. Still, the foundation's governance and primary mission remained the same, as did its status as a separate corporation. But in 1987, toward the end of the corporation's twenty-sixth year, one of the factors that would influence the future direction of the OSU foundation occurred. That spring, the Oklahoma Legislature passed Senate Bill 17, known as the Higher Education Financial Control Act, which would have an impact on each of the state's twenty-seven university-related founda­ tions. In effect, the new law stated that a privately-funded foundation having state-salaried university employees on its board could no longer be considered a separate corporation. It required foundations either to separate totally from the institution they served or be considered units of those institutions. Those alternatives came under serious considera-

168 Centennial Histories Series tion by all the state institutions.^ Through the OSU Foundation's certificate of incorporation the cur­ rent university president, the vice president for university development, and a Faculty Council representative were seated as members of the Board of Trustees with full voting powers. To explore the ramifications of maintaining its separate identity, a group from the OSU Foundation staff, accompanied by longtime legal advisor Dr. Hal William Ellis of Stillwater, visited the foundations of the Universities of Kansas and Nebraska. The staff also consulted with officials of the University of Okla­ homa Foundation, Inc., which faced the same dilemma as OSU's foun­ dation. The Stillwater contingent came away from those meetings with in-depth information which would be relayed to an organization study committee. To chair that group. Foundation Chairman L. Winston Boydston appointed Tulsan Robert Chitwood. Members were Elvis Howell and Robert McCormick Jr. of Stillwater; Sam Hunsaker, Wendell Locke, and Dennis Smith of Oklahoma City; and Jean Neustadt of Ardmore. The committee met in Stillwater on July 17, 1987, to review Oklahoma S.B. 71 and to consider the organization's longstanding association with Okla­ homa State University. Presentations were also made by special guests Todd Seymour, presi-

Bob and Barbara Chitwood (/e/if) of Tulsa visit with Nick and Libby Mavris of Sugar Land, Texas, prior to the Board of Governors' annual dinner in October 1986. Chitwood chaired the 1987 Greater University Fund drive which raised more than $600,000.

Oklahoma State University 169 dent of the University of Kansas Endowment Association, and John F. Snodgrass, president of The Noble Foundation. It was then the commit­ tee's recommendation to the Board of Trustees that the OSU Founda­ tion change its certificate of incorporation sufficiently to retain its independent status. The trustees firmly agreed that the changes were essential if the organization was to remain an independent body as origi­ nally chartered. On July 23, by a unanimous vote of the trustees, the amended and restated bylaws were adopted, subject to approval by the foundation's Board of Governors. At a special August 11 meeting, that approval was formally given by the governors, once again unanimously. That board also passed a resolution pledging both compliance with the current law and "maintaining a close and cooperative working relationship" with Oklahoma State University "as effectively in the future as in the past." It affirmed the foundation's mission as the single agency for receiving and administering private gifts on behalf of OSU.^ Foundation personnel had always been considered OSU employees, allowing them to participate in the university's health insurance, retire­ ment, and other benefit programs. In turn, the foundation had reim­ bursed the university for providing these benefits. For the first twenty years, a decreasing portion of the foundation payroll came from the university's budget. By 1984, university financial support for the foun­ dation staff was no longer necessary.^ For a clear separation from state-funded programs, on August 31, 1987, resignations from university employment were tendered by staff members, including Mr. Platt, who remained president of the founda­ tion, but left the post of OSU vice president for university development. All were immediately reemployed by the foundation with the excep­ tion of Mr. Ross, who had accepted the assignment of executive direc­ tor of the newly-created OSU Centennial Coordinating Office.^ The following day, September 1, 1987, the amended certificate of incorporation was filed with the state of Oklahoma. The reorganization called for the foundation to be headed by the president and chief execu­ tive officer, who would direct the operation under policies established by a twelve-member board of trustees. Those twelve would include ten trustees elected by the foundation governors; the president-elect of the OSU Alumni Association; and the foundation president. The actual changes were few. As representatives of the state-funded university, OSU President L. L. Boger and Faculty Council appointee Dr. Kent Olson resigned. As president of the foundation, Platt would continue to serve as the senior advisor to the university and coordinat­ ing officer for private giving. Responsibility for the OSU Alumni Associ­ ation was transferred to Dr. Richard Poole, vice president for university relations and extension. The foundation was again formally separated

170 Centennial Histories Series ^ «-

Since the midpoint of the Centennial Decade, three more distinguished men have chaired the OSU Foundation. Herbert G. Davis (left) of Edmond served from 1985-86. He was succeeded by L. Winston Boydston (center) of Oklahoma City who completed his term of office in 1987. Robert H. Chitwood (right) of Tulsa was chairman from 1987-88.

from the university it had served and would continue to serve. Guiding the foundation's Board of Trustees now was Tulsan Bob Chit­ wood. As the national chairman of the Greater University Fund (GUF) drive the previous year, Mr. Chitwood's efforts had seen the GUF top $600,000 for the first time. As chairman of the trustees, he became interested in the Presidents Club. In March 1988, his intensive efforts to expand this program in the Tulsa area would culminate in the largest gathering of Presidents Club members and potential members ever held away from the university's campus. During the separation, his propen­ sity for organization and attention to detail continued to benefit the cor­ poration and paved the way for a smooth transition. By fall of 1987, a multitude of projects was in progress in the foun­ dation, with more than thirty employees at work in offices sprinkled throughout the Student Union. And, although a separate alumni- foundation headquarters building was placed on "hold" in 1986, an alternative was devised. The foundation continued to work to provide Oklahoma State's growing family of alumni and friends a "living room in the heart of campus" within the Student Union for alumni gather­ ings. The alumni center would then be able to offer a comfortable, yet functional, meeting place in the east wing of the union.^^ Many of the university's ongoing needs had been catalogued in 1985 in an unusual "Wish Book," a Centennial Decade publication of the foundation. In it were depicted such high-priority, academic- strengthening endeavors as endowments for books and materials, com­ puterization, and an endowed chair for the archives and special collec­ tions section of OSU's Edmon Low Library. Additional scholarships,

Oklahoma State University 171 Since 1986, the Wes Watkins Distinguished Lectureship has brought such prominent national decision-makers as John D. Dingell, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee; Richard Lyng, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; and Jim Wright, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The series was inaugurated in honor of U.S. Represen­ tative Watkins, an OSU alumnus. Here Charles E. Platt, (left) OSU Foundation president, joins Representative Watkins (center) and Representative Dingell.

fellowships, internships, and doctoral fellowships were sought for every division at OSU, along with endowed faculty chairs and scholars-in- residence programs. A sampling of other major enhancements included a carillon, a Centennial arboretum, a teaching and research museum, improvements for student housing and cafeterias, and a domed obser­ vatory to house the physics department's 14-inch telescope.^^ As efforts continued toward these special projects, lively changes were under way within the foundation. With Oklahoma State produc­ ing thousands of graduates annually, the number of living alumni increased rapidly. The success of the future hinged on OSU's ability to tell its story to those who care the most. "Donor identification efforts will continue to be important in the future," Mr. Ross said. "They've attended Oklahoma State and have a deep affection for the university. We need to get to know our alumni and friends better. A lot of people out there have attended Oklahoma State and have done very well. Yet we don't always know about them or haven't been able to get them involved in the specific programs that will spark their interest. We want them to feel personally caught up in the effort to strengthen their university as it moves toward the next

172 Centennial Histories Series century." "As another outgrowth of the 21st Century Center campaign, we implemented more sophisticated donor research methods in 1982," Platt explained. "It was a major effort that's really been good for us. In the fall of 1984, through a joint effort of the foundation and the OSU Alumni Association, we founded a records management office guided by Sharia LaFollette."i2 One startling statistic arose from the initial 21st Century Center mar­ keting job, triggering the enlargement of that records office. A major mailing of 69,881 letters about the projected research center was sent out with high expectations in October 1984. It carried hopes for a much- needed boost toward the $15 million goal. But 11.36 percent of the mail­ ing pieces promptly came tumbling back, unread, undelivered. The 7,938 returned letters overflowed desk tops. Out-of-date addresses could not provide funds for the mammoth research complex. It was essential to tackle the university's communication-gap problem.^^ A three-person staff immediately set about confirming and correct­ ing addresses. When the next large mailing went out in June 1985, the returned mail was down to 6.1 percent. Four months later, only 4.8 per­ cent of a mailing went undelivered. The diligence of those managing the OSU records was apparent. ' 'It takes a tremendous amount of effort to keep up with the alumni,'' Platt pointed out. "And we add close to 6,000 more names of graduates and other alumni annually. Back in 1974, we were keeping track of about 45,000 individuals and corporations. By late fall of 1987, in an office on the fifth floor of the Student Union, a staff of five will be maintain­ ing the addresses of 112,000. When 20 percent of all Americans move each year, you realize it's a tremendous job to remain in touch with alumni." Unexpected benefits for other areas of the university and for alumni hoping to locate friends were gained from the improved records. It's an exciting moment when the staff locates someone who has been "lost" for decades. The group has already turned up a graduate whom the university had been unable to contact for forty-three years. And an alumna now living in Canada exclaimed, when finally reached by a friendly Oklahoma voice, "Oh, I knew it! It had to be somebody from home!" The next comment is often, "How're the Cowboys doing in foot­ ball?" and "who's the president now?" "Then they tell us about their families," Mrs. LaFoUette said. "This is dynamite. It's the most effective method of obtaining information. We hear about their three kids who went to OSU and the grandson who's here now. We get up-to-date addresses and names. Often they're in touch with classmates for whom we need new addresses. Sometimes we're the first voice the person has heard from OSU in thirty-five years."

Oklahoma State University 173 With thousands of "lost" alumni and piles of returned mail, ordinar­ ily no more than fifteen minutes is devoted to tracing a single name. But one alumnus was not listed on the computer, his last known address at an out-of-state university dated back to the 1950s, and OSU wanted to reach him. A call to Michigan determined that the man was no longer teaching there, and the forwarding address was not valid. Since he was married to an OSU graduate, Mrs. LaFollette called the wife's mother, only to learn the daughter was deceased. Earlier, the couple had divorced in Texas, and the alumna had remarried in Germany. Moreover, the sec­ ond husband was also on OSU's "missing" list and was now in the U.S. Resuming the search for the first man, Mrs. LaFollette learned he was a computer whiz, but was no longer at a Texas university. Gail Mon- not picked up the quest and read in the appropriate Redskin that the man had belonged to an honorary business education fraternity. Would the OSU College of Business know where he was? Not offhand, she was told. But a search of a business majors' professional directory produced his name, along with his current address in retirement. And three more records were updated that day. One routine call produced several unexpected addresses. "Parents are important to us," Mrs. LaFollette explained. "When

Lana Ivy, director of the annual gift programs, oversees the Greater University Fund's phon- a-thon drive.

174 Centennial Histories Series I told one father we had a new address for his daughter but needed her married name because we wanted to stay in touch and get her OSU mail to her, he told me her name. Then he said, 'You're the one who takes care of that? Hang on a minute.' "He came back to the phone with addresses for five other children, all OSU alumni," she laughed. "He'd been getting their mail for years and he was tired of it. It gave me an opportunity to make notes on whom they'd married, too. Then he said, 'And now, if I could just get the universities my other kids graduated from to do this, I'd be happy!' He had five or six more children and he'd been receiving all their college mail, too!" A campus electrician paused in mid-job during 1987 to ask what the staff manning those telephones did. Mrs. LaFollette gave him a quick summary. A few months later, during the renovation of Bennett Hall, the man discovered a wallet stuffed into a ceiling area. Papers inside were dated 1953. With a phone call, he asked if records management had a current phone number for the owner, in case he was interested in having that wallet. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, the surprised alumnus did want it. He had not lived in Bennett while he was at then Oklahoma A.and M., but the wallet had been stolen and had had his service discharge papers in it.^^ "People have faith in us," Mrs. LaFollette said, pleased. *They call us for help." Still, despite meticulously planned mailings and phone calls, a curi­ ous phenomenon arose following every fund raising effort. Like his foun­ dation compatriots across the country, Mr. Platt said he often heard the comment, "Well, I'd give, if they'd just ask me." "They probably receive three mailers about OSU a year, but they don't consider that a request for money,'' the perplexed president admit­ ted. "If you call them on the phone or ask them personally, then they realize that's a request for support. But many, many people don't recog­ nize those mailings are a very real appeal for financial support." Computerization of the dog-eared donor file cards provided a remark­ ably effective way to do that "asking." Gone was the day of the general letter that began, "Dear Alumnus." Telemarketing proved to be the next link to friends of the university. As the OSU Foundation matured, its professional staff recognized the changing nature of collegiate fund raising. Late 1987 also found the foundation entering into an intensive phone-mail solicitation drive to increase Greater University Fund giving dramatically to a million dol­ lars annually by 1990. Although other campuses had adopted a telemar­ keting program with success, it was a major step for OSU. The outgrowth of this boost to the GUF was in sharp contrast to the original, twenty-two night phon-a-thon inaugurated by Ross in 1979.

Oklahoma State University 175 He'd shaped that first drive with student volunteers and fifteen tele­ phones. Despite inexperience, the enthusiastic group worked from about 10,000 donor prospect cards and completed 5,225 phone calls. During the expanded nine-month effort mounted in 1987-88, Platt anticipated that 65,000 alumni would be dialed from twenty phones, manned by students from Sunday through Thursday nights. The entire fifth floor of the Student Union was then occupied by the foundation's business and finance office, along with the newly-instituted Greater University Fund's phone-mail donor calling headquarters. Each call would follow a letter explaining the campaign and the educational benefits to be gained for OSU through the serious new approach to the Greater University Fund. Expected to become an annual event at OSU, the project was planned, implemented, and supervised by Lana Ivy, director of gift programs.^^ A variety of valuable academic programs benefited as the GUF dol­ lars filled in the gaps where state appropriations and departmental budgets fell short, and department heads continued to work with the foundation to set priorities. In early 1988, several recipients shared their

As Dr. Joseph W. Alexander, (far left) dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Larry Shell, OSU Foundation director of constituency gift programs watch, Dr. Charlotte Ownby adjusts the controls of an electron microscope. A $150,000 gift from the Sarkeys Foundation provided the advanced, high-performance equipment for use in scientific measurements.

176 Centennial Histories Series A $91,000 self-contained borehole geophysics truck and three probes were contributed to the OSU Department of Geology in 1986. John McCormick, (cen­ ter) vice president of Century Geophysical Corporation in Tulsa, delivered the keys to OSU Foundation directors Dale Ross (right) and John Cathey. The unit is used to identify rock types, fluid content, and capacity of types of rock to store and transmit fluid. Hands-on learning will be provided undergraduate and graduate students studying hydrogeology and geophysics.

views on the importance of this type of giving. Advanced degree work was one aspect of the way in which OSU's future could be shaped by benefactors. "Graduate school at a major university was just a dream until I received my fellowship, " agricultural education major Tony Brannon said. Through the Greater University Fund, his education at OSU was possible. In an era of tight budgets, the GUF provided flexible dollars which have been used to increase the College of Veterinary Medicine's library holdings and update teaching materials in the learning resource center. Dean Joseph Alexander explained. For Dr. Robert Sandmeyer, dean of the College of Business Adminis­ tration, GUF money meant enhancing educational experiences of busi­ ness students by bringing nationally prominent speakers to the campus for an annual honors lecture. The GUF allowed the Division of Agricul­ ture to add extra impetus in an effort to provide improvements in teach­ ing, extension, and research programs, according to Dean Charles Browning. The College of Arts and Sciences was able to underwrite faculty conference participation and research expenses and to fund lec­ tures, performances, and publications for students and graduates, Act­ ing Dean Neil Hackett reported.

Oklahoma State University 177 "Faculty and staff recognition funded through the GUF, as well as memberships in professional engineering societies, are an important part in developing a strong teaching base," Dr. Karl Reid, dean of the Col­ lege of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, said. To Dr. Elaine Jorgenson, interim dean of the College of Home Economics, "GUF dol­ lars have helped in our special recruitment efforts for encouraging the best and brightest high school graduates to attend Oklahoma State University. "^^ Still another area of giving, the OSU Heritage Society, was indica­ tive of the pace at which the foundation was evolving and where it was going in the future, Ross pointed out. "The society is composed of people who have named the OSU Foun­ dation in their wills or entered into other kinds of planned giving arrangements," he said. "In the early days, being a young operation, we didn't get too far into the planned giving area. Our potential donors were a lot younger and our ability to educate them in that area was just not as good. And our alumni base was smaller. OSU didn't have as many graduates twenty-five years ago. ' 'We have been able to welcome an increasing number of people into the OSU Heritage Society. Around 160 whom we know about have named us in their wills. Members have been recognized by the presen­ tation of a distinctive, commemorative heritage plate. As we view it, the society is one of the significant achievements. Within the next decade it will begin to have an impact on the momentum of education at OSU.'' According to Ross, often money raised or generated by the founda­ tion for the first twenty-five years was primarily from people's current assets or cash flow. Those kinds of gifts were, necessarily, smaller. But, in the next twenty-five years, he anticipated OSU would be the benefi­ ciary of a number of major gifts made through estates. "Gifts of this type are, by definition, larger because the donor no longer needs the assets," Ross continued. "You can visualize how that can compound and how much impact planned gifts can have, as long as we continue to do a good job of seeking the current gifts, too." In the years ahead, the foundation foresees the possibility of receiv­ ing these current gifts, at probably even a faster and larger rate than before, because more people have now graduated from Oklahoma State, providing a larger alumni base. With those gifts added to estate gifts, tomorrow looks promising for Oklahoma State, lifting it over the reces­ sion years of the eighties. Another facet of the planned gift program's effort to provide ongo­ ing private funds for OSU was the number of trusts already established with the foundation. Under the terms of these trusts, the donor is the beneficiary the rest of his or her life. On the death of the beneficiary, the assets are transferred to the university to support its needs.

178 Centennial Histories Series By October 1, 1987, the foundation was managing thirty-four differ­ ent trusts, both revocable and irrevocable, with total assets of $6,417,841. Virtually all of these have been put in place since 1981.^7 The role the foundation business office plays was expected to gain even more importance in the future. Primarily marketing-oriented in its first twenty years, the organization was involved in the developing and soliciting of gifts. Those efforts were always supported by the much- smaller business office. As the 21st Century Center campaign grew in scope and fund raisers were added, the service department did not main­ tain the rapid growth of the marketing group. As a result of the enormous undertaking represented by that cam­ paign, the foundation's assets grew by $50 million from 1981 through 1984. The paperwork, too, was even greater than the staff had antici­ pated. Hiring of marketers took top priority, and it was some time before the business office was sufficiently staffed to spread the work load evenly. But, following the success of the marketers, the service group was enlarged. That came about, Platt said, because "we didn't plan on it. We planned on having a successful scholarship solicitation program. And we planned on having a successful endowment solicitation program. But when we planned on completing a $15 million campaign, we didn't

Fred Thompson, member of the OSU Foundation Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, will serve as national chairman of the foundation's annual Greater University Fund drive in 1988. These unrestricted monies help fill the gaps where state appropriations and departmental budgets fall short.

Oklahoma State University 179 plan on having the incremental administrative staff that must follow that, just to keep the records on that and do the things we'd promised the donors we'd do. So we've since had to add a gift administration officer, a trust officer, and a full-time scholarship coordinator to work with the students and insure that they keep their donor contacts. All of those used to fall under Charlene Pinkston. It was too much to ask, but she did it anyway. "As new programs were being developed, the staff grew—but it was not always even growth," he said. With some bemusement, Platt con­ trasted the bustling foundation of 1987 with the much smaller opera­ tion in 1974. On his arrival to guide the foundation, Judith Willis was running the business office almost single-handedly, while there were three fund raisers. "Still, there's a sharp contrast to today's peak periods when our gift processors are faced with stacks of papers and pledges on nearly every work surface," he added. "Even with the greater volume, gifts can be processed so much more speedily today. Donors can be thanked more promptly, which is always important to us." In the years ahead, the business and finance office was expected to play an increasingly vital role in the successful operation of the foun­ dation management of endowments and trusts, in decision-making, and in developing innovative fiscal alternatives. Under Tom Duff, director of business and finance, greater responsibility would be shouldered by that department than in the past because, as income increased, the foun­ dation had developed a stronger base of employee experience. "Certainly, we're going to continue to encourage our alumni and friends to get involved through the Greater University Fund, through wills and trusts, athletic gifts, scholarships, endowments, or wherever else we can match the interests of the donor with the needs of the univer­ sity," he promised. Before this century draws to a close, his dream is to have the foundation's assets exceed $100 million. That would pro­ vide $10 million a year for OSU's needs, in addition to the gifts that come in for special projects.^^ "Another of our challenges is going to be to continue handling assets received through donations and acquisitions to insure the best possible rate of return, with the finest financial expertise available, and the most creative methods," the president stressed. For some time, he had been contemplating the foundation's entry into land purchasing and leasing. Too, there was the possibility of providing venture capital to bring small businesses and associated indus­ try into Stillwater. A prime example would be providing a research or industrial park with land and start-up funds. Each venture would be backed by sufficient collateral to prevent loss of assets. That would cast the foundation in the new role of landlord.

180 Centennial Histories Series Members of the OSU Foundation staff tune up before leading Oklahoma State's alma mater at the close of the 1986 foundation Board of Governors dinner in the Student Union Ballroom. The singers are Charles E. Platt, Dale E. Ross, Charlene Pinkston, Rena Hines, Dolores Fowler, and Kurt Carter.

"Other foundations have done this," he pointed out. "They now operate motels and shopping centers that have been donated to them. We could do that. We could attract high tech concerns to complement OSU's campus research programs. And, regardless of where a business was built, the foundation could provide the skills for putting the financ­ ing together, of becoming the landlord or overseer. Kansas State and the University of Colorado are both into that kind of business. As for buying land, the University of Kansas' foundation owns more land than the University of Kansas does. "So again, a precedent has been set here and we're followers, but this is the area we've got to look into thoroughly. Arizona State has been very instrumental in the development of an industrial park at Tempe. I foresee the day that we will be involved in some of those things." There was more to anticipate. The words were quiet, but the enthusiasm beneath them was unmistakable. "One of my dreams for the foundation is to build a retirement villa, with well-appointed, condominium-type homes for alumni, faculty, and staff who want to retire in Stillwater. Now, this would not necessarily have the retirement home in the context of health care and meals. But

Oklahoma State University 181 I've always thought this would fill an increasing need. And besides, it would just be a neat project to work on." For a moment he projected the concept further, saying, "We would build a condominium complex of either multi-unit homes or garden homes in which their purchase ties into the foundation's planned gift program. A person would buy a housing unit and donate it to the foun­ dation, but retain a life interest in it. "In other words, they would use it for the rest of their lives, and receive a tax deduction for giving it to the foundation. Upon their death, the foundation is empowered to sell the property again. It's a method of enabling a person or couple to make a major gift to OSU, live in a nice home for the rest of their lives, and avoid some estate taxes that might build up if they didn't do this. That's a very exciting, challeng­ ing prospect. All we have to do is put the right elements together." While the foundation had been steadily at work on behalf of the university, the wealth of potential projects that would benefit OSU tomorrow sometimes proved as frustrating as it was stimulating. As any other benevolence-oriented group could attest, there would always be more to be done than provide funds to accomplish those goals. Still, OSU's approaching Centennial observance had provided a vantage point from which to review that which had been accomplished. "There are so many opportunities out there for us right now," the foundation president commented, mentally rolling up his sleeves. "All we have to do is to put the right components together, and OSU will reach and exceed the heights of academic excellence and influence we've all worked toward. "^^

Following almost a century-old orange and black admonition to pro­ vide "all the education our children are capable of holding," OSU has enjoyed sweeping progress. But the prospect of a college in this area nearly failed at the start. Hopes grew strong only when members of the barely-settled frontier community of Stillwater gave cherished parcels of prairie they had claimed in the tumultuous Land Run of 1889. They gave again to construct the first permanent building. Old Central. On this untitled expanse the sprawling, vigorous university arose. And the giving goes on. Throughout the first century, alumni and friends worked to meet the special needs of Oklahoma A. and M. College as it grew into Oklahoma State University. When it was chartered in 1961, the OSU Foundation set out to make a greater difference in the quality of education and facil­ ities at OSU. That it has done in partnership with donors from every

182 Centennial Histories Series walk of life. Underlying and strengthening that partnership has been a singular reminder, a recurring theme from Oklahoma State Univer­ sity's past. It aJJ started with a gift.

Endnotes

1. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, Dale E. Ross, and Charlene Pinkston, 22 Septem­ ber 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Author's personal communication with Dale E. Ross, 8 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 2. Author's personal communication with Barbara Motes, 19 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 3. Annual Report '86: OSU Foundation, p. 32, Oklahoma State University Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 4. Charles Platt, "University Development: A Record of Firsts, Largests, and Mosts," Okla­ homa State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 93. 5. Platt, Ross, and Pinkston interview, 22 September 1987. 6. Stillwater NewsPress, 24 April 1987, p. 10. 7. Minutes of the Board of Governors, OSU Foundation, 11 August 1987, OSU Foundation Office. 8. Author interview with Charles E. Platt, 27 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 9. Platt, Ross, and Pinkston interview, 22 September 1987; Stillwater NewsPress, 6 Septem­ ber 1987, pp. 1A, 6A. 10. OSU Foundation 1987-88 Pocket Planner, p. 2, OSU Foundation Office. 11. OSU Foundation, The Centennial Wish Book, Oklahoma State University (1985) pp. 1-36, OSU Foundation Office. 12. Platt and Ross interview. 15 October 1987. 13. Platt and Ross interview, 15 October 1987; Author's personal communication with Sharia LaFollette, 20 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 14. LaFollette communication. 15. Platt and Ross interview, 15 October 1987. 16. Oklahoma State University Greater University Fund, brochure (January 1988). 17. Author's persoral communication with Donna Koeppe, 1 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 18. Author's personal communication with Charles E. Platt, 2 October 1987, Stillwater, Oklahoma. 19. Platt and Ross interview, 15 October 1987.

Oklahoma State University 183 Appendices

Appendix 1 OSU Foundation Leaders

PRESIDENT 1961-64 William T. Payne, Oklahoma City 1964-73 Scott E. Orbison, Tulsa 1973-75 Raymond A. Young, Oklahoma City 1975-77 James A. Robinson, Tulsa 1977-79 M. B. "Bud" Seretean, Dalton, Georgia 1979- Charles E. Platt, Stillwater

CHAIRMAN 1979-80 F. M. "Pete" Bartlett, Tulsa 1980-81 Carl G. Herrington, Claremore 1981-82 Robert L. McCormick, Stillwater 1982-85 L. E. "Dean" Stringer, Oklahoma City 1985-86 Herbert G. Davis, Edmond 1986-87 L. Winston Boydston, Oklahoma City 1987-88 Robert H. Chitwood, Tulsa In 1979, the organizational framework was restructured, with the chief volunteer position desig­ nated Chairman of the Board, and the chief salaried position designated President of the Foun­ dation and Chief Executive Officer.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Robert D. Erwin 1961-73 Charles E. Platt 1974-

Oklahoma State University 185 Appendix 2 Members of the OSU Foundation Board of Governors

Mr. Houston Adams, 1962-63t Tulsa, OK Mr. Charles W. Anderson, 1982-83t Edmond, OK Mr. James Arrington, 1977-79 Mr. William S. Atherton, 1987-88 Tulsa, OK Mr. William E. Aufleger, 1983-88 Stillwater, OK Mr. Edward L. Ball, 1972-77 Rockledge, FL Mr. Ralph M. Ball, 1961-79t t Mr. James E. Barnes, 1983-87 Tulsa, OK Mr. F. M. "Pete" Bartlett, 1974-86t Mr. Henry L. Bellmon, 1967-68 Billings, OK Dr. L. L. Boger, 1977-87t Stillwater, OK Mr. Armon Bost, 1964-80t Tulsa, OK Mr. Montie R. Box, 1968-69t Sand Springs, OK Mr. L. Winston Boydston, 1983-t Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Veldo Brewer, 1965-86t Holdenville, OK Mr. Wright Canfield, 1968-69 Tulsa, OK Mr. Roy Carberry, 1982-87t Stillwater, OK Mr. Tom M. Carey, 1987- Wichita, KS Mr. Robert H. Chitwood, 1984-t Tulsa, OK' Mr. Leonard E. Clark, 1963-68 Mr. Wilfred Clarke, 1980-82t Albuquerque, MM Mr. James D. Cobb, 1980-811 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Warren B. Cooke, 1971-77 Stillwater, OK Mrs. Charlotte Crank, 1985-86t Muskogee, OK

186 Centennial Histories Series Mr. James B. Cummins, 1965-79 Enid, OK Mr. Herbert Davis, 1981-87, 1988-t Edmond, OK Mr. Robert H. Donaldson, 1970-711 Dr. Guy Donnell, 1962-64t Stillwater, OK Mrs. Kaye Barrett Droke, 1972-87, 1988- Arlington, TX Mr. Frederick F. Drummond, 1969-70t Pawhuska, OK Mr. John W. Dunn, 1970-77, 1981-86 Woodward, OK Mr. A. Tate Edmondson, 1968-79 Tulsa, OK Mr. Don B. Ellis, 1987-88t Roosevelt, OK Mr. Melvin A. Ellsworth, 1972-80 Laguna Beach, CA Mr. Richard G. Engel, 1987- Costa Mesa, CA Mr. Leo Fagg, 1978-80 Mr. Fred Falldine, 1986-t Edmond, OK Mr. Robert D. Fenimore, 1971-78 Stillwater, OK Dr. LeRoy H. Fischer, 1964-67t Stillwater, OK Mr. Haylor H. Fisher Jr., 1981-82t Shawnee, OK Mr. J. D. Fleming, 1961-62:|: Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Tom Glaze, 1961-68* Mr. Ralph T. Goley, 1961-77* Enid, OK Mr. E. E. Gravelle, 1961-70* Mr. George H. C. Green, 1961-77* Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Don Greve, 1968-73 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. D. A. "Pug" Griffin, 1961-78* Gushing, OK Mr. Ross E. Harlan, 1980-85 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. James F. Hasenbeck, 1968-79 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Bonnie M. Heath, 1961-67* Ocala, FL Mr. Carl G. Herrington, 1975-81* Claremore, OK Mr. David C. Hessel, 1984-85* Stillwater, OK

Oklahoma State University 187 Mr. Roy T. Hoke Sr., 1961-71* * Mr. F. L. Holton, Jr., 1961-77* * Poteau, OK Mr. Elvis C. Howell, 1983-* Stillwater, OK Mr. Sam W. Hunsaker, 1986-* Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Kenneth Hurst, 1961-79* * Mr. Guy H. James, 1961-64* Dr. Melvin D. Jones, 1961-87* Edmond, OK Dr. Roy W. Jones, 1967-70* Tulsa, OK Dr. Robert B. Kamm, 1966-77* Stillwater, OK Mr. A. J. Kavanaugh, 1961-67* Oklahoma City, OK Mr. James J. Kelly, 1965-87* Mr. Edwin E. Ketchum, 1978-83 Duncan, OK Dr. James E. Kirby, 1975-76* Dr. Daniel Kroll, 1973-75* Stillwater, OK Mr. Robert A. Kurland, 1980-86, 1987-* Bartlesville, OK Dr. Gerald Lage, 1979-84* Stillwater, OK Mr. Richard K. Lane, 1961-70* * Mr. Glen E. Lemon, 1964-65, 1986-87* Mr. Carl M. Leonard Jr., 1972-79 Tulsa, OK Mr. Frank W. Lewis, 1980-86 Stillwater, OK Dr. Leon E. Lewis, 1961-62* * De Soto, TX Mr. Wendell V. Locke, 1974-81, 1987-* Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Harold R. Logan, 1972-78 Weston, CT Dr. Melvin R. "Pete" Lohmann, 1978-83 Sun City West, AZ Mr. Lloyd Long, 1979-84* Garber, OK Mr. E. H. "Jim" Lookabaugh, 1967-79* Mr. Thomas Lumly, 1961-72* Mr. T. A. Mace, 1981-86 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Edwin G. Malzahn, 1972-77, 1983-87 Perry, OK Mr. N. B. "Nick" Mavris, 1969-74, 1976-80, 1981-87* Sugar Land, TX

Centennial Histories Series Mr. S. D. McCloud, 1969-77 Tulsa, OK Mr. Robert L. McCormick, 1975-82, 1983-* Stillwater, OK Mr. Gerald W. McCullough, 1961-81* Mr. Frank A. McPherson, 1982-87 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Frank Merrick, 1988- Ardmore, OK Mr. Ward Merrick, III, 1978-83* Ardmore, OK Mr. Fred R. Merrifield, 1961-77* Enid, OK Mr. Ben D. Mills, 1961-71* Sea Island, GA Mr. Clyde F. Mooney, 1961-62* Ocala, FL Mr. Frank L. Morsani, 1987- Tampa, FL Mr. Albert H. Nelson, 1980-85 Wichita, KS Mr. Jean Neustadt, 1984- Ardmore, OK Mr. R. O. Newman, 1972-80* Tulsa, OK Mr. Glenn T. Nichols, 1987-* Chandler, OK Mr. John Oliver, 1961-67* Chattanooga, TN Dr. Kent W. Olson, 1985-87* Stillwater, OK Mr. Scott E. Orbison, 1961-78* * Tulsa, OK Mr. William T. Payne, 1961-78* * Mr. James C. "Jim" Phelps, 1978-83 San Antonio, TX Mr. Charles E. Platt, 1974-Continuing* Stillwater, OK Dr. James Plaxico, 1970-73* Stillwater, OK Mr. Joseph H. Reed, 1986- Medford, OK Mr. C. Virgil Richardson, 1967-78 Oklahoma City, OK Mr. L. Ed Riffe, 1963-79 Dr. Lynn B. Roberts, 1972-80 Stillwater, OK Mr. James A. Robinson, 1967-77* Tulsa, OK Mrs. Shirley Rolston, 1987- Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Carroll V. Roseberry, 1961-73*

Oklahoma State University 189 Dr. C. Scott Russell, 1971-73* Altus, OK Mr. Burton D. Salmon, 1971-80 Vero Beach, FL Mrs. Carolyn Savage, 1978-83 Hominy, OK Mr. Neal Savage, 1963-64* Mr. Sidney E. Scisson, 1967-80, 1982-87* Tulsa, OK Mr. Martin B. "Bud" Seretean, 1964-79, 1980-85* Boca Raton, FL Mr. William J. Sherry, 1961-78* Tulsa, OK Dr. William A. Sibley, 1976-79* Stillwater, OK Mr. Dennis F. Smith, 1984-* Oklahoma City, OK Dr. Willard R. Sparks, 1984- Memphis, TN Mr. Floyd E. Stanley, 1965-78 Mr. Glenn M. Stinchcomb, 1987- Dallas, TX Mr. L. E. "Dean" Stringer, 1973-78, 1979-85* Oklahoma City, OK Mr. Adrian W. Swift, 1961-77* Sand Springs, OK Mr. John W. Taylor, 1972-80, 1982-87* Enid, OK Mr. Roy M. Teel, 1965-78 Mr. Raymond B. Thomas, 1974-80 Tulsa, OK Mr. Charles L. Thompson, 1961-72, 1975-86, 1987-* * Kansas City, MO Mr. Fred L. Thompson, 1985-* Tulsa, OK Mr. Vic M. Thompson Jr., 1971-78 Tulsa, OK Mr. Roy Turner, 1961-67* Mr. Enos Vann, 1979-80* Mr. Dail C. West, 1968-80 Miami, OK Mr. Clyde A. Wheeler Jr., 1967-85 Laverne, OK Mr. Gareld A. Whitlaw, 1978-83 Oklahoma City, OK Dr. Oliver S. Willham, 1961-64* * Mr. Walter Woolley, 1967-68* Ada, OK Dr. A. William Wortham, 1961-77* Greensboro, NO Mr. Myron A. Wright, 1961-72* Houston, TX

190 Centennial Histories Series Mr. Hugh F. Wynn, 1983-87, 1988- Spring, TX Mr. Raymond A. Young, 1961-85* * Oklahoma City, OK Mr. John "Jack" S. Zink, 1982-86 Tulsa, OK

* Founding Governor * Trustee

Oklahoma State University 191 Selected Bibliography

In addition to the specific items listed, other sources include letters, videotape, brochures, newsletters, and other miscellaneous sources of information.

ARTICLES "Bob Hope to Give Benefit Performance." Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 10, no. 2 (February 1969), p. 24. "Boone Speaks." Fortune Magazine, vol. 115, no. 4 (16 February 1987), pp. 42-56. Browning, C. B. "Moving Through the Decade With Great Hopes." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), pp. 55-57. "The Business of a Busy Board." Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 4 (April 1961), pp. 12-13. "Can You Help 'Carry the Ball?'" Oklahoma A. andM. College Magazine, vol. 24, no. 4 (Decem­ ber 1952), p. 4. "Carnahan Appointed." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 17, no. 4 (May 1976), p. 18. Chappell, Craig. "OSU Gets $1 Million Gift For Its Geology Program." Oklahoma State Univer­ sity Outreach, vol. 53, no. 4 (Summer 1982), p. 3. "A Close Call." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 16, no. 7 (September-October 1975), p. 15. "Doc Cooper First to Receive NATA Award." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 15, no. 7 (September-October 1974), pp. 8-9. "Estate Planning Seminar Has the Answers." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 17, no. 7 (November-December 1976), p. 18. "Faith in Our Future." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 16, no. 8 (November-December 1975), pp. 4-8. "The Founding and Struggle for Survival." Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 10, no. 5 (May 1969), pp. 12-15. "From Nashville to OSU-Dog Makes 'Ambulance' Trip in Chartered Jet." Oklahoma State Univer­ sity Outreach, vol. 16, no. 6 (June-July 1975), p. 29. Hiller, Steve and Wallisch, Lloyd. "From Acorn to Oak." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 51, no. 1 (September 1979), pp. 14-53.

Oklahoma State University 193 "The Idea That Came Into Its Own." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 19, no. 5 (November-December 1978), p. 16. Jarrell, A. E. "I Remember When . . . ." Oklahoma State University Magazine, vol. 2, no. 1 (July 1958), p. 7. "The Legacy of OSU's Great Builder Becomes Part of a New Gift Society." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 20, no. 1 (January-February 1979), p. 10. "A Letter Worth Sharing." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 17, no. 6 (August-September 1976), p. 23. "Lloyd and Blanche Long Donate to Scholarship Fund." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 18, no. 1 (January-February 1977), pp. 16-17. Nettleton, Kay. "OSU's Fourth Decade: Adolescence During the 'Roaring 20s.'" Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 55, no. 2 (Winter 1983), p. 3. Orbison, Scott. "Money! Will It Be Provided?" Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 1, no. 4 (April 1960), pp. 14-15. "The OSU Centennial Advisory Commission." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 135. "OSU's Distinguished Scholars: A Contribution to Vitality." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 19, no. 5 (November-December 1978), pp. 6-7. "Out of an Attic Bonanza of Photo History." Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 10, no. 4 (April 1969), p. 15. Pickens Jr., T. Boone. "The Next Step Toward Success: Building a Reputation." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 55, no. 4 (Summer 1984), p. 14. "Planning Alumni Projects." Oklahoma State University Magazine, vol. 3, no. 6 (December 1959), pp. 10-11. Platt, Charles E. "University Development: A Record of Firsts, Largests, and Mosts." Oklahoma State University Outreach, vol. 56, no. 3 (Spring 1985), p. 91. "Pointing the Way to Progress." Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 2 (February 1961), pp. 16-17. "Providing a College Education." Oklahoma State Alumnus Magazine, vol. 2, no. 5 (May 1961), pp. 10-11. "Research Center Named in Honor of Noble Foundation.".0/

194 Centennial Histories Series AUTHOR INTERVIEWS Baird, Cathy, 28 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Barnard, Judy, 25 January 1987, Stillwater, OK. Bartlett, Helen L. "Pat," 28 January 1987, Tulsa, OK. Bennett Jr., Tom, 11 May 1987, Cambridge, MA. Bowen, Stacey, 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Buchanan, Hal N., 17 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Buckner, Ralph G., 24 April 1987 and 28 July 1987, Stillwater, OK. Carter-White, Stacy, 17 June 1987, Stillwater, OK. Cleveland, Norma, 24 July 1987, San Antonio, TX. Couey, Paul, 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Demaree, Rex, 24 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Dennis, Jency, 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Dollar, Doug, 7 November 1986, Stillwater, OK. Erwin, Robert D., 20 January 1987, Brooklyn, NY and 13 August 1987, Stillwater, OK. Evans, Vonda, 22 June 1987, Stillwater, OK. Fite, Robert C, 26 May 1987, Stillwater, OK. Fowler, Dolores, 23 June 1987, Stillwater, OK. Gill, Jerry, 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Grove, Russ, 16 January 1987, Stillwater, OK. Hampton, John D., 20 July 1987, Stillwater, OK. Harp, Sam, 16 June 1987, Stillwater, OK. Herrington, Gladys and Carl, 28 July 1987, Claremore, OK. Houston, Winfrey, 2 December 1986, Stillwater, OK. Iba, Henry P., 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Jones, Melvin D., 11 December 1986, Stillwater, OK and 16 April 1987, Oklahoma City, OK. Kamm, Robert B., 3 December 1986, Stillwater, OK. Koeppe, Donna, 1 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. LaFollette, Sharia, 20 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Lemler, Faith, 21 July 1987, Stillwater, OK. Lohmann, M. R. "Pete," 17 December 1986, Stillwater, OK. London, Merlin, 26 January 1987, Blackwell, OK. Mace, Harold R., 12 January 1988, Stillwater, OK. Martin, Vernon, 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. McCormick, Peggy, 12 June 1987, Stillwater, OK. Mclntire, Forrest, 12 January 1987, Oklahoma City, OK. Motes, Barbara, 19 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Murphy, Patrick, 7 January 1987, Stillwater, OK. Naugle, Thomas E., 5 October 1987, Tulsa, OK. Orbison, Scott E., 22 November 1986, Stillwater, OK. Paine, Wilmer H., October 1986, Stillwater, OK. Pickens Jr., T. Boone, 29 January 1987, Dallas, TX. Pinkston, Charlene, 10 December 1986, 22 September 1987, Stillwater, OK. Platt, Charles E., 18 November 1986, 25 November 1986, 9 January 1987, 16 April 1987, 15

Oklahoma State University 195 May 1987, 22 May 1987, 27 May 1987, 28 May 1987, 8 June 1987, 25 June 1987, 6 July 1987, 20 July 1987, 31 July 1987, 7 August 1987, 22 September 1987, 2 October 1987, 15 October 1987, and 27 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Poole, Richard, 19 February 1987, Stillwater, OK. Ragsdale, Mike, 6 August 1987, Chattanooga, TN. Reding, Alan B., 2 December 1986, Stillwater, OK. Rogers, Murl R., 5 December 1986, 5 January 1987, and 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Ross, Dale E., 25 November 1986, 9 January 1987, 23 January 1987, 5 March 1987, 2 April 1987, 16 April 1987, 30 April 1987, 15 May 1987, 27 May 1987, 28 May 1987, 8 June 1987, 10 June 1987, 19 June 1987, 25 June 1987, 6 July 1987, 20 July 1987, 31 July 1987, 22 September 1987, 30 September 1987, 2 October 1987, and 15 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Sanders, Phyllis, 14 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Sanderson, J. Lewie, 5 January 1987 and 7 April 1987, Stillwater, OK. Scarborough, Dorothy, 28 July 1987, Stillwater, OK. Seretean, M. B. "Bud," 22 June 1987 and 23 June 1987, Boca Raton, FL. Sharp, Ray, 11 June 1987, Ada, OK. Sibley, Bill, 21 October 1987, Stillwater, OK. Snodgrass, John F., 17 July 1987, Stillwater, OK. Swearingen, Eugene L., 18 February 1987, Tulsa, OK. Wilkinson, Dorothy and Jim, 30 January 1987, Oklahoma City, OK. Woodson, Thelma, 6 January 1987, Stillwater, OK. Young, Raymond A., 20 January 1987, Rancho Mirage, CA.

BOOKS Faulk, Odie B. Oklahoma: Land of the Fair God. Northridge, CA: Windsor Publications, 1986. Faulk, Odie B. The Making of a Merchant: R. A. Young and T.G.&Y. Stores. Oklahoma City, OK: Western Heritage Books, 1980. Fischer, LeRoy H. Oklahoma State University Historic Old Central. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University, 1988. Kamm, Robert B. It Helps to Laugh. Oklahoma City, OK: Southwest Heritage Books, 1980. Oklahoma A. and M. College Catalog and Announcements, 1920-21 to 1946-47. Pickens Jr., T. Boone. Boone. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987. Rulon, Philip Reed. Oklahoma State University—Since 1890. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press, 1975.

COLLECTIONS Files, OSU Alumni Association, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Files, OSU Board of Regents Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Files, OSU Foundation Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma: Annual Reports, 1961-1986, OSU Foundation. Minutes, Board of Governors, OSU Foundation, 1961-1987. Minutes, Board of Trustees, OSU Foundation, 1961-1987. Wilmer H. Paine interview with Robert B. Kamm, 4 October 1985, Stillwater, OK. (transcript) Wilmer H. Paine interview with Murl R. Rogers, 25 October 1985, Stillwater, OK. (transcript) Files, OSU President's Office, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma:

196 Centennial Histories Series OSUDF Proposed Objectives 1978-1979 File. Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma: Berlin B. Chapman Collection. McFarland, William Edward. "A History of Student Financial Assistance Programs at Okla­ homa State University, 1891-1978, With an Emphasis on the Creation and Administration of the Lew Wentz Foundation." Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, Oklahoma State Univer­ sity, 1979. Minutes, Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges. Minutes, OSU Faculty Council. OSU Presidents' Papers. OSU Vertical Files.

NEWSPAPERS Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, 1-15 October 1962; 6 October 1981. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Journal, 7 July 1969. Oklahoma State University Daily O'Collegian, 10 January 1961; 17 April 1971; 17 September 1974; 30 November 1978; 8 May 1979; 11 November 1979; 20 November 1979; 6 October 1981; 1 March 1983; 21 April 1987. Oklahoma State University News, 5 November 1979. Oklahoma State University Oklahoma Stater, March 1985; April 1987. Stillwater NewsPress, 8 January 1961; 5 May 1974; 6 February 1980; 12 April 1984; 10 May 1984; 11 May 1984; 24 April 1987; 31 May 1987; 6 September 1987. Tulsa World, 27 June 1969; 18 April 1986; 28 February 1982; 30 November 1986; 12 May 1987.

Oklahoma State University 197 Index

Abilene Christian College, 139. Asian Institute Program, 29. Achievement Fund Program, 11, 12. Athletic Annual Giving Campaign, 56. Adams, Houston, 12. Athletic Expansion Program, 53, 81, 118. Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine, 160. Athletic Gift Office, 83. Air Force ROTC, 35. A. W. Swift and Company, 24, 25, 68. Albert, Carl. 53. Albrecht and Ruby Naeter President's B Distinguished Scholarship, 157. Baird, W. David, 151. Albrecht Naeter Memorial Scholarship, Bales, John, 126. 157. Ball, E. L, 67. Alexander, Joseph, 177. Ball, Ralph, 12, 20, 21, 24, 29, 30, 32, Allen, Marshall, 112. 40, 58, 67. Alumni Achievement Fund Program, 18. Ball, Rex, 109. See also Alumni Giving Program. Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts, 4, 5, 6, Alumni Corporation Loan Fund, 9. 8, 97, 115. Alumni Development Fund, 22, 29, 32, Bartlett Day. See "Pete and Pat" Bartlett 38, 43. Day. Alumni Giving Program, 18, 21. See also Bartlett Engineering Equipment Company, Alumni Achievement Fund Program. 94. American Founders Life Insurance Bartlett, Floyd M. "Pete," 5, 6, 7, 67, 84, Company, 24. 88-89, 91-99, 114-115, 140, 165. American Geological Institute, 145. Bartlett, Helen L. "Pat," 5, 6, 84, 92-99, American Legion, 61. 165. American Red Cross Hospital Service, Bellatti, James R., 59. 150. Bellmon, Henry L., 44, 53, 65. American Society of Agronomy, 137-138. Bennett Distinguished Service Award. See Animal Science Hall of Fame, 128. Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Service Aristotle, 17. Award. Arizona State University, 181. Bennett Hall, 175. Army ROTC, 35. Bennett, Henry G., 10, 15, 53, 84, 150, Army Air Corps, 150. 153. Arthur Young and Company, 24. Bennett Jr., Tom, 53. Articles of Incorporation, 21, 68. Bennett Memorial Chapel. See Henry G.

Oklahoma State University 199 Bennett Memorial Chapel. Chesney, H. Jerrell, 107. Bennett Society. See Henry G. Bennett Chitwood, Robert, 169, 171. Society. Christian, William N., 21. Bicentennial Trust, 74. Cindy, the German Shepherd, 70-71. Big Chief Drilling Company, 21, 25. Cities Service Oil Company, 68. Big Eight Athletic and Academic Cities Utilities Construction Company, 67. Conference, 10, 36, 86. Class Challenge Program, 118, 167. Big Eight Development Conference, 45. Classroom Building, 167. Big Eight Fund Raisers Institute, 78. Claude Oil Company, 67. Big Ten Fund Raisers Institute, 63, 64. Cleveland, Alice Murphy, 134. Bir, Rebecca, 155-156. Cleveland, Horace, 134. Black, Barton, 160. Cleveland, Marion, 134. Blue and Rust, 5. Cleveland, Norma, 134. Board of Regents for Oklahoma State Clint Cooke Company, 67. University, 5, 15, 38, 59, 103, 107, 111, Coaches Building, 81. 118, 161. Cole, Norvil, 116. Bob Hope Theatre, 46. College Auditorium. See Seretean Center. Boger, Lawrence L., 6, 82, 84, 87, 95, College of Arts and Sciences, 29, 94, 146, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 112, 114, 117, 177. 118, 120, 151, 170. College of Business Administration, 19, Boger, Mrs. Lawrence L., 95-96, 101, 57, 61, 62, 74, 127, 131, 174, 177. 109. College of Business Administration Boggs, James H., 107. Building, 36. Bonham, J. Ted, 50. College of Business Extension, 15. Boone, 148. College of Engineering, Architecture and Bost, Armon, 67, 84. Technology, 19, 64, 178. Bost, Jeanine, 84. College of Home Economics, 64, 86, 95, Boy Scouts of America, 142. 132, 178. Boydston, L. Winston, 169. College of Veterinary Medicine, 71, 86, Brannon, Tony, 177. 177. Brewer, Veldo, 67. Colvin Center, 81. Brewer & Anderson, Inc., 67. Continental Oil Company, 61, 125, 127. Browning, Charles B., 107, 177. Continental Pipeline Company, 61, 67. Buchanan, Hal N., 17, 59. Cooke Company. See Clint Cooke Burge, Legand, 131-132, 136. Company. Burns, Bryan, 74. Cooke, Warren B., 67. Business Student Council, 126. Cooper, Donald, 66. Cooperative Elevator Award, 9. Cooperative Livestock Development Cagle, Roger D., 66, 74. Association, 9. Camp, John N. "Happy," 65. Coronet Industries, Inc., 50, 67. "Candid Campus" TV program, 112, 132. Cottonseed Crushers, 9. Cantwell, James, 8. Council for the Advancement and Support Carl M. Leonard and Son, Inc., 67. of Education, 78. Carnahan, Dave, 78, 82. Cowboy Pro-Am Tourney, 147. Carpenter Paper Company, 110-111. Crews, Frank, 65-66. Carter, Kurt C, 109. Cummins and Son Construction Company. Casualty Corporation of America, 67. See H. E. Cummins and Son Cathey, John B., 107, 109-111, 113-114. Construction Company. Centennial Advisory Commission, 118. Cummins, James B., 67. Centennial Coordinating Office, 170. Cunningham Collection, 35, 44. Centennial Decade, 4, 108, 118, 120, Cunningham, Robert E., 35. 171. Centennial Scholarships, 134. Center for Economic Education, 152. Darlow, Al E., 12, 13, 14, 21. Certificate of Incorporation, 170. Dartmouth College, 12. Charles Machine Works, 67. Daughters of the American Revolution, 9. Charles Morton Share Trust, 30. Deloitte Haskins and Sells, 57, 67, 68.

200 Centennial Histories Series Department of Botany, 112. Financial Aids Office, 123. Department of Fire Protection and Safety Financial World, 148. Engineering Technology, 158-160. Finney, W. D., 111. Development and Resources Corporation, First National Bank and Trust Company 25. (Tulsa), 24. Discovery '71, 53. Fite, Roberto., 74. Distinguished Faculty Program, 50. Fleming, J. D., 24. Distinguished Graduate Fellowships, 132. F. L. Holton Industries, 24, 67. Division of Agriculture, 107, 177. Fluor Corporation, 67. Division of Engineering. See College of Flynn, Streeter B., 82. Engineering, Architecture and Ford Motor Company, 24. Technology. Forsythe, George, 53. Donnell, Guy, 22. Founders Day, 114. Droke, Jim, 69. 4-H Club, 142. Droke, Kaye Barrett, 57, 67, 69-70, 81. 4-H Club Alumni Hall of Fame, 142. Droke Track and Field Center. See Kaye Fowler, Dolores, 109, 116. Barrett Droke Track and Field Center. Fowler, Fred, 54. Drummond, Alfred A. "Jack," 34-35. Drummond Saber Award, 34-35. D. S. Kennedy and Company, 24. Gallagher, Edward Clark, 92. Duck, Frank, 3. Gallagher Hall, 50, 81-83, 142, 146. Duff, Tom, 180. Gardiner Hall. See Bartlett Center for the Dunn, John, 67. Studio Arts. Gardner, John, 5. Cause, Charles, 116. Edmon Low Library, 35, 44, 82, 104, 118, Gaylord, Edward L., 107-108, 115, 162, 171. 130-131, 165. Edmon Low Library Fountain, 160-161. Gaylord, Thelma, 130-131, 165. Edmondson Jr., A. Tate, 67. Gibson Scholarship Fund. See Janice and E. E. Gravelle Investments, Inc., 25. J. I. Gibson Scholarship Fund. E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Gill, Jerry, 82-83. 116. Glaze, Tom, 24. Eikenbary, Jane, 156. Gold Spot Dairy, Inc., 24. Ellis, Hal William, 74, 169. Goley, Ralph, 24, 67. Ellsworth, Aladine, 73, 111, 124. Goodner, Marie, 70-71. Ellsworth, Melvin A., 67, 73, 111, 124. Graduate College 23, 29. Enid Publishing Company, 68. Gravelle, E. E., 25. Erwin, Robert D., 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, Greater University Fund, 87, 89, 109, 155, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 40, 45, 46, 48, 171, 175, 178, 180. 50, 53, 57, 58, 59. Greater University Fund Phon-a-thon, 87, Eskridge, James B., 8. 140. Essenberg, Margaret K., 113. Green, George H. C 25, 67. Ethiopia, 10. Griffin, D. A. "Pug," 24, 67. Evans, Vonda, 80, 104. Griffin Oil Well Cementing Company, 24, Exxon Company, U.S.A., 133-134. 67. Griffith, Art, 92, 95. Grinnell College, 151. Faculty Council, 22, 169-170. "Groundbreaker 21," 116. Falldine, C. Frederick, 68. Gudgel, Floyd, 46, 48. Farley, James, 80. Guthrie High School, 66. Federal Land Bank of Wichita, 24. Guy H. James Construction Company, 24. Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 96. See Guy H. James Memorial Academic also Don McClanen. Excellence Fund, 45. Fellowship of Christian Athletes Plaza, 96. Fenimore, Bob, 59, 67. H Fenix and Scisson, Inc., 67. Haan, C. T., 116. Ferguson, Dwight, 135. Hackett, Neil, 177. Ferguson, Mead, 134-135. Halbrook, T. A., 74.

Oklahoma State University 201 Hall, David, 53. Independence Hall, 95. Hampton, John D., 130. Indiana University, 134. Hanner Hall, 92. Internal Affairs Committee, 126. Hanover Investments, 68. International Advanced Study Institute, 50. Hardy, Ralph W. F., 116. International Business Machines, 110. Harlan Insurance Agents and Brokers, 67. International Program Dinner, 40. Harp, Sam, 116. Iowa Department of Agriculture, 152. Harrisberger, Lee, 46. Iowa State Foundation, 45. Harvard University, 12. Iowa State University, 12, 17. Hasenbeck, James F., 50, 67, 109. Ivy, Lana, 176. Haskins and Sells. See Deloitte Haskins and Sells. H. E. Cummins and Son Construction Jacks, Becky, 73. Company, 67. James, Guy H., 24. Heath, Bonnie, 24. James Construction Company. See Guy Heath Thoroughbred Horses, 24. H. James Construction Company. Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Service James Memorial Academic Excellence Award, 94. 142. Fund. See Guy H. James Memorial Henry G. Bennett Memorial Chapel, 10. Academic Excellence Fund. Henry G. Bennett Society, 84, 133, Janice and J. I. Gibson Scholarship Fund, 135-136, 141, 153. 45. Henshaw, Barbara, 5. Jarrell, Alfred N., 3. Herrington, Carl G., 89, 134. Jelmini, David, 159. Herrington, Gladys L., 134. J. H. Hunt Scholarship Fund, 45. H. F. "Pat" Murphy Memorial Scholarship John Deere Company, 116. Fund, 45. Johnson, Becky L., 112. Higher Education Alumni Council of Okla­ Johnston, Henry S., 44. homa, 59, 140. Johnston, Tom, 110. Higher Education Financial Control Act, Jones, Jay, 160-161. 168. Jones, Mary, 73, 84, 141-142, 153. Hoke Jr., RoyT., 33. Jones, Melvin D., 20, 24, 28, 33, 34, 50, Hoke Lumber Company. See Roy T. Hoke 67, 73, 84, 94, 105, 107, 137-142, 148, Lumber Company. 153. Hoke Sr., Roy T., 21, 23, 24, 32, 33, 45, Jones Trust. See Mary E. Jones Trust. 57. Jordon, Johanna, 5. Holder, Mike, 146. Jorgenson, Elaine, 178. Holt, Smith, 107. Holton, F. L., 24, 67. K Holton Industries. See F. L. Holton Kamm, Robert B., 12, 13, 38, 48, 50, 51, Industries. 56, 57, 62, 67, 70. 82, 111. 160. Hope, Bob, 46, 48. Kansas State University, 181. Hope Enterprises, 46, 48. Kappa Alpha Theta, 143. Hopkins, John, 103. Katherine Rug Mills, 50. Houston OSU Alumni Association, 62. Katz, Jake, 8. Houston, Winfrey, 20. Katz, Jerome, 8. Howell, Elvis, 169. Kavanaugh, A. J., 25. HTB, Inc., 109. Kaye Barrett Droke Track and Field Cen­ Hudgins, Thompson, Ball and Associates, ter, 81. 24, 67. Kayo Oil, 125. Hunsaker, Sam, 169. Kelco Oil Field Group, 94. Hunt Scholarship Fund. See J. H. Hunt Kelly, James J., 67. Scholarship Fund. Kennedy and Company. See D. S. Huntley, Chet, 32. Kennedy and Company. Hurst, Kenneth, 24, 57, 67. Kennedy Sinclaire, Inc., 45. Kerr-McGee Corporation, 67, 116. I Ketchum, Ed, 107. Iba Hall, 40. Killian, Byrle, 107. Iba, Henry P., 92, 95, 142, 143. King Loan Trust Fund. See Martin Luther

202 Centennial Histories Series King Loan Trust Fund. Mavris, N. B., 61, 62, 67. Knust, Alan, 87-88. McCarthy, Joseph R., 10. Koeppe, Roger B., 114. McClanen, Don, 96-97. See also Korean War, 61. Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Krai, William, 56. McCloskey Army General Hospital, 150. Kroll, Daniel R., 59, 67. McCloud Investment Company, 67. Kurland, Bob, 111. McCloud, S. D., 67. McCollom, Kenneth, 107. McCormick, Peggy, 107. LaFollette, Sharia, 173-175. McCormick Jr., Robert L., 107, 169. Lahoma Club Loan Fund, 9. McCullough Enterprises, Inc., 67. Lambert, Bruce, 116. McCullough, Gerald W., 24, 67. Lane, Richard K., 21, 24, 29. McElroy, Clarence H., 149. League of Nations, 152. McNeill, Edwin R., 73. Leidigh, Mary, 86. McPherson, Frank A., 116. Leonard and Son, Inc. See Carl M. Merrifield Farm, 67. Leonard and Son, Inc. Merrifield, Fred, 24, 67. Leonard, Carl M., 67. Merrilee Gault Warth Trust, 39. Lew Wentz Foundation, p. 9. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, Lewis Field, 81-82, 96. Inc., 25, 68. Lewis Field Press Box, 50. Mesa Petroleum, 142, 145, 146, 147. Lewis, Leon, 22, 24. Metropolitan Paving Company, 25. Liberty National Bank and Trust, 25. Midland Petrochemical Company, 68. Locke, Wendell, 50, 67, 169. Midwesco Industries, 67. Locke, Wright, Foster, Inc., 67. Midwestern Welding Company, 68. Logan, Harold R., 67, 110. Miller, Doris, 84. Logue, Burton W., 132. Miller, Gene, 84. Logue, Gladys T., 132. Miller, Rudy, 147. Lohmann, M. R. "Pete," 12, 13, 19, 64, Mills, Ben D., 24. 70. Minutemen Dollars, 74-75. London, Merlin, 35, 45, 53, 56, 57, 59, Mitchell, Max, 36. 63, 66, 72, 82. Mittendorf Safari Room, 56. Long, Blanche, 129. Mittendorf, Theodor H., 54. Long, Ed, 5, 107, 129. Monk, John C, 14, 20. 21. Long, Hal, 129. Monnett, V. Brown. 143-145. Long, Lloyd, 111, 127-129. Monnot, Gail. 174. Lookabaugh, E. M. "Jim," 54, 67, 72. Montgomery Ward, 9. Loomis, Lynn, 73. Mooney, Clyde F., 24. "Lucky Strike Hit Parade," 93. Morse. Oscar. 3. Lumly Investments. See T. M. Lumly Murphy Memorial Scholarship Fund. See Investments. H. F. "Pat" Murphy Memorial Lumly, Thomas, 21, 24, 29. Scholarship Fund. Murray. William, 150. M Myers, Helen L. "Pat." See Helen L. Mace, Harold R., 158-160. "Pat" Bartlett. Mace, T. A., 88, 105. Mack, Eugene A., 45. MacVicar, Robert, 12, 13, 23, 24. N Major, Kent, 134. Nabors, Jim, 53. Malzahn, Edwin, 67. Naeter, Albrecht, 157-158. Marching Band, 36, 118. Naeter Memorial Scholarship. See Mark Twain Life Insurance Company, 67, Albrecht Naeter Memorial Scholarship. 139, 142. Naeter President's Distinguished Marston, Mark, 116. Scholarship. See Albrecht and Ruby Martin Luther King Loan Trust Fund, 50. Naeter President's Distinguished Mary E. Jones Trust, 30. Scholarship. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Naeter, Ruby, 157-158. Company, 67. Naff, John, 144.

Oklahoma State University 203 National Athletic Trainers Association Oklahoma State University Alumni Hall of (President's Challenge Award). 66. Fame. 134, 142. National Broadcasting Company, 32. Oklahoma State University Bar National Collegiate Athletic Association. Association, 85. 142. Oklahoma State University Bicentennial National Cottonseed Products Association, Trust. 74. Inc., 24. Oklahoma State University Development National Society of Fund Raising Foundation. See Oklahoma State Executives, Oklahoma Chapter, 120. University Foundation. Naugle and Company. 129. Oklahoma State University Development Naugle. Barbara. 130. Fund. 12. Naugle. Earl H., 129. Oklahoma State University Educational Naugle, Thomas E.. 129-130. Foundation. 12, 30. Nemec. Michael. 82, 85, 89. Oklahoma State University Engineering Neustadt, Jean, 169. Hall of Fame, 134. Newman, R. O. "Dick," 67. Oklahoma State University Foundation. 4. New York University, 13-14, 15, 49. 5, 8. 13. 14, 15. 17. 22. 30, 38, 43. 57. Nigh, George, 5, 101-102, 105, 109, 116. 59. 61. 80, 88, 103, 137, 142, 160. 165. Nixon, Richard M., 53. 182. Noble Foundation. See The Samuel Oklahoma State University Foundation Roberts Noble Foundation. Board of Governors. 22. 27. 30. 46, 57, Noble, Lloyd, 115. 88-89, 96, 103, 105, 113, 118, 124, Noble Research Center for Agriculture and 142, 170. Renewable Natural Resources, 4, Oklahoma State University Foundation 101-120, 123, 162, 165. See also 21st Board of Trustees, 22, 24, 29, 40, 46, Century Center for Agriculture and 88-89, 109, 114, 118, 170. Renewable Natural Resources. Oklahoma State University Foundation Founding Governors, 22, 24, 25. Oklahoma State University Health and Oakley, Lana, 87-88. Physical Fitness Center, 82. Ohio State Development Fund, 12. Oklahoma State University Heritage Oil Trades Association, 148. Society, 85, 133, 178. Oklahoma Agriculture and Engineering Oklahoma State University Museum of Experiment Stations, 12. Natural and Cultural History, 44, 54. Oklahoma Bankers' Association, 9. Oklahoma State University Research Oklahoma Business Magazine, 142. Foundation, 12, 31. Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma State University Technical 58. Branch, Okmulgee, 97. Oklahoma City Symphony, 58. Old Central, 72, 182. Oklahoma Extension Homemakers Oliver, John, 25. Council, 141. Oliver S. and Susan E. Willham Estate, 73, Oklahoma Federation of Women's Clubs, 126. 9. Olson, Kent, 170. Oklahoma Heritage Association, 58. Orbison Company. See Scott E. Orbison Oklahoma Publishing Company, 107. Company. Oklahoma State Legislature, 107. Orbison, Scott E., 12, 20, 21, 24, 29, 30, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher 32, 35, 38, 45, 52, 58, 59, 67. Education, 32. O'Toole, Lela, 64. Oklahoma State University Alumni Association, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 30, 33, 44, 51, 54, 59, 62, 68. 77, Payne, Inc., 67. 83. 91. 94. 101. 103, 105, 138-141, Payne, William T., 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 168, 170. 173. 29, 31, 32, 67, 84. Oklahoma State University Alumni Penn Square Bank, 108. Association's Distinguished Service "Pete and Pat" Bartlett Day, 5, 8, 97. Award, 141-142. Petroleum Management, 148. Oklahoma State University Alumni Center, Philip Morris, 110. 171. Phillips, Cheryl, 73.

204 Centennial Histories Series Phillips Petroleum Company, 24, 31, 114, Roberts, Lynn, 67. 143-144. Robinson, James A., 57, 58, 67, 70, 74, Pickens, Beatrice Carr, 143, 145-147, 153, 82. 165. Rock Castle Inn, 111. Pickens Jr., T. Boone, 4, 142, 148, 153, Rogers, Bell and Robinson, 67. 165. Rogers, Murl R., 10, 12, 17, 21, 54, 56, Pickens School of Geology. See T. Boone 62. Pickens Jr. School of Geology. Rogers, Will, 44. Pinkston, Charlene, 72, 78, 80, 89, 103, Romney, Lenore, 53. 180. Roseberry, C. V., 25. Pistol Pete, 99. Ross, Dale E., 80, 82-83, 87-88, 105, 107, Platt, Charles E., 6, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 110-114, 119-120, 134-135, 145, 158, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 72, 74, 78, 80, 82, 166-168, 170, 172, 175, 178. 86, 87, 88-89, 91, 97, 101, 103, 105, Rotary Drilling Services, Inc., 67, 94. 107, 112, 114-118, 120, 126, 128, Roy T. Hoke Lumber Company, 21, 24. 130-131, 134-135, 139, 142, 145, Royal Arch Masons Educational Fund, 9. 147-148, 152-153, 156, 162-163, Rubin, Gerard, 71. 166-168, 170, 173, 175- 176, 179-182. Russell, John Dale, 13. Platt, Sue, 69, 72, 80, 97-98, 147-148, 153. Pohl, Herbert A., 50. Salmon, Burton D., 51, 67. Poole, Richard W., 50, 57, 69, 103, 107, Salmon, Christine, 5. 170. Sandmeyer, Robert, 126, 177. Posse Club, 83. Scholarships, 118, 123-136, 165. Powell, Richard C, 114. School of Electrical Engineering, 44, 157. Prairie Playhouse. See Seretean Center. School of Science and Literature, 145. Presidents Club, 28, 29, 127, 133, 139, Scisson, Betti, 84. 141, 155, 165, 166, 171. Scisson, Sidney E., 67, 84. President's Council Scholarships, 38, 44, Scott E. Orbison Company, 67. 45. Seitter, Lisa Major, 134. President's Distinguished Scholars Selective Service Office, 143. Program, 73, 123-134, 165. Seretean Center for the Performing Arts, President's Emergency Fund, 29, 40. 4, 5, 29, 40, 43-48, 50, 51, 53, 56, 58. President's Scholars Program, 38, 44, 45. Seretean, Martin B. "Bud," 34, 49, 50, Public Information Office, 110. 53, 56, 67, 74, 82, 83-84, 89, 140, 165. Public Service Company, 21, 67. Seymour, Todd, 169. Share Trust. See Charles Morton Share Q Trust. Quarles, Greg, 134. Sharp, Ray, 54, 55, 56, 101. Quonset Huts, 13. Shawnee Milling Company, 135. Shell, Larry, 109, 113. Shelton, Marguerite, 72. Ragsdale, Michael E., 73, 125-127, 136. Sherry, William J., 25, 67. Raymond D. Thomas Scholarship, 62. Shipley, Robbie, 72. Real-Life Athletic Research, Inc., 67. Sibley, William, 107. Records Management Office, 173. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, 143. Reed, Doel, 93. Simpson, Nora, 85. Reid, Karl, 178. Simpson, Wayne, 85. Reid, Molly, 35, 58, 72. Skinner, John W., 133. Residence Halls Association, 160. Skinner, Mildred H., 133. Reynolds, Allie P., 12. Small Animal Clinic, 71. Richardson, C. Virgil, 40, 67. Smelser, Gene, 143. Richardson, Elliott L., 43. Smith, Dennis F., 169. Riffe, L. Ed, 30, 67. Smith, Jim, 160. Riffe Petroleum Company, 67. Snodgrass, John F., 115, 118, 120, 170. Riley, Cliff, 116. Solicitation Program Management Rivers, Johnny, 53. Committee, 107. Roach, Larry, 101. Southern Methodist University, 138.

Oklahoma State University 205 Southwestern Louisiana University, 155. Thompson, V. M., 54, 68. Sputnik, 11. T. M. Lumly Investments, 24. Stafford, Tom, 53. Townsend, Frank, 150. Standard Industries, Inc., 25. Townsend History Trust, 148, 150. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, 25. Townsend, Pauline, 150-152. Stanford Medical Center, 114. Truman Scholarship, 134. Stanley, Floyd E., 68. Tulsa Center for the Physically Limited, 95. Steele, George W., 3. Turner Ranch, 25. Stillwater Golf and Country Club, 33. Turner, Roy, 25. Stone, Bill, 62. Turvey, Tom, 56, 57, 59, 63, 66, 82. Stone, Marvin, 62. 21st Century Center for Agriculture and Stone, Toni, 116-117. Renewable Natural Resources: Stringer, L. E. "Dean," 68, 109. announced by governor, 102, 105; Student Government Association, 126, campaign planned 103-105; approved 134. by Oklahoma Legislature, 107; private Student Union, 68, 77, 95, 105, 123, 129, funding begins, 105; founding donors, 146, 155, 161, 167, 171, 173, 176. 106; granite plaques, 115; officially Student Union Food Mart, 95, 157. named, 118; T. Boone Pickens Jr. Suite HlOO, 78, 103, 129, 155. School of Geology, 108, 146. See also Suite 1600, 95-96, 105, 114. Noble Research Center for Agriculture Summers, Jim, 116. and Renewable Natural Resources. Sun Oil Company, 68. Suntor Enterprises, 94. U Swearingen, Eugene L., 12, 13, 19, 32. Union Carbide, 110. Swift, A. W., 25, 68. Union Hotel Plaza, 78. Swift and Company. See A. W. Swift and U.S. Air Force, 61. Company. U.S. Air Force Academy, 131. Symphony and University Choir, 53. U.S. Department of Defense, 131. U.S. Department of Internal Revenue, 11, 114. Tate, Ralph, 81. U.S. Department of State, 138. Taylor, John, 68. U.S. Navy, 93. T. Boone Pickens Jr. School of Geology, U.S. Point Four Program, 138. 146. University Scholarship Committee, 73. Teacher Appreciation Dinners, 38. University of Colorado, 17, 181. Teacher Education Advisory Committee, University of Kansas, 17, 169, 181. 38. University of Kansas Endowment Teel, Roy M., 68. Association, 170, 181. Telecommunications Center, 112. University of Michigan, 15, 45. Texaco, 110. University of Mississippi, 27. Texas A. and M. Development University of Missouri, 10. Foundation, 63, 65. University of Nebraska, 45, 138, 169. Texas A. and M. University, 13, 68, 143. University of Oklahoma, 102-103, 119, Texas Instruments, 25. 143. Texas Interior Department of Wild Life University of Oklahoma Alumni Foundation, 147. Development Fund, 12, 169. Texas Tech Range and Wild Life University of Texas, 139, 143. Management, 147. University Placement Services, 17, 59, 62. Texas Tech University, 143. Utica National Bank and Trust Company, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, 68. 115, 118, 120, 166, 170. T.G.&Y. Stores, 25, 64, 68. V Theatre Guild Scholarships, 33. Varsity Club Room, 50, 81-82. Theta Pond, 167. Veterans Hospital, 71. Thomas, Raymond D., 68. Vreeland, Charles A., 3. Thomas Scholarship. See Raymond D. Thomas Scholarship. W Thompson, Charles, 25, 68. Walker, Bob, 63, 65.

206 Centennial Histories Series Walsh, Jerry, 144. Willis. Judith. 63, 180. Warth, Merrilee Gault, 39. Wimberly, Owen, 85, 134-136. Warth Trust. See Merrilee Gault Warth Wimberly, Vivian, 85, 134-136. Trust. Wimmer, Lynda, 151. Webb. Earline Y.. 72. Winter, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas G., 50. Wegener, Cynthia. 103, 109. Wish Book, 171. Wenger, Virginia, 70-71. Women's Army Air Corps Field Hospital, Wentz Foundation. See Lew Wentz 150. Foundation. Women's Building. See Bartlett Center for Wes Watkins Distinguished Lectureship the Studio Arts. Series, 118. Woodward Production Credit Association, West, Dail, 68. 67. Westco, Inc., 68. Works Progress Administration, 150. Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 25. World War II, 13, 19, 49, 111, 139, 150. Wettemann. Bob. 113. Wortham, A. W.. 25, 68. Weyerhaeuser. 111. W. R. Grace. Inc., 67, 110. Wheeler Jr., Clyde A., 68. Wright, Bob, 50. White, Phil. 62. Wright, Myron, 25. Whitehurst Hall. 68. Wyatt, Shelby, 12. Wilkinson. Dorothy DeWitt. 148-153, 166. Wilkinson, Jim, 148-150. 153. 166. XYZ Willard Hall, 92-93. Yankee Stadium, 49. Willham Estate. See Oliver S. and Susan Young and Company. See Arthur Young E. Willham Estate. and Company. Willham, Oliver S., 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19. Young, Charles W., 50. 20. 21, 25, 27. 31. 35, 38, 57, 137, 151. Young, Raymond A., 25, 36, 50, 54, 57, Williams, Eric, 59. 58, 64. 68, 70, 74. 82, 131. Williams Hall, 48. Zink Jr.. John, 57. Willis, Bill, 115. Zink Sr., John. 56-57.

Oklahoma State University 207