I don’t think T. Boone Pickens will ever run out of money. It seems every year T. Boone comes out and sets another record with some kind of massive donation to Oklahoma State. T. Boone’s most recent donation, a $100 million donation to academics, is the largest single gift to an Oklahoma university.
Pickens constantly throws out enormous sums of money in order to better OSU. His donations are showy but honest. The biggest thing is that Pickens really cares about OSU. He does not donate to better his stock or to show off his wealth. He wants to help make Oklahoma State the school of the future.
Pickens referred to OSU President Burns Hargis as “absolutely the right person at the time to be OSU president” and he believes Hargis “will guide OSU to levels of success we have never seen before.”
Success will certainly be easier with such a large donation, one that will be doubled thanks to the state of Oklahoma’s endowed chair program. OSU will put the $200 million toward major faculty chairs and professorships.
The faculty will finally get a much-deserved raise for their efforts in research and in the classroom. OSU will no doubt be heading in the right direction.
Finally, a big donation that will be put to good use.
Many were hacked at Pickens for his $70 million donation solely to athletics in 2003. But they let it slide because the athletics program needed some help.
Then, two years later Pickens returns to drop the largest donation to an athletic program in U.S. history. Many complaints arose about the $165 million given only to athletics. If we are trying to improve the school, then why give to athletics instead of something that lasts like, uh I don’t know, academics?
Don’t get me wrong. Pickens’ donation to the athletic program is going to produce some of the nicest facilities in the country to bring athletic prestige and enormous financial success to the school, but doesn’t anyone care about academics anymore?
This thought has been dispelled with Pickens’ most recent donation. Pickens must have his heart in the right place. Now, the school grabs $200 million to improve scholastic programs and research in many of the fine OSU institutions.
What of the students? If my tuition fees don’t go down, I’m going to be pissed. I know they won’t and will more than likely go up. So, my big question is: When is someone going to make a large donation to the student body to curb the high cost of tuition?
Pickens has given a half a billion dollars to this school. His donations take care of the athletes and the staff. When do I get a share of all this money? He said there is more to come.
Maybe $500 million to student expenses?
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