Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Press Conference
April 14, 2003 | General
OSU Press Conference
Thursday March 6, 2003
President David Schmidly
"It is a beautiful day, and from this day forward this is going to be a different university. This is a day that makes a difference. We are here to honor today a person who makes a difference. A person who has done so many things in his life and career for this university, and for humanity in general. A person who funded the Boone Pickens School of Geology in the Noble Research Center, and a chair in geophysics. He has established the Boone Pickens Scholarship Fund. He has advanced a cancer treatment research program at OSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital. He has placed his professional papers in the OSU special library collection. His autobiography Boone was on the NY Times best seller list for 15 weeks. He initiated the Boone Pickens Mesa Vista Quail Research Project. He has contributed to so many scholarship and fellowship funds. "Up to today, Boone Pickens has given this university more than 4.5 million dollars for 32 projects since his graduation. Think of all the things he has done in his life since he graduated in 1951. He founded Mesa Petroleum, with a $2500 loan in 1956. This developed into one of the nation's largest independent oil and gas producers. The Wall Street Transcript named him the outstanding chief executive in the oil producer's industry in 1981. He was inducted into the OSU alumni Hall of Fame in 1984. He was presented the Henry G. Bennett Award in 1983. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in 2002. He has also served as chairman of the Texas Research League. "Today's announcement will make Boone Pickens OSU's largest single donor, as he will make the university's largest single gift. He has chosen to lead OSU's Next level Campaign to renovate Lewis Field with a 20 million dollar gift. What this means for us is viable participation forever in the Big 12 athletic conference. This will cap phase one of the stadium campaign and it ensures a June 1 groundbreaking will be ready for the south stands and they will be ready in time for the 2004 season. As significant as that is, there is even more. Boone's (Pickens) 20 million dollar trust is expected to generate 15 million dollars by the conclusion of the stadium debt commitment. He intends to dedicate that 15 million dollars to the Boone Pickens general university scholarship fund. He has also informed the university that OSU will receive a 35 million dollar testamentary gift in his will to be used for several academic and athletic purposes. With this gift he has now given 75 million dollars to this university. On 15 Million donation "That's going into the general institutional scholarship fund. A few weeks ago we announced a 50 million scholarship drive and Boone's commitment there is the first pledge towards that drive. I think everyone knows now the difficulty that we are having with the economy and how important it is that we have scholarships available to get young people into and out of Oklahoma State University. We have made this scholarship fund our number one academic fund raising priority and with this pledge we are off to a great start. Boone Pickens "David (Schmidly), Les (Miles) and Harry (Birdwell) convinced me that we need to come to the Big 12 party. I believe we have progressed to that point and we are at that level, we are ready to come party. We want to win the Big 12. What in the Big 12? Everything. Not one sport is more important to me than the other, I just want to win them all and I know you do to. When you look at Gallagher-Iba, Reynolds Stadium and Karsten Creek we are competitive in those facilities, but now it is time to have a football stadium. I hope my gift takes us to a new level of giving and I would like to see this stadium be done without any debt. I do want to see our alum's rise to the occasion and make this a stadium without debt. I have believed in this university since I graduated in 1951, and I have given to the total university. I have always given in the past and not just to athletics. This is front end loaded with the 20 million for the football stadium that we needed now and I know we are all going to be happy when we get it. In conclusion this is a large gift, I understand that, but I do consider it a privilege to give it and to have the opportunity to give it. When you look back at it, it is the school I love. On recent success of football team as a factor "It was a factor there is now question about that. But this is something that has been there before this season and something that I had wanted to do. Dr. Halligan and I had talked about it several years ago and the stadium is in need of terrible repair. I think we almost have the Sooners to where they don't call it "Rustolia On why now "Maybe last season did make it now, I said it didn't push it over the line, but it made me focus. When I think about why now, I am 74 years old, that's why now. An appropriate reason for it is I want to see these things done before I am gone. Not that I am going anytime soon, but it is time to do it. On the $35 million donation "Well we are not going to build another stadium of course, but these funds will be divided the same way, with athletics and the general scholarship fund. I would like to see all the athletics get a part of that, but one in particular would be the golf program. Mike Holder and I have been friends for 30 plus years and I think Mike has done such a great job with that program, so I'm sure there will be some funds go to golf. On donating to high schools and elementaries "I never thought about that, but maybe I should have. I'm sure they could use the funds, but I am just not that familiar with state funding for education so it is something I haven't given much thought to. I think the amount I am giving would be fragmented if you put it across the state of Oklahoma. Head Football Coach Les Miles "Boone made it very clear that the best thing about a stadium is a great football team, and that is the plan. Now the best thing about a great football team are great players, and your one of the best Boone. Director of Athletics Harry Birdwell "We all know that Old Central is the oldest building on the OSU campus. This Christmas Eve we had a major snow storm and a local photographer, Jim Bowen, took a photo of an old cedar tree that is along side the building. That seedling was planted the same year Old Central was finished in 1896, it is the oldest tree on campus. Jim called that photograph "partners for life. "Boone Pickens has put legs under some very important dreams not only for the athletic department but also for the university. Somebody asked me in Dallas the other day what I thought if Boone Pickens. I told what I thought of him and when asked who I would want to be in the boat with, my first response would be the good Lord himself because he can calm the waves, but other than that it would be Boone Pickens because I have seen him ride the waves." On naming the stadium "We have thought about it, but that is not what we are here to do today. It will likely happen at an appropriate time."
