Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Athletics Mourns The Loss Of Neal Patterson
July 11, 2017 | General, Cowgirl Soccer
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State alumnus Neal Patterson, one of the university and athletic department's top donors, passed away over the weekend at the age of 67.
An Oklahoma native who grew up on his family's farm near Manchester, Patterson earned a bachelor's degree in finance and an MBA from OSU in the early 1970s. In 1979, he co-founded the Cerner Corporation and served as the company's CEO at the time of his death. Cerner is the world's largest publicly traded health information technology company with $4.8 billion in revenues in 2016 and approximately 24,000 associates worldwide. FORTUNE recently named Cerner one of the world's most admired companies.
Patterson was also one of five principal owners of the Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer franchise. The group adopted the Sporting Kansas City brand in 2010 and was instrumental in opening Children's Mercy Park, a soccer-specific stadium that helped turn around the Kansas City franchise. The venue has seen 97 consecutive MLS sellouts.
Earlier this year, Patterson was announced as the main benefactor for the construction of a new stadium for the OSU Cowgirl soccer program, a $20 million project scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018.
"Neal's passing is a tremendous loss on multiple levels," Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder said. "He challenged everyone to reach for the stars and set an example of what can be accomplished by working hard and dreaming big. He's given generously to athletics in an effort to inspire the next generation of students to change the world.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," Holder said. "His passing leaves a void for all us who loved and admired him. One can only imagine what he would have done given a few more years. There is never enough time for the great ones."
"We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Neal Patterson. Neal's love and passion for OSU and our soccer program were very evident, and the generosity of he and his family will leave a lasting legacy on our program for years to come," said Cowgirl soccer head coach Colin Carmichael. "He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with Neal's family at this time."
Patterson was also a major supporter of OSU, including the Spears School of Business. He was instrumental in the creation of the OSU Center for Health Systems Innovation (CHSI) with gifts totaling $6 million. The Center for Health Systems Innovation, a collaborative effort of the Spears School and the OSU Center for Health Sciences, focuses on creating a comprehensive and coherent vision for health care problem-solving through market-based solutions.
