Why Give?
Much of the progress made over the last two decades at the University of Oklahoma has been powered by private support. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, OU's world-class educational and cultural experiences and life-changing research has made a real difference in the lives of Oklahomans and beyond.
Generosity of donors helps make students’ dreams possible
The support of our donors is essential in providing our students with the best Sooner experience. It is because of the generosity of our university family that students like Ivy, Braylon, Dylan and Michelle — who are shown in the video above — are able to thrive at OU. They are just four of the thousands of students who benefit from the collective support of our alumni and friends.
Graduate credits her success at OU to scholarship supporters
Scholarships helped bring more than educational opportunity to 2018 graduate Paige Colston. They also provided financial peace of mind for her family in a time when students are responsible for an increasingly greater share of the cost of a college degree.
Donors make a difference in student experience
In Fiscal Year 2017, private support helped ensure that our deserving students were provided with all of the tools they needed to thrive at OU — from scholarships, textbooks and lab supplies to housing and food assistance.
PRIORITY NEWSLETTER
Priority has focused a spotlight on OU private giving since 1976. This quarterly publication reaches donors, alumni, faculty and staff with stories demonstrating the power of gifts both large and small to transform Oklahoma’s flagship university.
Read about fundraising and development news at the University of Oklahoma. Stories are ordered by year.
12/13/2017: OU Receives Major Gift in Support of College of Architecture
11/10/2017: OU Dedicates Gene Rainbolt Graduate School Of Business
10/10/2017: OU to Dedicate Residential Colleges
9/20/2017: Boren Announces Plans to Retire as President of the University of Oklahoma
9/15/2017: Rainbolt Family Makes Leadership Gift to Name OU Graduate School of Business
8/24/2017: OU Norman Campus Researchers Achieve $98.4 Million in Annual Research Expenditures
6/30/2017: OU Awarded $161 Million NASA Contract for First-of-Its-Kind Earth Science Mission
6/20/2017: OU Receives Major Gift from Valero in Support of New Engineering Facility
5/11/2017: Phillips 66 Makes $1 Million Gift in Support of New Engineering Facility at OU
4/26/2017: OU Regents' Alumni Awards to be Presented to Eleven Outstanding Individuals
12/1/2016: OU President Thanks 'Thousands Strong' Supporters at December Board of Regents' Meeting
9/14/2016: Key OU Supporters Honored at September Regents Meeting
9/14/2016: Stuart Family Foundation Gift to Support OU-Tulsa Beautification Project
5/12/2016: Key Supporters Recognized at May Regents' Meeting
5/11/2016: OU Regents' Alumni Awards to be presented to Fourteen Outstanding Individuals
5/09/2016: OU Class of 2016 Gift to be Relaxing Space East of Bizzell Memorial Library
3/9/2016: Inasmuch Foundation Makes $1.5 Million Gift in Support of OU Law Library
3/9/2016: Key OU Supporters Recognized at March Regents' Meeting
12/1/2015: OU Receives Key Support from Major Donors
10/27/2015: OU Building Two New Residential Colleges for Upper-Division Students
10/26/2015: $250,000 Hamm Prize in Diabetes Awarded
10/7/2015: Elsie C. Brackett Theatre to be dedicated at OU
8/25/2015: Leslie and Clifford Hudson Establish Graduate Fellowships in the College of Public Health
8/19/2015: OU College of Nursing Named in Honor of the late Fran Ziegler and Earl Ziegler
7/6/2015: Top Donors Recognized for Commitment to OU
4/23/2015: OU to Name College of Engineering, Establish School of Biomedical Engineering
10/30/14: OU receives $1 million gift for diabetes research
9/12/14: OU unveils $500 million 'Live On, University' 125th Anniversary Campaign
6/25/2014: Helmrich Foundation Makes $500,000 Gift in Support of University Libraries
6/25/2014: Will and Helen Webster Make Major Gift to Establish Fellowship Program in Honors College
5/8/2014: $1 million commitment will endow Arts and Sciences Leadership Scholars Program at OU
4/8/2014: Memorial table at OU campus honors lifelong friendship
3/31/2014: OU Awarded Grant For First-Ever Statewide Geriatric Health Program
3/20/2014: Gifts to Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center qualify for Oklahoma tax credit
10/23/2013: OU Receives More Than $8 Million in Matured Planned Gifts Thus Far in FY 2014
10/22/2013: OU Receives Multi-Million Dollar Gift From Dolese Bros. Co.
10/22/2013: OU Artist-in-Residence Paul Moore Receives Top Oklahoma Art Awards
10/14/2013: OU Center for Entrepreneuship Among the Top Programs in the Nation
9/23/2013: Multi-million-dollar Grant Targets Medically Underserved in Oklahoma
9/18/2013: Private Giving to OU Tops $194 Million in FY2013
9/18/2013: OU-Tulsa Programs Grow From Community Support
8/22/2013: Leaving a Legacy: Karen Westgate
7/25/2013: The 2013 OU Campus Campaign raised more than $2 million in gifts from faculty, staff and retirees.
5/9/2013: OU recently received a major gift from Will and Helen Webster of California to endow scholarships and to provide key support for programs and projects in OU’s Honors and Education colleges.
4/1/2013: New OU scholarship honors parents’ commitment to education.
3/29/2013: Private gifts and grants are providing significant funding to recruit medical specialists and cancer research scientists to the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center.
3/29/2013: Because of proceeds from the OU College of Medicine’s Evening of Excellence, more than $2.5 million in seed grants for promising young faculty scientists has been awarded.
1/17/2013: Sooner Heritage Scholarship helps keep student's dream alive.
12/07/2012: Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation of Tulsa makes the largest one-time gift OU has ever received in scholarship support for OU students to study abroad.
12/07/2012: OU receives a significant gift from the estate of the late OU alumnus Crockett H. Page, M.D., to establish an endowed scholarship fund in the College of Medicine.
10/25/2012: OU Harold Hamm Diabetes Center is awarded a $10.8 million diabetes research grant.
9/19/2012: A gift commitment from the Rainbolt family of Oklahoma City helps boost OU’s $250 million Campaign for Scholarships to $206.5 million in gifts and pledges.
9/5/2012: A $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable researchers at the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center to look for answers to a critical problem in cancer therapy.
8/13/2012: The College of Liberal Studies has been awarded a $1 million endowment and a $50,000 bridge grant from The Bernard Osher Foundation.
6/21/2012: The Oxley Foundation makes a $30 million commitment for proposed Tulsa School of Community Medicine.
6/10/2012: The nation’s top women amateur golfers will gather in summer 2013 at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.
5/10/2012: Gift from former OU Union activities director is helping to renovate University Club.
4/23/2012: Aubrey M. Kerr Sr. Endowed Scholarship established with $500,000 gift.
4/21/2012: Multimedia lab dedicated in honor of Daily faculty adviser.
3/29/2012: OU alumna Mildred Hamilton’s nearly $1 million estate gift establishes scholarship endowment for female OU journalism students.
3/27/2012: Gifts to support biomedical research administered by the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center are eligible for the Oklahoma Biomedical Research Tax Credit.
2/23/2012: The College of Medicine Alumni Association saw its most successful Evening of Excellence event in history, raising more than $175,000.
02/03/2012: Gift to OU supports the Lanny Ross University Development Internship.
12/15/2011: Taylor family's scholarships help students from the Muskogee and Eufaula communities.
11/08/2011: The 2012 OU calendar is available for ordering, and proceeds benefit campus beautification.
10/26/2011: Marathon Oil contributes $135,250 to OU energy programs.
10/26/2011: The College of Medicine’s Second Century Campaign for Scholarships has raised more than $4.1 million in the first seven months of its five-year drive.
9/19/2011: OU School of Drama Named to Honor Peggy Dow Helmerich of Tulsa.
9/14/2011: OU College of Architecture's Gould Hall is dedicated.
8/23/2011: OU dedicates Anne and Henry Zarrow Hall for the School of Social Work.
7/27/2011: Women's Philanthropy Network Cancer Center campaign raises $150,000.
7/10/2011: Friends turn tables on longtime staffer by establishing a scholarship in his honor.
4/11/2011: College of Medicine launches Second Century Scholarship Campaign.
11/18/2010: Stephensons make historic $12 million gift to Oklahoma’s cancer programs.
10/27/2010: OU supporter makes $100,000 commitment to study abroad scholarships.
9/21/2010: OU receives $65,000 in grants from Exxon Mobil Corporation.
9/15/2010: AT&T presents final check for $1.5 million Native American Scholars Program at OU.
5/13/2010: New endowed faculty position, the Farzaneh Family Chair in Iranian Studies, will focus on the culture and history of modern Iran.
4/21/2010: OU surpasses $150 million scholarships goal with $157 million in gifts and pledges.
