Spotlight on the McMahon Foundation

The McMahon family has deep roots in Lawton. In fact, Eugene P. McMahon arrived in town from Topeka a few days before the auction that opened Lawton to settlement and set up a legal practice. Eugene; his wife, Louise; and their son, Eugene D.; became among the first residents in the town. 

Following his passing, his wife and son established the McMahon Foundation in 1940, which is still impacting entities around the state of Oklahoma today.  

When he was in high school, the younger Eugene was the business manager for the Lawton Journal and later graduated from OU with a journalism degree. He then entered the oil business in Texas, and after he died, Louise returned to Lawton. She moved into a home that was built by her and the foundation and that now serves as the headquarters for the foundation. 

Due to this OU connection, one beneficiary of the generosity of the McMahon Foundation is the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The foundation also supports OU’s Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing. 

For Gaylord College, the McMahon Foundation funds a four-year, $10,000 scholarship. This past year, the scholarship was offered to five students who had been admitted to the university but had not committed, and all five of those decided to attend OU following the scholarship offer. 

The McMahon Foundation also funds the Gaylord News Apprenticeship Program, which is an extension of the Gaylord in Washington and Gaylord News Oklahoma Programs. Through this program, current students have the opportunity to hone their television skills at KSWO in Lawton. Since 1964, the foundation has given more than $1.5 million in scholarships to OU journalism students.

Additionally, the foundation heavily supports Cameron University, which is located in Lawton and has the same board of regents as OU.

“We work very closely together trying to do as much as we can for the benefit of the universities but more so for the benefit of the state of Oklahoma,” explained Kenneth Bridges, McMahon Foundation board member. “I am extremely impressed by the continuity between the University of Oklahoma, what they do, how they keep us informed of what is going on and how the money is being spent. I think they built a great program up there, and we are happy to be a part of it.”

Dana Parrish, executive director of the McMahon Foundation, said the group has developed a real friendship with the people in Gaylord College. 

“It’s very professional, but definitely in a friendship kind of way,” she said. “I’m sure the students feel the same way as I’ve seen them interact with the people there. A few years ago, we came up for a tour to see the workings of the school, the equipment, TV studio and things like that, and I noticed the students definitely had the same kind of relationship with the faculty there that we do.”