Tulsa Couple Places Value on Educating Oklahomans
Through $250,000 Donation to OSU

John & Donnie Brock endow professorship in educational policy and leadership

Oklahoma State University announced today a $250,000 gift from Tulsa residents John and Donnie Brock to create a professorship in educational policy and leadership at OSU.  Once fully matched dollar-for-dollar by T. Boone Pickens’ $100 million chair match commitment, as well as the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the gift will have the impact of $1 million in endowed funds.
 
The retired chairman of Brighton Energy LLC, Brock has been recognized as an outstanding entrepreneur and noted for his dedication and innovation within the petroleum industry.  With his wife, Donnie, Brock established the Brock Community Foundation to fund the Brock International Prize in Education, recognizing an individual who has made a specific innovation or contribution to the science and art of education.

The gift will create the John A. and Donnie Brock Professorship in Educational Leadership and Policy located within the College of Education.
 
“The response from our alumni and friends has exceeded our wildest expectations,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.  “Inspired by Boone Pickens’ astounding generosity, donors answered the call to make a lasting difference and open a new and exciting chapter at OSU.  We sincerely appreciate what John and Donnie are doing for OSU academics and research.”
 
In order to take full advantage of the state’s dollar-for-dollar match, and make the most significant impact on OSU academics, the Brocks made the gift prior to the July 1 change in the state’s endowed chair matching program.  This gift is part of the $66.8 million in endowed faculty gifts OSU announced recently.   
 
“I believe that the most important thing we do is educate our children. The most important element in educating our children is the education leadership. It appears to me that that leadership has been weak and that is the reason for the problems in our schools. Ergo: improve the leadership,” said John.  “I'm hoping that improved leadership will make our schools more effective in the future.”
 
Jean Van Delinder, chair of the OSU Faculty Council, said, “OSU is poised for growth and further prominence but to realize its full potential we must continue to attract and retain top scholars and researchers. These chairs highlight the important role that scholarship and teaching play at Oklahoma State University, and they are made possible through the generous support of donors who value excellence in scholarship and want to help OSU continue to nurture a strong faculty.”
 
Endowed professorships and chairs are academic designations which provide support for faculty salary, graduate assistantships, equipment and research needs, as well as other support.  These endowed faculty positions allow a university to attract and retain the best and the brightest academic minds in the world.
 
Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach.  OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations.  Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world.  

The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

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