Three Oklahoma State University business graduates will be inducted into the OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame Feb. 7. They are (left to right) Linda Parrack Livingstone, Bruce T. Benbrook and Neal L. Patterson.

OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame to celebrate accomplished alumni

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Three Spears alumni among this year's honorees

Three Spears School of Business alumni will be inducted into the 2020 class of the OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame. The three Oklahoma State University business graduates include Linda Parrack Livingstone, president of Baylor University, the late Neal L. Patterson, co-founder of Cerner Corporation, and Bruce T. Benbrook, chairman and CEO of Stock Exchange Bank.

Also being inducted is Claud D. Evans, a 1966 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural biochemistry. The four alumni will be inducted in a Feb. 7 ceremony at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center. Induction into the OSU Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by Oklahoma State University. It recognizes alumni and former students with outstanding lifetime achievements in society and professional life.

Livingstone graduated from OSU in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and management followed by a master’s degree in business administration in 1983 and a doctorate in management and organizational behavior in 1992.

While at OSU, Livingstone was a member of the Cowgirl basketball team. She was named a Top Ten Senior, President’s Distinguished Scholar and Big 8 Scholar Athlete. She was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa.

Livingstone currently serves as the 15th president of Baylor University and the school’s first female head. As Baylor’s president, she has overseen the development of Baylor’s academic strategic plan, Illuminate, which details Baylor’s pursuit of becoming a preeminent Christian research university.

She previously served as dean and professor of management at The George Washington University School of Business, dean and professor of management at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management and as a tenured faculty member and associate dean of graduate programs at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business.

Livingstone was inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame in 2013 and received its first Outstanding Ph.D. Award. She lives in Waco, Texas, with her husband, Brad. They have one daughter, Shelby.

Patterson graduated from OSU in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in finance followed by a master’s degree in business administration in 1973. At OSU, he was a member and treasurer of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Sigma Pi and chairman of the Student Association Committee. Patterson was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll seven times and the President’s Honor Roll once.

Patterson rose to prominence as chairman and chief executive officer of Cerner Corporation, a company he co-founded in 1979. Under his leadership, Cerner grew from a tiny startup to the world’s largest health information technology company with nearly $5 billion in revenues and more than 25,000 associates worldwide.

Together with his late wife, Jeanne Lillig-Patterson, he co-founded the First Hand Foundation, aimed at children with critical health needs, and the Patterson Family Foundation, which focuses on rural communities.

In addition to supporting entrepreneurial and civic organizations in the Kansas City area, Patterson invested in his alma mater, including endowing the OSU Center for Health Systems Innovation, helping to fund the new Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house and contributing to the new Cowgirl Soccer Stadium named in his honor. He was inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame in 2010.

Patterson passed away following cancer at age 67 in 2017. Patterson’s brothers Kent and Bryan are accomplished OSU graduates. His four children – Clay, Lindsey, Cortney and Will – are active directors of the Patterson Family Foundation.

Benbrook graduated from OSU in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

At OSU, Benbrook served as the student body president and was named the Outstanding Male Graduate. He was also selected as the Outstanding Senior in the College of Business and received the Outstanding Greek Man award.

After graduation, Benbrook returned to Woodward, Oklahoma, to work at the family-owned Stock Exchange Bank, where he has served as chairman and CEO since 1981.

Benbrook has served as president of the Woodward Chamber of Commerce, Industrial Foundation, United Fund and the Lion’s Club. He was a founding director of the Woodward Education Foundation, serving two terms as president. He also served as president of the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

Benbrook has given extensively to his alma mater and held numerous leadership positions, including as chairman of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents in 1994. He is also a former president of the OSU Alumni Association. He was selected as one of the Spears Tributes: 100 For 100 during the school’s centennial celebration in 2014.

Benbrook and his wife, Sheryl, have two daughters – Rachel and Julia. They are all graduates of OSU.

Media contact: Jeff Joiner | Communications Coordinator | 405.744.2700 | jeff.joiner@okstate.edu