OSU alumnus restores place in heart of campus

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Tulsa resident and longtime Oklahoma State University supporter John Clerico and his late wife, Beverly, had a special place in their hearts at Oklahoma State University.

As students, they met, fell in love and spent many hours walking through OSU’s beautiful campus. When Beverly passed away last year, John decided to honor her memory by restoring their favorite place, the plaza in front of the Edmon Low Library.

Thanks to Clerico’s generous gift of $500,000, the plaza looks new again and is a great improvement over the original, which had never been renovated. It now features a brick-like stamped concrete finish with a non-skid surface that is much safer for walking during wet or icy weather. The centerpiece will be a large etching of the university’s official seal on the plaza surface. Plaques honoring Beverly will be at the south entrances, and the area will be known for all time as the Beverly Clerico Plaza.

A dedication ceremony is scheduled at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, and the public is invited. The Clericos’ daughter, Diane Clerico Deakin, of Newtown, Connecticut, is scheduled to attend the event.

“When Beverly and I first met, we had a couple of classes together in the Classroom Building, so she and I went across that plaza every day for a semester,” Clerico said. “We were just getting to know each other. It was a very formative time in our relationship, and we had many, many fond memories of that area and those times.

“I know Beverly would have appreciated this opportunity to beautify the campus she loved and which played such a meaningful part in our life together. Our family is proud to know that her name will forever be a part of our alma mater.”

Clerico said the plaza is just one landmark that needs restoration, and he’s hoping other donors will come forward to enhance the beauty of the OSU campus.

“For someone who’s been away as long as me, it’s clear that some of our campus landmarks are at risk,” Clerico said. “The major reason is the decline in state support for the university, and the only way to solve this problem is with private donations. It’s up to those of us who enjoyed this campus and benefited from a wonderful education to give back for students of today and those in the future.”

OSU System CEO and President David Schmidly agrees that gifts from valued donors such as the Clericos are more important than ever as state support continues to decline.

“The funds we receive from the state, which 20 years ago were close to half of our total budget, are less than a third today. Donor gifts are critical to the future health of OSU,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to the Clericos for their longtime support of OSU and for this gift. Beverly loved OSU, and we're honored to recognize her with this lasting tribute. OSU has a special place in its heart for the Clerico family.”

The Clericos’ support of the university has been ongoing for more than two decades. Clerico is chairman and a registered financial adviser at ChartMark Investments Inc., in Tulsa, which he co-founded in 2000. He serves on the board of directors of Community Health Systems Inc., headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, which operates more than 70 hospitals in more than 20 states.

From 1983-92, he was an executive officer in various financial and accounting areas of Union Carbide Corporation, and when Praxair Inc., was spun off in 1992, he served as its executive vice president and the chief financial officer and a director until 2000.