OSU receives $300K gift from ExxonMobil Foundation

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

On Tuesday, Oklahoma State University announced gifts totaling over $282,000 from the ExxonMobil Foundation to benefit more than 30 campus units.

Don Humphreys, ExxonMobil senior vice president and treasurer and 1971 OSU engineering alumnus, recently presented the check to Interim OSU System CEO and President Marlene Strathe and other key officials.

From left: Kirk A. Jewell, president, OSU Foundation; Dr. Marlene Strathe, interim CEO and president, OSU System; Don Humphreys, senior vice president and treasurer, ExxonMobil Corporation; Dr. Sara Freedman, dean, Spears School of Business.

“Thanks to its generous and visionary matching program, this gift from ExxonMobil and its employees and retirees will have a far-reaching and lasting impact on academics across our campus,” Strathe said. “We greatly appreciate ExxonMobil’s commitment to higher education and its years of valuable support to OSU.”

A longtime proponent of higher education, ExxonMobil has given nearly $4 million to OSU and provides the most generous corporate matching program that assists the university’s students, faculty and programs.

"Oklahoma State University prepares able leaders and professionals for ExxonMobil who, in turn, elevate the overall success of our company," Humphreys said. "Our mutual aspirations can only be realized through shared partnerships, and ExxonMobil is proud to invest in the future of the university and its students.”

ExxonMobil’s Matching Gift program matches gifts to higher education on a 3-to-1 basis. Matching gifts provide an effective way for OSU alumni and friends to maximize personal contributions to the university and increase the impact of their gifts. By taking advantage of the company's matching gift program, ExxonMobil donors can triple the contribution amount, which could turn a $2,500 gift into a $10,000 gift, for example.

The funds provided to OSU this year will support a variety of academic endeavors such as scholarships, program development, lecture series, graduate studies, equipment purchases, career services, multicultural development and other academic projects.

“ExxonMobil has long been a strong proponent of higher education, and their gift matching program demonstrates their incredible commitment to their employees and universities all over the nation,” said Kirk Jewell, OSU Foundation president and CEO. “ExxonMobil is one of the world’s leading corporate citizens, and OSU is extremely grateful for the significant impact this gift makes for our programs. We applaud ExxonMobil’s forward thinking and willingness to partner with the university to create opportunities for students now and for years to come.”

This year, ExxonMobil Corporation employees and the ExxonMobil Foundation have provided more than $33 million to 953 participating colleges and universities. Under the ExxonMobil Foundation’s Educational Matching Gift Program, a donor can give up to $7,500 a year to colleges and universities with which they are affiliated. The Foundation matches those gifts on a 3-to-1 basis up to $22,500.