OSU alumnus from Arkansas funds $500,000 engineering chair
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Hendrix’s vision to propel “premier engineering education for future students
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The owner of First National Bank of De Queen, Hendrix received bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in mechanical engineering from OSU in 1958 and 1960. The gift will create
the John Hendrix Chair in Engineering located within the College of Engineering, Architecture
and Technology.
“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 Hendrix is doing for OSU academics
and research with this generous gift.”
In order to take full advantage of the state’s dollar-for-dollar match, and make the
most significant impact on OSU academics, Hendrix 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 think people get different kinds of blessings, and when you’re blessed you ought
to give back,” said Hendrix. “OSU is a super, superb school that prepares a lot of
people to contribute to our world. I’d like the opportunity to see people get a good,
high-quality engineering education at OSU, just like I did.”
“The response from our engineering and technology alumni to the opportunity created
through the gift from Mr. Pickens has been overwhelming”, said Karl Reid, Dean of
the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. “Endowed faculty positions
allow our college to attract and retain recognized scholars with strong teaching and
student mentoring abilities, and who can provide intellectual leadership in a technology
area of strategic importance to OSU.”
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.