Tulsa couple provides $250,000 for OSU sports journalism faculty position
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Endowed position to focus on accurate, honest sports reporting
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The gift was made in response to a challenge from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism
Foundation who fronted the initial $250,000 and requested a donor match to fully fund
the position.
“We are delighted the Welches have made this generous gift that will allow us to strengthen
sports journalism at OSU and as result improve the profession in Oklahoma and beyond,”
said OSU President Burns Hargis. “We appreciate them taking advantage of the various
matching opportunities to honor two renowned Oklahoma sports writers with this gift.”
In order to take full advantage of the state’s dollar-for-dollar match, and make the
most significant impact on OSU academics, the Welches 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.
The couple was encouraged to make the gift because Peggy is an OSU broadcast and journalism
alumna as well as to honor a dear friend, B. A. Bridgewater, who was a famous sports
writer. The gift is intended to teach quality sports reporting and writing as exemplified
by the writing of Bridgewater and his protégé, Bill Connors, both of whom worked for
the Tulsa World.
“These two individuals were contemporaries of Red Smith, Bob Considine, John R. Tunis,
Grantland Rice, Jim Murray, Harold Keith, John Cronley and others who set the gold
standard of reporting honestly and accurately without abusing the enormous power that
goes with sports reporting, sports writing and commenting,” said Bill Welch. “We
are delighted that Mr. Pickens' generous giving will double this gift, and feel sure
that Mr. Pickens would have read “Telling The World”, written by Mr. Bridgewater,
during Pickens time growing up in Holdenville and Stillwater.”
The gift was also prompted by Pickens’ historic $100 million academic donation on
May 21. Pickens’ gift will more than double the number of current faculty chair and
professorship positions at the university and he generously agreed that his donation
can be used to match other donor gifts to faculty chairs and professorships in the
area of the donor’s choice, and in the name of their choice. With the state match
on both gifts, OSU donors can see their gift to fund a faculty chair quadruple.
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 professorship 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.