Bellmon, Endowment Improve Scholar Development at OSU
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
(STILLWATER, Okla., June 24, 2009) – Former governor and U.S. senator Henry Bellmon
changed the face of scholar development at Oklahoma State University. Today his legacy
lives on through the Henry Bellmon Endowment, a fund that will provide scholarships
and support scholar development and research at OSU.
The farmer from Billings, Okla., graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1942
before serving his country, earning a Silver Star in World War II, and later his state
in two terms as governor. Bellmon also served on the Truman Scholar selection committee
and returned to his alma mater nearly 15 years ago to investigate why the University
was not producing more qualified students.
His visit prompted OSU to create a scholar development office, which became a model
nationally. His suggestions led to an OSU student winning a Truman Scholarship the
next year. That was the first of 11 in the next 15 years for the University that was
designated a Truman Honor School in 2000, becoming the first college so recognized
in the state, for outstanding results in undergraduate scholarship and leadership.
Today OSU is well known nationally not only for Truman Scholars but for many others,
including numerous Goldwaters and the school’s first Rhodes, Gates, Mitchell, Jack
Kent Cooke, Pickering, Udall and Oxford Clarendon awards – more than 50 in all since
Bellmon’s initial involvement. These results illustrate how OSU Scholar Development
programming, combined with OSU’s Honors College faculty, can inspire students to achieve
greatness.
The Bellmon Endowment was created about a year ago with gifts from Bellmon; Louis
Blair, former executive secretary of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation; and
OSU graduate Bryan Begley, a 1994 Truman Scholar and Rhodes Scholar nominee. This
fund will make more enrichment opportunities available to students by providing funding
for scholarships, Scholar Development support and undergraduate research.
For more information about the Bellmon Endowment, contact George Wendt at gwendt@osugiving.com
or 405-744-3787.