Donald and Cathey Humphreys donate $6 million to expand OSU's Study Abroad Program

Friday, September 3, 2010

Gift pushes Branding Success - The Campaign for Oklahoma State University Past $600 million

Distinguished Oklahoma State University (OSU) alumnus Donald Humphreys and his wife Cathey have donated $6 million to support the University's study abroad program within OSU’s School of International Studies, it was announced today by OSU President V. Burns Hargis.  

“Today’s students must understand what drives global business success,” Hargis said. “They already live globally, and upon their graduation from Oklahoma State, many will work globally too.  They must know how to work and succeed in different cultures.  The best way for students to gain the knowledge and skills to succeed globally is to study abroad. So, today, thanks to a visionary gift from Don and Cathey Humphreys, more Oklahoma State faculty members and students than ever will be spanning the globe in the semesters ahead.”

The gift funds several endowed faculty chairs and student scholarships in the OSU School of International Studies.  The immediate impact stretches beyond $6 million to $14 million because of matches from the $100 million chair challenge and $100 million scholarship challenge gifts pledged by OSU alumnus T. Boone Pickens.

“During a three-year period in my career, my family and I lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That experience gave us a deep appreciation for the importance of knowing how to conduct business across different customs, geography and politics,” said Donald Humphreys, a senior executive at Exxon Mobil Corp. “For students at Oklahoma State to be genuinely prepared to work in today’s increasingly interdependent world, they must have opportunities to study in other countries. Cathey and I are very pleased to be able to make this gift to OSU in support of the President’s vision to make sure our students are indeed given educational experiences that will stimulate intellectual growth and deliver a truly global perspective.”

In response to the generous gift, Dr. David Henneberry, associate vice president of international studies and outreach at OSU, said the gift means many more OSU students and faculty members will truly have an educational opportunity of a lifetime. “The field of international studies has become more important than ever for today’s OSU student,” Henneberry said. “Our study abroad program at OSU is an incredible way for our students to learn through firsthand, real-life experiences. The various study abroad programs immerse students into different cultures and extend their horizons. As a result of this wonderful gift from the Humphreys, we will expand our study abroad program to include more destinations, involve more faculty members, and most important, enroll more OSU students in the program. We are very grateful to the Humphreys for their gift.”

Branding Success Campaign Update
The Humphreys’ gift pushes the total amount of money raised to-date past the $600 million mark, reported Ross McKnight, who along with his wife, Billie, chair the one billion dollar Branding Success campaign.  “As the result of the generosity of more than 55,000 donors the past three years, we have established 383 new scholarships as well as 118 new faculty chair positions. Deferred gifts have reached $138 million, providing important support for future generations,” McKnight said.  He went on to report that more than 450 donors have participated in the Pickens Legacy Scholarship Match program with $18.5 million already committed and another $20 million in discussion.

“The Branding Success campaign is only in the third year of a seven-year effort, and already OSU is stronger because of it,” said McKnight. “This is an ambitious and historic undertaking at OSU, and to reach the 60 percent mark in the billion dollar goal this soon is a remarkable accomplishment. We have a ways to go before we can declare victory. Our success thus far increases our confidence that we will reach the goal, and do so earlier rather than later.”