Oklahoma State University to award honorary doctorates to Frank and Carol Morsani

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Oklahoma State University alumni and longtime supporters Frank and Carol Morsani of Tampa, Fla., will be awarded honorary doctorates during OSU’s commencement ceremony on May 8 in Stillwater. These will be only the 17th and 18th honorary doctorates awarded at OSU.

“These two individuals have brought tremendous honor and distinction to their alma mater through their success in business and their lifelong commitment to leadership, philanthropy and service to society,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “It is impressive and humbling to know that although they now live in Florida, their hearts remain with OSU.”

The Morsanis will be awarded the Honorary Doctor of Education degrees. The degrees are presented with the support of the OSU Mathematics, Science and Occupational Education Faculty in the OSU College of Education.

“We believe that Frank and Carol Morsani exemplify the kind of people for whom the honorary doctorate was designed, those who have dedicated their lives to improving the world for others through ‘intellectual, scientific, professional or public service contributions,’” said the letter of nomination.

Frank grew up in Ramona, and the former Carol Walsh grew up in Tulsa, and they met as students at Oklahoma A&M. Frank received his bachelor’s degree in trade and industrial education in 1957, and Carol studied interior design in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Both came from humble beginnings, and as a team in marriage and business, they worked their way to great success and positions of national/international leadership.

The Morsanis built Precision Enterprises Tampa, Inc., a trusted automobile empire consisting of 30 dealerships around the country. Morsani’s commitment to ethical leadership and community involvement has led to many leadership and philanthropy opportunities, culminating with his service as chair of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The couple has chosen to invest their wealth and influence to improve society. The passionate philanthropists established “learning, earning and giving” as three rules to life and exhibited their philosophy through actions and words. The couple has given more than $36 million to a variety of areas, including higher education, the performing arts, medical research, leadership and more.

The Morsanis frequently have returned to OSU to interact with students and faculty. They also have established several scholarships for students and an endowed faculty position in the College of Education. In 2007, the Morsanis announced a $5 million planned gift to the College of Education that will establish the Frank and Carol Morsani Center for Ethics and Creative Leadership on the Stillwater campus.

They also were the recipients of the 2005 Henry G. Bennett Award, which is the highest humanitarian award given by OSU, and Frank was inducted into the OSU College of Education Hall of Fame in 2000.

Previous recipients of honorary doctorates include William L. Burlison and William A. Tarr, 1927; Carl Williams and Patrick J. Hurley, 1930; George Bush, 1990; Wilma Mankiller, 1992; Henry Bellmon, 1995; John Montgomery, 1996; Willard R. Sparks, 1998; M.B. “Bud” Seretean, 1999; Hannah Diggs Atkins, 2000; T. Boone Pickens, 2002; Tommy Franks, 2004; Arthur C. Lucas, 2004; George W. Bush, 2006; and Frank J. Williams, 2007.