Gov. Stitt to speak at OSU undergraduate ceremonies Saturday

Monday, December 9, 2019

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will be the commencement speaker at both OSU undergraduate ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 14 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

Stitt graduated from OSU with an accounting degree in 1996 and has gone on be a successful entrepreneur and businessman.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gov. Stitt back to campus,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “His commitment to improving education and job growth bode well for our current students and graduates entering the workforce.”

Stitt opened a mortgage company nearly 20 years ago in Tulsa that grew into Gateway Mortgage Group, operating in more than 40 states and servicing more than $17 billion in residential mortgages.

This past May, his company merged with Farmers Exchange Bank — which was founded in 1935 — to create Gateway First Bank.

Headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma, Gateway First Bank is one of the 10 largest banks in the state with $1.2 billion in assets, more than 1,200 employees and 160 mortgage centers throughout the country, according to the governor’s website.

Stitt will address many of the roughly 1,800 fall graduates, who will be led into Gallagher-Iba Arena by the OSU Pipes & Drums Band and seated by college.

The first undergraduate ceremony begins Dec. 14 at 10:30 a.m. for students from the colleges of Human Sciences; Education, Health and Aviation; and the Spears School of Business.

The 1:30 p.m. ceremony is for graduates from the colleges of Arts and Sciences; Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; and Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Honorary degrees will be presented to philanthropists Michael and Anne Greenwood and OSU’s first lady, Ann Hargis.

Commencement for graduate students is 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Live, streaming video of each of the commencement ceremonies will be available at ostate.tv.

For more information about commencement activities, visit commencement.okstate.edu.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Monica Roberts | Director of Media Relations | 405-744-4800 | monica.roberts@okstate.edu