Donors who attended the Heritage Society celebration have accounted for nearly $75 million in lifetime giving to OSU.

OSU hosts Heritage Society for tours of O’Brate Stadium, University House

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director or Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu

Every person in the Wes Watkins Center ballroom held the same commitment: to change the life of someone they will never meet.

Derrick Davies, assistant vice president of gift planning

On May 5, Oklahoma State University welcomed members of Heritage Society back to campus for a special celebration of their generosity. The group consists of alumni and friends who have made a commitment to OSU by will, revocable living trust, life insurance, life-income gift, retirement account designation or other deferred gift arrangement.

Those in attendance accounted for nearly $75 million in lifetime giving to the university, including more than $46 million in planned gifts.

A Heritage Society member gets into his batting stance during the O’Brate Stadium tour.

“The passion this group has for OSU is special,” said Derrick Davies, assistant vice president of gift planning. “I always look forward to this opportunity to share with them the impact these gifts have had, and will continue to have on campus.”

Heritage Society, which has 1,922 total members, continues to grow, adding 37 new members in the past year. In total, the group has donated more than $725 million that will one day benefit OSU.

In the past two years, realized estate gifts have supported everywhere from larger funds, such as general university and academic affairs, to more specific interests, such as integrative biology and fire protection and safety technology.

“It’s really incredible to see the range of areas these donations touch,” OSU Foundation President Blaire Atkinson said. “Nearly every corner of the university will be impacted by these planned gifts.”

The event began at O’Brate Stadium, where Heritage Society members took guided tours for a look inside OSU’s state-of-the-art baseball complex. They walked through the locker room, heard from staff members and even played a quick game of ping-pong in the lobby.

After the tours concluded, everyone was shuttled to the Wes Watkins Center to enjoy a wonderful lunch while hearing from university leaders, including OSU President Kayse Shrum.

“At OSU, we understand the significance of your commitment,” Dr. Shrum said. “We cherish those who choose to invest in OSU and the thousands of students who will use their education to improve the world.”

Raedyn Magness, a senior studying molecular biology, has firsthand experience of the impact Heritage Society has on students. She is a recipient of multiple planned giving scholarships.

President Shrum spends time chatting with donors during their walkthrough of the University House.

During lunch, Magness shared that her mom was impressed by the friendliness and inclusiveness her daughter received by strangers at a scholarship reception. She credited donors for making the Cowboy family what it is today.

“You all have established this family culture at OSU,” Magness said. “And you continue to pour into us and our campus so that we can continue to inspire those same feelings for so many more generations of students.”

The day ended with an opportunity to walk through the newly renovated University House, the home of the OSU president. Donors had the opportunity to chat with Shrum and enjoy a dessert reception on the front lawn.

Photos by: Bryanna Freer

Story by: Grant Ramirez | STATE Magazine