STILLWATER — Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder found himself pondering a difficult question this month after OSU alums Malone and Amy Mitchell gave the athletic department nearly $30 million.
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“I thought, how do you say thank you to someone who gave that much support and showed that much faith in what you’re trying to accomplish?” Holder said of the Mitchells, who also gave an equal amount to the university’s business school to start and entrepreneurship program.
“And I thought perhaps (Holder’s wife) Robbie and I should show support for what he’s trying to accomplish, and of course we support the academic side as well,” Holder said.
To that end, the Holders gave $1 million this week to the new entrepreneurship program in the form of an endowed chair.
“I think he also wanted to demonstrate that he’s part of the entire university team, not just the athletic side,” OSU president Burns Hargis said.
With that gift Holder estimates that he and his wife have given the university more than $2.5 million, including a $500,000 scholarship they endowed in the name of Vernon Grant in 2006.
“The good news is this won’t be our last gift,” Holder said. “The bad news is we don’t have as much money as Boone and Madeleine Pickens.”
Pickens, of course, is part of the reason that the Holders’ gift of $1 million will actually be a gift of $4 million. This spring the billionaire donor gave $100 million to fund endowed chairs and agreed that his donation can be used to match other donations to faculty chairs. The Holders' doubled donation then also qualified for matching dollars from the state of Oklahoma.
“Being a typical woman shopper, a bargain hunter, (Robbie) looked at it and saw you get a 75 percent discount,” Holder joked. “Who can give up that kind of deal?”
For the athletic director the gift is also personal. Holder has a degree in marketing and an MBA from OSU’s business school.
“He’s always been a stickler for the academic part of the college experience,” Hargis said. “His golf teams always had one of the best graduation rates, and that’s important to him. He’s got an MBA himself, and I’ve seen him use that very skillfully himself over the years.”
On Saturday Holder spoke about the importance of having a strong academic faculty, comparing professors to the coaches he hires.
“Like in athletics, the most important commodity we have is our students,” Holder said. “But students are here four to six years. Coaches can be here – well, I coached for 30 years. Our most successful programs have had coaches who stayed many years. And like quality coaches bring quality athletes, quality professors bring quality students. We need to figure out a way to pay our faculty better, and these gifts give us a chance to do that. This is a way in investing in the future of the university.”
Darryl, there is a difference between one time donations and the regular tuition fees. Just because there are millions currently being donated, that doesn't mean the university can shut down. These funds are going to endowment and/or capitol improvements. The tuition fees go to keep the lights on and keep the university running. It would be similar to if you paid off your house with a gift from a family member. You probably would still need your job to keep the regular bills paid, but you would have one less obligation.
All of the donations to both OU and OSU is a win win for Oklahoma kids. The important thing is that our kids are going to college and getting an education. Congradulations to both schools.
If you have a problem with it, I'm sure no one would care if you quit eating meat, since you sure don't seem to appreciate where it comes from and those who provide it to you. Since you're at it, why don't you just quit eating all together since many people in agriculture raise both animals and other commodities such as grains and vegetables. Next time you take a bite from a hamburger, think about the hard work that's gone into it, from the cow-calf operator to the processor and everyone in between, to keep it safe and wholesome so you can come on here and bash those who provide it to you. Why don't you keep the comments focused on sports and not people's livelihoods?
I've heard that Holder will start to allow endowing seats in the football stadium. With the expected increases total cost for football tickets, endowing a single seat in BPS will cost about $5 million.
David- You're confusing Jacof with your use of logic and reason. That is specifically why he dropped out of High School so that he wouldn't have to worry about those types of things. It's much more fun for him to post on here during his smoke break. Jacof, time to get back to work. Those jock-straps of the OU football players won't clean themselves. That's why they pay you the hourly wage you make.
So now Jacob has decided to join in the stupidity by complaining about Animal Husbandry (Animal Science) at OSU. Well, the livestock industry (beef, dairy, swine, sheep, poultry, horses) in Oklahoma has a value of many billions of dollars and is among the most important industries in the state. No doubt, OU grads as well as OSU grads participate in the livestock industry. Where do you suppose individuals in the industry look to for advice on how to improve their industry? The correct answer is the Department of Animal Science at Oklahoma State University. It is a world-class academic department with nationally and internationally known teaching, research and extension programs.
Jacob- You seem to be very interested in "animal husbandry." I know I've seen you (and only you) post on here several times about it. Apparently, as Keith points out, your tired joke isn't even true. The reality of it is... if it weren't for Animal Husbandry, I have my doubts that you would have ever been conceived.
Jacob from Tulsa, yes there is an animal science program at OSU. It is no longer called animal husbandry. I am a 2 time graduate of OSU and as a matter of fact, I hold a Master's Degree in Animal Science and am doing fairly well for myself these days. Oklahoma A&M was the original school name. The A stands for Agricultural. The college was started for agriculture and mechanical studies as were a majority of the colleges in the Big 12: OSU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State. So make fun of us if it makes yourself feel better, but I have to ask, did you even go to OU, much less any college?
With all these millions coming in why can't OSU give the regular students a break and have this year tuition free? Now that would be the best way to use the money.
Carl, I am now laughing my -ss of because the world just found a new poster child for birth control, but true happiness would have been seeing your face on the back of a milk carton. You are an embarrassment to the state of Oklahoma.
through all of this, there still is a legit class a person can take at OSU, and it is called "animal Husbandry". If I was OSU I would have kept this kind of thing hidden, animal husbandry is a real thing at OSU, it is people. The funny thing is, people get mad when you make fun of OSU, how bizarre!
Thanks to John from Destin. The comments from Carl, his fellow OU bottom dwellers, and their equivalents from OSU become very tiring. There are good stories from both universities, such as this one, and it would be nice if, just once, they could be placed online without the inevitable dreck that shows up from the bottom end of the fans from both universities.
Carl, there are few times I am embarrassed to be an OU grad twice. I donate money to OU, certainly not from resources of T. Boone Pickens, the Malones, or now Mike Holder, but your comments are just out of line. The question arises, at least with me, do you even donate to OU? If not, why not?
Mr. Holder is a person I have great respect. I certainly do not agree with his season ticket policy which is clearly directed at OU fan-atics who may, despite my disagreement, actually fall into this ploy. But, Mr. Holder is an honorable man who stands up and fades the heat from all directions and provides straight answers to criticism. I have emailed Mr. Holder with some of these disagreements. I receive answers from him, and they are clearly from him, which are direct, reasoned, without emotion, and well thought. OSU has a good athletic director and a good president. In fact, I look at Mr. Holder and Mr. Hargis, respectively, and I can see someone at OSU thought the model of President Boren and Joe Castigleone was a good one, was working, and producing positive results. To be copied is the highest form of flattery. It is shame you don't realize this fact.
Congratulations to Coach Holder for putting his money where his mouth is, and furthermore, putting his money to meet a need greater than merely possessing the best athletic facilities or the best athletic teams. Well done, Coach Holder.
Carl, what kind of slime would try to type their graffiti over a story like this? On one hand we have someone willing to donate $1 million dollars of their own money to academics and on the other hand we have you. Apparently, this speaks to what you and your sorry life are capable of doing. I would love to meet you in real life....I bet you're a real piece of work. Pathetic.
How is college tuition cost rises it seems every year along with all the alumina's "donations"? Yes I am a OU fan but also a OSU fan at moments. Bottoms line is where is all the sport revenue monies going to. Apparently not toward education, thus tuition increases wouldn't happen.
Oswhoo does not have any idea what to do with the money that they have received lately. No one there is able to count that high, so they will lose it all, just like their football and basketball teams lose most of their games.
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What are you talking about???
What are you talking about???
If you have a problem with it, I'm sure no one would care if you quit eating meat, since you sure don't seem to appreciate where it comes from and those who provide it to you. Since you're at it, why don't you just quit eating all together since many people in agriculture raise both animals and other commodities such as grains and vegetables. Next time you take a bite from a hamburger, think about the hard work that's gone into it, from the cow-calf operator to the processor and everyone in between, to keep it safe and wholesome so you can come on here and bash those who provide it to you. Why don't you keep the comments focused on sports and not people's livelihoods?
Mr. Holder is a person I have great respect. I certainly do not agree with his season ticket policy which is clearly directed at OU fan-atics who may, despite my disagreement, actually fall into this ploy. But, Mr. Holder is an honorable man who stands up and fades the heat from all directions and provides straight answers to criticism. I have emailed Mr. Holder with some of these disagreements. I receive answers from him, and they are clearly from him, which are direct, reasoned, without emotion, and well thought. OSU has a good athletic director and a good president. In fact, I look at Mr. Holder and Mr. Hargis, respectively, and I can see someone at OSU thought the model of President Boren and Joe Castigleone was a good one, was working, and producing positive results. To be copied is the highest form of flattery. It is shame you don't realize this fact.
Congratulations to Coach Holder for putting his money where his mouth is, and furthermore, putting his money to meet a need greater than merely possessing the best athletic facilities or the best athletic teams. Well done, Coach Holder.
You are all class. Even the OU fans are embarassed for you.