Oil Tycoon Gives $165-Million to Oklahoma State U.

By Caroline Preston

Boone Pickens, the oil and investment executive, has donated $165-million to support athletics at Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater. The gift is the largest single donation to a college athletics program in U.S. history, university officials said.

Mr. Pickens graduated from the university in 1951 with a degree in geology. He is the founder of Mesa Petroleum, an oil and gas company, and of BP Capital, an investment firm in Dallas.

The university will use the donation to build soccer, track, and tennis facilities, an indoor practice area, an equestrian center, a baseball stadium, and outdoor practice fields, and for improvements at the Boone Pickens Stadium.

"My passion for OSU has only intensified over the years as I recognize the link between my education and my success," Mr. Pickens said in a statement. "Athletics have proven to be a significant contributor in the academic success of an institution, both from a fund-raising and a performance perspective."

Mr. Pickens's previous gifts to Oklahoma State University have totaled more than $100-million. He gave about $230-million to nonprofit organizations, including Oklahoma State, in 2005.

David J. Schmidly, the university's president, said the donation would help the university strengthen its reputation and improve all its programs.

"This is a truly remarkable gift," he said in a statement. "Mr. Pickens''s $165-million donation to our athletic program is a critical component of our three-pronged approach to developing a top-tier university. Athletics, academics, and student life must all fit together to build a competitive institution."