Accounting Alumnus & Wife Honor OSU Mentor Through $250,000 Endowed Professorship

Tulsa residents hope to inspire new accounting professor within Spears School of Business

Oklahoma State University announced today a $500,000 gift received from Tulsa residents Tucker and Vickie Link to establish an endowed chair in accounting honoring Tucker’s mentor and OSU accounting professor, Dr. Wilton “Andy” Anderson. Once fully matched dollar-for-dollar by T. Boone Pickens’ $100 million chair match commitment, as well as the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the gift will have the impact of $1 million in endowed funds.

Link is the current owner of Knightsbridge Resources LLC in Tulsa, and is a ’72 accounting graduate from OSU. Vickie obtained her interior design degree from OSU’s Human Environmental College in 1970.

“The response from our alumni and friends has exceeded our wildest expectations,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.  “Inspired by Boone Pickens’ astounding generosity, donors answered the call to make a lasting difference and open a new and exciting chapter at OSU.  We sincerely appreciate Tucker and Vickie for this wonderful gift that will be used for the benefit of future students and faculty within the school of accounting.” 

In order to take full advantage of the state’s dollar-for-dollar match, and make the most significant impact on OSU academics, the Links made their gift prior to the July 1 change in the state’s endowed chair matching program.  This gift is part of the $66.8 million in endowed faculty gifts OSU announced recently.  

“Both Vickie and I received degrees from OSU.  I received my degree in accounting at OSU which gave me the foundation for my career in business,” said Tucker. “Had it not been for a good friend and fraternity brother who introduced me to Dr. Anderson, I wouldn’t have been in accounting/business.  Dr. Anderson personally took the time to explain to me the opportunities in an accounting education/career for a graduate from OSU-Accounting.  He was quite confident in and proud of the accounting department [rightly so] and he personally counseled me on what my course schedules should be and encouraged me to complete my degree program. Thanks Andy.  Vickie and I would like to create the possibility for every OSU student to be lucky enough to meet just one professor like Dr. Anderson while at OSU.”

Jean Van Delinder, chair of the OSU Faculty Council, said, “OSU is poised for growth and further prominence but to realize its full potential we must continue to attract and retain top scholars and researchers. These chairs highlight the important role that scholarship and teaching play at Oklahoma State University, and they are made possible through the generous support of donors who value excellence in scholarship and want to help OSU continue to nurture a strong faculty.”

Endowed professorships and chairs are academic designations which provide support for faculty salary, graduate assistantships, equipment and research needs, as well as other support.  These endowed faculty positions allow a university to attract and retain the best and the brightest academic minds in the world.

Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach.  OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations.  Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world.  

The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

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