Kingfisher Alumni Honor Former Ag Teacher with $250,000 Professorship at OSU

Stuteville’s vision to increase number of high-quality ag teachers in Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University has received a $250,000 gift from Kingfisher residents Jack and Joyce Stuteville and First Capital Bank to establish an agriculture education professorship in honor of Jack’s high school agriculture teacher, Rodger Howell. 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.

The CEO of First Capital Bank of Guthrie and Kingfisher and current Kingfisher Mayor, Jack received an agriculture education degree from OSU in 1969. He currently serves on the board of trustees of the OSU Foundation, and is also involved in a cattle and farming operation in Kingfisher and Okeene-Hitchcock area. Additionally, Jack is a former agricultural teacher at Waukomis and Lomega. Joyce also received an OSU degree in elementary education in 1969.

The gift will create the Rodger Howell Memorial Professorship in Agricultural Education located within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. This endowed position will help Oklahoma agriculture meet one of the important challenges it will face in the 21st century: preparing an educated workforce to meet industry needs.

“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 what Jack and Joyce have done for the benefit of OSU academics and research and value this lasting way they have chosen to honor one of Jack’s heroes.”

Jack first met Howell as a student at Kingfisher high school at a time when the small Oklahoma school had more American Farmers in their chapter than any other throughout the country.

“[Howell] was such a special individual who knew how to capture your attention and he really encouraged my interest in agriculture,” said Jack. “I think teachers, specifically ag teachers in Oklahoma, make a big difference. It’s not a glamorous profession and these teachers don’t often get the recognition they deserve. We simply hope our gift honors these educators and helps the industry continue producing quality ag teachers for our state.”

In order to take full advantage of the state’s dollar-for-dollar match, and make the most significant impact on OSU academics, the Stutevilles made the 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.

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 professorship 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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