There are a handful of people who manage to revolutionize the business world; T. Boone Pickens happens to be one of those titans. Due to his persistent work ethic, he has helped Oklahoma to become a powerhouse in the aspect of oil and has also improved his alma mater: Oklahoma State University. From humble beginnings, T. Boone Pickens has risen to success throughout his career in the oil business and has gained recognition from his generous contributions to society. The early days of Pickens was that of an average child during his era. On May 22, 1928, Thomas Boone Pickens was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma to Thomas Boone Pickens and Grace Malonson Pickens (“Early Day”). Pickens started making history once he was born. Thomas was the first Caesarean Section in the history of Holdenville hospital(“Early Days”). His birth place is often described as an “Oklahoma speck in the grand sweep of the Great Plains”. Pickens likes to say he grew up “where the pavement ends, the West begins, and the …show more content…
Boone Pickens is a native to Oklahoma. Having been born in Holdenville, he was taught the value of hard work and never forgot where he came form. In return, Pickens has been very generous with his fortune and frequently donates. His most notable donation to Oklahoma would be OSU. Oklahoma State University went from and unknown tean to a Big 12 Championship winner. Their success has a lot to do with Pickens’ sizable contribution to its academic and athletic facilities. His first gift came on December 30, 2005, with a donation of $165 million to OSU. All profits of the fund go to enlarging the gift (Allen and Gundy 75). The gift was intended to help fund the upgrade of the football stadium and construction of an athletic village(“About T. Boone Pickens’). Pickens’ gift remains to be the largest donation to a university’s athletic program in collegiate history(Allens and Gundy 110). After everything was said and done, Pickens donated over $1 billion to Oklahoma State