OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Latest on the death of oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens: (all times local):
6 p.m.
Dignitaries ranging from former President George W. Bush to Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy are paying tribute to legendary oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens.
The Oklahoma native died Wednesday at his Dallas home at age 91.
In a statement, Bush said Pickens had become “a household name across the country because he was bold, imaginative and daring.” The former president also noted that Pickens “generously shared his success with institutions and communities across Texas and Oklahoma.”
In a statement, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said “Pickens’ love and pride for Oklahoma overflowed through his contribution to job creation and economic growth and his generous philanthropy to Oklahoma’s finest institutions.”
Among the institutions to benefit greatly from Pickens’ legacies was Oklahoma State University, his alma mater. University President Burns Hargis said in a statement that “It is impossible to calculate his full impact on Oklahoma State.” He said those “historic gifts to academics and athletics not only transformed the university, they inspired thousands of others to join in the transformation.”
The university’s football stadium bears Pickens’ name. Its football coach, Mike Gundy, said in a statement that “it would have been difficult for us to climb as high we have without him.”
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2:40 p.m.
The president of Oklahoma State University is describing oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens as the “ultimate Cowboy” following the death of one of the university’s most famous alums.
OSU President Burns Hargis said in a statement Wednesday that it was impossible to calculate Pickens’ full impact on the university and that his “mark on our university will last forever.”
The Oklahoma native and OSU graduate was a prolific donor to the university, particularly its athletics program. The football stadium where the Cowboys play underwent a massive renovation after a Pickens donation and now bears his name. The university’s School of Geology also is named in Pickens’ honor.
The university is planning to hold a public ceremony to honor Pickens at the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
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1:17 p.m.
T. Boone Pickens, who amassed a fortune as an oil tycoon and corporate raider and gave much of it away as a philanthropist, has died. He was 91.
Spokesman Jay Rosser confirmed Pickens’ death Wednesday to The Associated Press.
Pickens made his first millions in oil, burnishing an image as a maverick, unafraid to take on giants in the oil patch. Even his name seemed to fit, like central casting’s idea of what an oilman should be named.
Starting in the 1980s, he became known for launching hostile corporate takeover bids that often resulted in a huge payoff. His fortune soared into the billions.
Pickens flirted with the idea of marketing water from West Texas to the state’s metropolitan areas. In a break from his past, he also developed wind farms.
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