Boone Pickens Stadium, formerly known as Lewis Field, is home to the Oklahoma State University college football program. Boone Pickens Stadium, the home of Oklahoma State Football, is a far cry from what the student body expected when they were renaming the field before the 1914 football season. Lewis Field, much like the Cowboy football program, was left largely neglected and enjoyed only modest renovations throughout its near-century of existence. However, this all changed in recent history. With the resurgence of Cowboy football sparked by the 2001 16-13 victory over Oklahoma in the annual Bedlam game and the subsequent 2002 Houston Bowl season, interest soon returned to a major overhaul of Lewis Field. An ambitious fund-raising project for the Lewis Field renovation dubbed "The Next Level" became the flagship efforts of the Oklahoma State athletic department, and has been a rousing success thanks in large part to the philanthrophy of Boone Pickens.

In 1914, the student body named the “Athletic Field” after Lowery Laymon Lewis. A former dean of veterinary medicine and of science and literature from Oklahoma A&M, Dr. Lewis was one of the most popular figures in the school’s history.

In addition to his duties as dean and instructor at A&M, Lewis served as the school's acting president in 1914. He was instrumental in the development of experimental stations around the state and, under his brief administration, A&M established the first school of commerce and marketing in the nation.

"Doctor Lew" was highly respected by the school's student body, which named what was Lewis Field in his honor prior to 1914. The university's first yearbook was also dedicated to Dr. Lewis in 1914. While the playing field bore his name (thus two references as Lewis Field and Lewis Stadium), the first grandstand seats were installed in 1920 with 8,000 seats available. The facility originally was positioned in the traditional north-south direction, but switched to east-west to avoid the strong prevailing winds.

The first addition to the stadium came in 1924 with the first steel and concrete portion of the current stadium built on the south side. During the 1929-1930 seasons, 8,000 permanent seats were built on the north side for an overall capacity of 13,000. In 1947 the south stands were increased from 20 to 53 rows and capacity climbed to nearly 30,000. For the first time, a permanent press box was then added.

Prior to the 1950 season, 10,600 more seats were added to the north stands, increasing capacity to 39,000 (including temporary endzone bleachers). The next expansion started after the 1971 season and included the removal of the cinder track, lowering the field 12 feet and adding 20 rows of permanent seats to both sides. This expansion, including a completely artificial turf field, cost $2.5 million and was financed through private donations.

Construction of a press box was completed in 1980 at a cost of $1.8 million. The press box has seating for more than 200 members of the print media, with separate levels for radio/television broadcasters, photographers and VIP seating on the first level capable of handling 300. A lighting system for night games was installed in time for the 1985 season and cost approximately $750,000.

During the 2003 football season, the stadium’s name was changed to honor an OSU alumnus, Boone Pickens.

Pickens, a Texas oilman and entrepreneur, founded Mesa Petroleum Co. in 1956 and served as its CEO from 1956 to 1996. It was one of the largest independent oil and gas companies, in addition to being known for its corporate control contests for Cities Service, Gulf, Phillips and Unocal. (See also T. Boone Pickens, Jr.)

During the 2003 football season, OSU broke ground on a proposed $86 million upgrade to Boone Pickens Stadium which will include a brick exterior to match the modified Georgian architecture of the OSU campus. It will be connected to the Athletics Center. The turf of the stadium was changed in 2005. Phase 2 started in February 2005 and is expected to be completed in Fall 2006. However, the funds used for the expansion of the stadium have been a topic of controversy and discussion among students and the Student Government.

Oklahoma State University officials announced on January 11th, 2006, that Boone Pickens has donated $165 million to be used to fund one of the nation's most comprehensive collegiate athletic complexes during the next five to 10 years.

“My passion for OSU has only intensified over the years as I recognize the link between my education and my success,” said Pickens. “I believe that developing teams that are competitive in all sports requires the best facilities possible. Developing those facilities will help move the university into a new era, both in athletics and academics. Athletics have proven to be a significant contributor in the academic success of an institution, both from a fundraising and a performance perspective.”

A key element of long-term success, Pickens said, is a broader base of alumni financial support for OSU. “We are in a new era and I want to see all alums be a part of it,” he said.

Pickens' gift will help build the west end zone at Boone Pickens Stadium, a multi-purpose indoor practice complex, new soccer, track and tennis facilities, a new equestrian center, a new baseball stadium and new outdoor practice fields.

OSU System CEO and President David Schmidly says the gift is an important complement to the school's strategic plan, “Achieving Greatness,” that calls for the spending of about $500 million on various academic, student life and related initiatives.

“This is a truly remarkable gift,” said Schmidly. “Mr. Pickens' $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.

“We're pleased with Boone's confidence in the leadership of the athletic program and the university, and that he believes so strongly in the overall direction of our institution.”

Pickens has been a generous supporter of OSU athletics and academics, having previously contributed and pledged more than $100 million. In recognition of his academic and athletic gifts, the OSU School of Geology and the university's football stadium are named in his honor.

Pickens is rapidly earning status as one of America's greatest philanthropists[citation needed]. His non-profit gifts in 2005, including his latest OSU contribution, total about $230 million. Of that, OSU giving in 2005 was $190 million. Other major recipients of his giving include the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins and UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“Boone is a winner with a vision and high expectations,” OSU Athletic Director Mike Holder said. “It's now up to us to deliver. His gifts are an inspiration to all Cowboy followers. It is imperative that all Cowboy alumni contribute at a greater level than ever before, and we are dedicating ourselves to making that happen.”

“This is indeed a historic day for Oklahoma State,” said OSU Board of Regents Chairman Burns Hargis. “On behalf of OSU and the OSU Board of Regents we want to say thank you to Mr. Pickens for his indescribable generosity and commitment to OSU. His example the past few years has inspired others to support OSU's academic and athletic initiatives.”

“We congratulate Oklahoma State and commend the leadership of the university and athletic department for this historic announcement today,” Big 12 Conference Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said. “The Big 12 Conference enjoys celebrating success whenever one of our member institutions achieves a significant goal.

“We are pleased a Big 12 institution is the recipient of the largest single gift ever given to an NCAA collegiate athletic program. Big 12 institutions are fortunate to have committed donors who generously support their programs. You cannot be a championship program on a consistent basis without solid financial support. Oklahoma State is blessed to have a donor like Boone Pickens who is willing to invest at an extraordinary level.”

On May 06, 2006, The 43rd President of the United States, George W Bush, visited Boone Pickens Stadium and gave a speech at the commencement of the 2006 graduation ceremony. He was the third US President to speak at an OSU commencement. In 1990, his father, George H. W. Bush spoke at the Spring commencement. And in 1974, Richard Nixon spoke at the May commencement. In the weeks prior to when he was to arrive, there were Anti-Bush rallies planned in the city, and a few graduates marked their mortar board with political messages [1], such as the letter 'W' striked out (in reference to George W Bush's middle initial, and 'No War'). Many protestors, including OSU's 'Young Democrats', held up signs outside the stadium. According to Amanda Wilkerson, a political science graduate student, the concern of the protestors is that "This administration has consistently lied to the people they are supposed to be representing and protecting. We are doing this on behalf of all Americans, because they deserve an honest, accountable government." [2]. However, the protests were matched with wide support for George Bush during his speech at the stadium, by the crowd. Also, Bush supporters expressed their support for the president by holding up their signs outside the stadium. The protests were mainly peaceful, as the OSU Police Department did not report any arrests.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Send by: Gh0st