The University of Oklahoma is on pace to set an all-time high for private support, OU President David Boren announced recently.

"Through May 15, the University has received over $210 million in gifts, fully executed pledges and gifts-in-kind," Boren said in a press release.

The figure is expected to go higher by the June 30 ending date, he said. This will break the previous University all-time record of $190 million set last year.

"We are deeply grateful for the continued generosity of our alumni and friends," Boren said. "Their contributions have made so much of our progress possible, including vitally important support for the Campaign for Scholarships, which has allowed OU to increase the number of privately funded scholarships to more than 8,500 students in 2007, up from 4,630 in 2004, as well as funds for facilities and endowed faculty positions." OU also received an outpouring of gifts for the Reforestation Campaign to replace hundreds of trees lost on our campuses in the December ice storm.

OU has received cash gifts and gifts-in-kind totaling more than $150 million through May 2008, compared to $125 million in private gifts and gifts-in-kind at this time last year, said Tripp Hall, vice president for University Development.

Final numbers on private gifts will not be available until the books are closed for the 2008 fiscal year on June 30, but Hall said OU will significantly top last year's record-setting fundraising year of $138.9 million in gifts and gifts-in-kind.

Total gifts including pledges were $190 million last year, and OU has already passed $210 million this year, not including another $15 million in bequests made this year.

Hall emphasized that the $150 million figure only includes gifts that have been received through May. Many major gift commitments that already have been announced will be fulfilled over a period of several months and in the coming years.

Major gifts and pledges this year include $50 million from the George Kaiser Family Foundation for the School of Community Medicine at OU-Tulsa.

Other major gifts received during this time period have been made in support of the OU Cancer Institute, the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center, new faculty chairs and professorships in a broad range of areas, and a naming gift for the Honors College from Katie and Aubrey McClendon.

Scholarships continued to be a major focus for OU donors, including the establishment of the Jeannine Rainbolt Scholarship for Elementary Students in the College of Education, and the completion of the Curtis Mewbourne Matching Campaign for scholarships and fellowships in the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.

A number of facilities also attracted major gifts including the College of Architecture's Gould Hall expansion, the renovation of the Sarkeys Energy Center, and the new Athletics residence project.