STILLWATER — Oklahoma State University and alumni Kayleen and Larry Ferguson announced a $50 million gift from the Ferguson Family Foundation that will transform the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in a variety of ways, including a new name.

Pending approval from the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents, the college will be renamed the Ferguson College of Agriculture in recognition of the gift, which is among the largest in OSU’s nearly 130-year history.

The funds will create a $25 million endowment for the college’s operations and designate $25 million to kick-start a fundraising campaign for an innovative research and teaching building.

Through the New Frontiers campaign, the university seeks to raise $50 million in private support for the planned $100 million teaching and research facility, with construction beginning in the spring of 2021.

Dr. Thomas G. Coon, OSU’s vice president for agricultural programs and dean of the renamed college, said the historic gift’s support and the cutting-edge facility will allow the Ferguson College of Agriculture to unequivocally emerge as a leader in agricultural and natural resource programs across the country and around the world.

“This project will change and modernize our research and the way we teach scientific subjects. It all goes back to the premise of being a modern, land-grant institution,” Coon said. “Research has the promise to change the way we grow food and care for the natural environment we rely on. It can transform Oklahoma’s economy, fostering innovation that will feed a growing world.”

Gov. Kevin Stitt said OSU sets the pace for research in Oklahoma, noting it is included as a top-tier research university in the Carnegie Classifications.

“The agriculture industry in our state also employs over 300,000 Oklahomans that are truly feeding and fueling the world,” he said. “The success and rich history of agriculture in our state is due in large part to this institution and what it means to our state … I commend the university for the innovation, for the teaching, the research and the extension efforts that have been critical to the growth of our state.”

Kayleen and Larry Ferguson said their faith, belief in education and love for the OSU family inspired their giving.

“We have a responsibility to the betterment of future generations,” Kayleen said. “You have to work hard, but you have to pass it on as well. It’s not yours to keep. It’s not yours to hold onto. It’s yours to pass on.”

Both Fergusons credit Oklahoma State as an impetus for much of the success they experienced throughout their lives.

“I would never have become CEO without coming to Oklahoma State and going through the program here,” Larry said. “Kay and I believe education is the way to solve the economic problems of our country. This gift is about more than just education. This is a way of helping feed the world. It is our sincerest hope that our fellow alumni will invest in the future of OSU Agriculture and join us in the New Frontiers campaign.”

The Fergusons have already begun transforming agricultural programs at OSU through their contributions to the Ferguson Family Dairy Center. The couple, who met as students in 1975, announced the lead gift for that project in 2015 and celebrated its grand opening in 2017. Since then, OSU has attracted students from across the country who want to be a part of the dairy program and live in Helms Hall. In total, Kayleen and Larry Ferguson have given nearly $55 million to Oklahoma State through the Ferguson Family Foundation.

Larry is the retired president and CEO of Schreiber Foods, the world’s largest employee-owned dairy company, and Kayleen is a retired educator who primarily taught English. The couple live in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and have three grown sons and seven grandchildren.

Through the Ferguson Family Foundation, they have supported many initiatives in their communities and churches. At OSU, the Fergusons have been active in their support of athletics and the department of animal and food sciences, where Larry earned his bachelor’s degree in 1975. Larry was named the OSU Animal Science Graduate of Distinction in 2002 and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 2016. The OSU Alumni Association recognized both Fergusons as Distinguished Alumni in 2017.