The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., has made a $1.5 million gift to University of the Ozarks to create an endowed scholarship fund for students.
The gift was made in conjunction with the Mabee Foundation’s 75th anniversary. The scholarship will support full-time students who come from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri or Kansas and who have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
The Mabee Foundation has supported U of O since the 1950s when it provided funds for the University’s Mabee Gymnasium. The foundation has also supported the University’s Mabee Administration Building, Mabee Residence Hall and Wilson Science Center.
“We are extremely grateful to the Mabee Foundation for investing in the success of Ozarks students through the creation of the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Endowed Scholarship Fund,” said University President Richard Dunsworth. “For more than 60 years, the Mabee Foundation has blessed this University through an impressive legacy of philanthropy and collaboration and this scholarship is another testament of the foundation’s desire to enrich the lives of others. University of the Ozarks has a proud and rich history of serving disadvantaged and first generation college students and scholarships like these allow us to continue our mission of preparing students who come from diverse economic backgrounds. The Mabee scholarship endowment will help remove financial barriers for students, facilitate on-time graduation, and assist in reducing student debt burden.”
The scholarships will be worth at least $10,000 annually and will be awarded to as many as seven students “who demonstrate the characteristics associated with John and Lottie Mabee, such as a strong work ethic, volunteerism, generosity, integrity, honesty, humility and charity.”
The Mabee Foundation was formed in 1948 by Missouri natives and Oklahoma residents John and Lottie Mabee. John, who did not complete high school, and Lottie were hard workers, innovative entrepreneurs and shrewd investors. Starting with nothing, they built an impressive business and were gracious and generous as they shared their financial blessings with others through various forms of philanthropy. John and Lottie, who had no children, formed the Foundation in 1948 and ultimately both left the bulk of their estates to the Foundation.
Since its formation in 1948, the Mabee Foundation has made grants totaling over $1.5 billion. Limited to capital expenditures and the purchase of major medical equipment, the Mabee Foundation exclusively funds projects located in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.
Topics: About, Donor Spotlights, Scholarship