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OSU President Hargis to Retire July 1, 2021

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Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis announced on Friday he will retire July 1, 2021, after 13 years leading the university.

The former attorney and Bank of Oklahoma vice chairman is just the second OSU graduate to serve as its president.

"During our time at Oklahoma State, we have marveled at the boundless talents across our campus, enjoyed the thrill of success, and, of course, wept during moments of tragedy that have united us as a family," Hargis said in a video released by the university.

Under Hargis, OSU has had almost one-fourth of all graduates in its history, had its first-ever $1 billion fundraising campaign, and developed several new facilities in Stillwater and Tulsa.

The tragedy he referred to came in 2015, when a woman drove into the crowd at OSU’s homecoming parade in Stillwater, killing four people.

First Cowgirl Ann Hargis will also be remembered fondly by many, including OSU/A&M Board of Regents Chair Rick Davis.

"I will always cherish the memory of Ann charging across the campus in her orange golf cart with Scruff … at her side as she stops to greet students, to offer them a ride, to give them a word of encouragement or just a smile that makes them feel a little more like they’re at home," Davis said.

Regents will conduct a national search for OSU's next president.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
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