June 15, 2021
By News Director Jared Atha
Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford is set to receive the largest single donation in the history of the university.
Longtime SWOSU benefactors Jerry and Margaret Hodge of Amarillo, Texas have generously committed a record-breaking $5 million charitable gift.
The Hodge donation will enable SWOSU to take the next steps toward construction of a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to healthcare education and pharmacy, named in honor of the Hodges.
The gift will also establish a substantial new endowment benefiting students enrolled in the SWOSU College of Pharmacy.
Jerry Hodge, former chairman and chief executive officer of Maxor National Pharmacy Services Corporation, is a 1965 graduate of the SWOSU College of Pharmacy and a long-time supporter of the university. He was inducted into the SWOSU Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 1979 and was honored by the SWOSU College of Pharmacy as Outstanding Alumnus in 2008.
SWOSU President Randy Beutler said the goal of the building project is to establish SWOSU as the center for rural health education in the region.
Beutler said the donation will complement the $7 million in resources provided by the recently passed sales tax by the citizens of Weatherford with a focus on rural health sciences and education.
Hodge credits his time at SWOSU for the business success he’s achieved.
University officials say the endowment component of the donation is $500,000 and the Pharmacy Foundation will honor the endowment by raising equal amounts of the matching funds. According to President Beutler, SWOSU has committed to working on matching that portion of the gift.
