OSU business school donor William S. Spears is from Tulsa

“As a donor, I trust the dean and the administration to run the school in a way that is in the best interests for everyone. It’s no-strings attached,” said William S. Spears. “I’m the 14th member of my family to graduate from OSU. … It’s very much a part of my DNA.”

Spears, 84, was born at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, and he graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Twenty years ago he provided what was then the largest academic gift in OSU history for its business school.

The university renamed the College of Business Administration to the William S. Spears School of Business to honor him. In 2009, the name was shortened to Spears School of Business.

Officials have declined to say the amount of the grant, but when it was announced in 2004, The Oklahoman reported that it exceeded the previous year’s $70 million gift from Boone Pickens. OSU renamed its football stadium to honor Pickens.

Spears founded Dallas-based energy conservation company Cenergistic in 1986 and remains active in the company as its leader.

Last month for the 20-year anniversary of his gift, Spears was invited back to OSU, where he met with students in a question-and-answer session moderated by OSU President Kayse Shrum.

Spears’ gift “catalyzed tremendous growth in the business school over the past two decades,” an OSU news release says.

Since 2004, the number of business undergraduate students has risen by 39% to 5,586, while the number of business graduate students has skyrocketed by 89% to 990.

In that time, the business school has opened a new building and multiple centers, increased the number of faculty, expanded its degree programs and added two departments: the School of Entrepreneurship and the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Spears’ award-winning company partners with local school districts and other clients to decrease energy consumption, saving them billions of dollars on utilities.

He cited his OSU education as a driving force behind his success.

“Everything in the business world has changed in 62 years,” he said. “The reason that I’m so proud of my business education is it has prepared me for that change.”

Spears holds a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in business administration from Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

Spears, who lives in Dallas, where his company is based, still has family in Oklahoma and said he visits Stillwater and Tulsa three to four times a year.

His family moved when he was 6 from Tulsa to Lubbock, Texas, where he was raised before attending OSU.

“Of course, I can’t remember the early days when I was in Tulsa,” he said.

“When I was at OSU (in the 1960s), … Tulsa was the place to go. … I still think it is. … I’m very impressed how leadership there has done such a tremendous job” with a multitude of new amenities.

Spears does not brag about his gift to OSU or about how its business school has improved over the decades.

“I’m just really proud that the school is doing so well and how much it has grown. We have so many different (academic) programs that we didn’t used to have,” he said.

“OSU business students know his name,” the news release says, and “we were pleased to welcome Dr. Spears back to his alma mater and celebrate his generous contributions to the Spears School of Business,” Shrum said in a statement.

“As our business school’s namesake of 20 years, Dr. Spears is an innovative businessman, a devoted benefactor and a passionate advocate for higher education. We are grateful for the time he spent engaging with OSU students and sharing wisdom that can inspire them to emerge as future business leaders.”

Likewise, Dean James Payne said: “Dr. Spears’ support 20 years ago has certainly been a worthwhile investment in the future of the business school and laid the foundation for the excellence of our programs and the opportunities afforded to our students in preparing them as the next generation of business leaders.”

Spears attended last month’s OSU event with his wife, Candye Spears.

“Candye and I call it giving while living,” he said. “I believe that generosity and philanthropy are contagious.”