OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on the death of oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens: (all times local):
6 p.m.
Dignitaries ranging from former President George W. Bush to Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy are paying tribute to legendary oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens.
The Oklahoma native died Wednesday at his Dallas home at age 91.
In a statement, Bush said Pickens had become "a household name across the country because he was bold, imaginative and daring." The former president also noted that Pickens "generously shared his success with institutions and communities across Texas and Oklahoma."
In a statement, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said "Pickens' love and pride for Oklahoma overflowed through his contribution to job creation and economic growth and his generous philanthropy to Oklahoma's finest institutions."
Among the institutions to benefit greatly from Pickens' legacies was Oklahoma State University, his alma mater. University President Burns Hargis said in a statement that "It is impossible to calculate his full impact on Oklahoma State." He said those "historic gifts to academics and athletics not only transformed the university, they inspired thousands of others to join in the transformation."
The university's football stadium bears Pickens' name. Its football coach, Mike Gundy, said in a statement that "it would have been difficult for us to climb as high we have without him."
