TU receives another huge gift for athletics
The University of Tulsa retiring athletic director Rick Dickson announced a $8 million estate gift from the late Tom and Betty Johnston on Thursday evening, following the anonymous $30 million donation announced on Tuesday. This gift will go toward the development and enhancement of The University of Tulsa Athletic facilities.
Johnston graduated from The University of Tulsa in 1952, and he and his wife Betty were longtime Golden Hurricane supporters. For nearly 80 years until his passing in 2017, Johnston could be found in H.A. Chapman Stadium on Saturdays in the fall. He didn't miss a home game since 1937, when his dad took him to his first game at then Skelly Stadium at nine years old. Even after the name change to H.A. Chapman Stadium and renovations, Johnston kept his seat in the bleachers at the 50-yard line to honor his father.
Thomas Tate, a 1983 University of Tulsa graduate, was a friend of the Johnstons and their certified public accountant since the 1980s. He saw firsthand their love and support for Tulsa football.
"I quickly learned to check the weather before accepting an offer to go to a game with Tom and Betty," Tate said. "I knew no matter the score or weather, we were going to be at that game until the final tick of the clock. At his funeral, I met his best friends from California. They shared when they had called Tom to come to California for their daughter's wedding, and Tom put them on hold and then came back to the phone to apologize that he wouldn't be able to make it, as TU had a home game that weekend.
"It was a pleasure to have been a part of Tom and Betty's life and an honor that he trusted me to care for his wife and his estate upon his passing. They were both like second parents to me. I am extremely excited for The University of Tulsa and what this gift will help them achieve in the future."
Phil Eller, a 1973/1976 graduate from the University of Tulsa, served as Tate's lawyer in administering the Johnston Trust. "Tom worked hard to make sure Johnston's vision for his gift was fulfilled." Eller said.
"I was pleased to help him carry out this mission," Eller said. "And I am thrilled with the positive impact this gift will have on the future of TU athletics."
"This is a beautiful story of a couple's lifelong love and passion for TU athletics," Dickson said. "This will be a significant investment toward the development and maintenance of needed TU athletic facilities."