Charles C. “Chuck” Killin was a member of The University of Tulsa Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1994, and again from 1995 until his death in 2001. After serving in the U.S. Army in the European Theater during the Second World War, earning a Bronze Star in the process, he earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Michigan. He became a partner of the Tulsa Law firm Conner & Winters and also served as the trustee of the Jess L. and Miriam B. Stevens Foundation.
In 1997, Mr. Killin gifted funds to The University of Tulsa to renovate Tyrrell Hall, Room 302. The room is now known as the Killin Music Lecture Room. Asked about the personal significance of making this gift, Killin explained, “If it weren’t for music I wouldn’t be here. My father was a member of a vocal quartet in Wales. The members wanted to immigrate to the United States. My mother was a member of the First Congregational Church in Peoria, which helped the quartet to come to this country. That’s how they met.” Not surprisingly, Killin was exposed to music early in life and developed a lifelong affinity.
Killin specialized in estate planning and probate administration and was recognized as a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He also was active in the Tulsa community, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of The Philbrook Museum of Art, Inc. He was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church, the Downtown Rotary Club of Tulsa, and the Cherokee National Historical Society.
As a member of the TU Board of Trustees, Mr. Killin served on the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Faculty and Curriculum Committee, Finance Committee, and the Board Membership Committee. He was also a member of the Golden Hurricane Club.
Following Mr. Killin’s death in 2001, The Jess L. and Miriam B. Stevens Foundation generously established the Charles C. Killin Music Scholarship Endowment Provided by The Jess L. and Miriam B. Stevens Foundation, which provides scholarship funding for music majors at The University of Tulsa.
The Chuck Killin Endowment Fund for Music was created by Mr. Killin through a bequest to the University from his estate, with annually distributed earnings supporting touring student music ensembles.
