Tulsa business leader and philanthropist Charles O. Meyers, Jr. (BS ’74) loves fine art and music, and he can trace these interests back to experiences he had while he was a history student at The University of Tulsa. Charles played clarinet in the TU Marching Band and worked part-time at Gilcrease Museum while he attended TU, and those experiences helped shape his life.

Meyers has been a devoted supporter of programs at his alma mater for many years, including the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences, the Golden Hurricane Champions Fund and the TU Marching Band, which he has supported through The Charles and Marion Weber Foundation. In addition, he has enjoyed numerous exhibitions at Gilcrease Museum through the years, particularly the Rendezvous and American Art in Miniature exhibitions, both of which have given professional, rising artists the opportunity to show and sell their work.

In an effort to sustain his support for the interests he holds close to his heart, Charles established two planned gifts in 2010 to create the Charles O. Meyers, Jr. Endowment for the Marching Band and the Charles O. Meyers, Jr. Endowment for Gilcrease Museum and The University of Tulsa benefiting Students and Professional Artists. Each of these endowments will provide important opportunities for TU students, especially those in the Sound of the Hurricane Marching Band and those pursuing graduate degrees and research related to Gilcrease Museum.

The TU community is grateful to have an ally like Charles Meyers. His concern for others has taken the form of two perpetual sources of support for inquisitive students, who, like him, have an affinity for music and art.