When Donald J. “Don” Hoose began his journey toward a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering during the 1950s, he made a point of being involved in everything TU had to offer. He joined a fraternity, Sigma Nu, participated in extracurricular activities (e.g., Engineers Club, American Institute of Chemical Engineers), and was a member of the Wesley Foundation. His portraits in the Kendallabrum yearbooks of that time show an outgoing, confident young man.
After graduating in 1959, Don continued to draw upon his dynamism and established two flourishing companies: Tempco in 1970 and the award-winning Tulsa Fin Tube in 1983. In recognition of his entrepreneurial success, TU was honored to induct Don into the TU College of Engineering and Computer Science Hall of Fame in 2007 (known as the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the time), and he received one of TU’s highest honors in 2016, being named a TU Distinguished Alumnus.
Don and his wife, Linda Christeen “Chris” Hoose, have maintained active ties to The University of Tulsa, giving generously of their time, talents and treasure. Together they have supported academic and athletic programs and facilities including the Donald W. Reynolds Center, the Case Athletic Complex at H.A. Chapman Stadium, the Thomas Challenge, Golden Hurricane Men’s Basketball, the Golden Hurricane Club, the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC), the W. L. Nelson Chemical Engineering Alumni Scholarship, and the Bob and Marcy Lawless Presidential Scholarship.
Don has also served TU as a member of the Board of Directors for the Tulsa Chapter of the TU Alumni Association, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Golden Hurricane Club. Their sustained generosity has made them members of TU’s most prestigious affinity organizations, including the Circle Society, the Chapman Legacy Society, the President’s Council, and the esteemed 1930 Society of the Golden Hurricane Club.
Don and Chris have further underwritten academic excellence at TU with the creation of five permanent endowment funds. In 2006, they invested in TU’s engineering and science students by establishing the Hoose Family Presidential Scholarship Endowment Fund for the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Annual earnings of this fund provide merit-based scholarships to entering freshmen who enroll as full-time students in the university’s College of Engineering and Computer Science and meet the selection criteria established for the Presidential Scholarship Program.
In 2010, they crafted another endowment, known as the Don and Chris Hoose Endowed Scholarship for Leadership. In 2019, they amended this scholarship program to enable more students to qualify for the awards. Extending this impressive legacy of support still further is The Hoose Family Endowed Scholarship for Student-Athletes, which was established in 2011.
Don and Chris Hoose established two more scholarships – one in 2015 and one in 2018, both to support ambitious students enrolled in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The 2015 fund is known as the Hoose Family Endowed Scholarship for the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, and the 2018 fund is known as the Don and Chris Hoose Endowed Scholarship in Engineering and Natural Sciences for Oklahoma Scholars. The latter fund is tailored to meet the needs of talented students from Oklahoma.
The University of Tulsa continues to expand and reach new heights of excellence thanks to the munificence of alumni and friends such as Chris and Don Hoose. The university is ever grateful for their keen interest in all things TU and for their continued commitment to the strength and success of the TU family.
