Louise M. and Charles A. Steele were proud and loyal Tulsans who called the city home for many years. Charles Steele had a long and distinguished career in Tulsa as both a banker and an attorney, practicing law for a remarkable 63 years. He launched his career in Tulsa in 1908, after receiving his law degree from the University of Michigan. At that time, Tulsa was an oil boomtown, an exciting period to become involved in the city’s business sector.

Charles and Louise Steele were committed to investing in their community, and Mr. Steele became involved at The University of Tulsa, the Children’s Medical Center, the Tulsa Boys Home and Oral Roberts University, giving freely of his time, talent and financial resources to these organizations. The Steeles also were active members of First Presbyterian Church, Southern Hills Country Club, and the Tulsa Country Club.

Mr. Steele appeared to thrive on activity; at age 87, he accepted his final legal post as senior partner with attorney George Downey. Charles Steele passed away just three years later in 1974.

Charles and Louise Steele established trusts during their lifetimes, with directions for generous planned gifts to The University of Tulsa. Those gifts have resulted in two substantial scholarship endowments: The Charles A. and Louise M. Steele Scholarship Endowment Fund for the College of Law and The Charles A. and Louise M. Steele Scholarship Endowment Fund for the Collins College of Business, with the law fund benefiting law students and the business fund benefiting students in the MBA program.

The University of Tulsa is proud that our Steele Law Scholars and our Steele Business Scholars will be able to pursue their aspirations for generations to come while sustaining the legacies of two dear friends of TU who cared deeply about the University’s progress.