The consortium is developing digital GIS products through OSU’s geology and geography department, and will make them available to professionals and the public via AAPG’s intranet database. The gift comprises $240,000 per year for 10 years, plus a gift of $7 million provided in Pickens’ will as a legal testament. It is one of the largest single bequeaths the AAPG Foundation has ever received.

AAPG was established in 1967 with the primary goal of providing a source of funding for educational, charitable and scientific objectives, which directly and indirectly benefit the geologic profession and the general public.

“I was trained as a geologist, and have spent the lion’s share of my 81 years working in the industry,” Pickens says. “Supporting the AAPG Foundation seems a natural, as they reinforce one of the Pickens Foundation’s core areas, education.”

The funds are providing operating capital for the Boone Pickens Digital Geology Fund to provide geologic, scientific and resource information to the general public via a map-based format researched and compiled through graduate geology students. The project also benefits students by providing industry-specific research projects published in industry-friendly formats, enhancing their skill set and boosting their desirability as graduates.

“Mr. Pickens has provided funds for a unique opportunity – to merge the prowess and talents of AAPG and OSU to build a new Petroleum Geoscience Consortium that will develop maps and data that will be seen around the world – perhaps even change the world,” AAPG Foundation executive director Rick Fritz says.

In 2009, the AAPG Foundation provided more than $1 million toward the advancement of education and outreach through programs such as the Grants-in-Aid program, Weeks Memorial Undergraduate grants, Distinguished Lecture Tours, a Visiting Geoscientists program, K-12 Resources and more. The Honors and Awards program provides a means for recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions by professional geologists, especially in the area of exploration for petroleum and energy mineral resources, and by other professionals who further the goals and objectives of its science, profession, and association.

Pickens has received the L. Austin Weeks Memorial Medal, given in recognition for extraordinary philanthropy and service directed to advance the mission of the AAPG Foundation. The AAPG Foundation Teacher of the Year Program awards $5,000 to a K-12 teacher for Excellence in the Teaching of Natural Resources in the Earth Sciences. This National award includes $2,500 to the teacher’s school for the winning teacher’s use and $2,500 for the teacher’s personal use.

For more information about the AAPG Foundation, visit http://foundation.aapg.org.

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The organization, founded on May 21, 1881, provides compassionate care to those in need. The Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.

Pickens’ $7 million contribution in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is the largest individual gift in the organization’s history. As recently as March, 2013, Pickens wowed Celebrity Apprentice when an emissary wearing his beloved Oklahoma State University colors delivered a $100,000 check earmarked for the American Red Cross to country star Trace Adkins on the show.

“I believe in results, and the American Red Cross delivers results time and time again in a crisis,” Pickens says.

The Red Cross responds to about 70,000 disasters in the United States every year, ranging from home fires that affect a single family to hurricanes that could impact several million people. In response to disasters, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, relief supplies as well as health and mental health services to help families and entire communities get back on their feet. Although the Red Cross is not a government agency, it is an essential part of the response when disaster strikes.

“We are very thankful for the T. Boone Pickens Foundation’s generosity,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “Their steadfast support has enabled the Red Cross to provide comfort and hope to people across the country who have been affected by disaster, and allows us to offer them a helping hand as they begin the road to recovery.”

The Red Cross also helps military members, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to the challenges of military service. Emergency communications, training, support to wounded service members and veterans, and community resources help an average of 150,000 military families and veterans annually.

The Red Cross is the largest single supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. Each year, about 3.5 million people donate blood through the Red Cross, helping to provide roughly 40 percent of America’s blood supply. It the nation’s leading provider of health and safety courses, such as CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard training. Each year, more than 7 million Americans participate in Red Cross training programs, including first responders, educators, babysitters, and people who want to be prepared to help others in an emergency.

The American Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 13 million volunteers in 187 countries. Each year, its efforts reach an average of more than 100 million people across the globe.

For more information about the American Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org.

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The Autism Treatment Center began providing services to children and adults with autism and other related developmental disorders in July 1976. Two years later, the center expanded services to include a duplicate program in San Antonio. In 1992, ATC Dallas began providing services to individuals who are deaf-blind multi-handicapped whose needs for support very closely parallels individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In 2005, ATC San Antonio opened an Out-Patient Medicaid-approved Rehabilitation Agency to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services; ATC Dallas opened a similarly operated Rehabilitation Agency in December 2007. Over the previous 32 years, ATC has continually met the challenge of an ever-increasing rate of diagnosis and has expanded resources and capacity to remain current with the needs of the community, as well as treatment and trends.

“I’ve had friends whose family members have suffered from autism, and I’ve seen firsthand how the Autism Treatment Center provides integral services to meet the needs of those afflicted with autism and related disorders.” Pickens says. “Much of my philanthropy is focused on brain function and research. I believe in the work being done at the Autism Treatment Center.”

Foundation support has helped establish services for two Diagnostic and Therapeutic Medicaid-approved Rehabilitation Agency Clinics, in Dallas and San Antonio, serving children with autism. In addition to diagnostic, speech, physical, and occupation therapy, the clinics offer a sensory lab and observation rooms. The San Antonio Clinic also includes a virtual simulation lab and tele-diagnostic support center, which incorporates the most recent technology offered for the treatment of autism. ATC developed these tele-diagnostic procedures in collaboration with the University of Texas-Pan American and the University of Texas in Austin. Last month, ATC opened another tele-diagnostic clinic in Laredo, in partnership with and located on the TAMUI campus.

“ATC has long been a champion for these types of technologies, and believe they are the future of autism services,” executive director Anna Hundley explains. “Autism is increasing exponentially; today one child in 100 with be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. Mr. Pickens understands and recognizes the immediate need and impact these clinics bring and has graciously continued to support our efforts.”

The Autism Treatment Center consists of seven major components: ownership and operation of 20 community-based group homes; Educational Services; Vocational Services; Diagnostics, Research; Therapy; and Information Dissemination. Each individual entering the Center follows an individualized, comprehensive learning program designed by an interdisciplinary team consisting of teachers, personal care assistants, administrators, various specialist/consultants, and the individual receiving services and their parent or guardian. Services include any combination of these aforementioned components and allow for small group settings (one-on-one student/teacher ratios when needed), a structured environment, on-going assessments, parent training, year-around services, and an atmosphere of acceptance and motivation. This holistic approach enhances the opportunity for consistency in teaching strategies and achievement expectations.

For more information, please visit www.atcoftexas.org.

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The 96-bed, 175,000-square-foot facility became the first dedicated cancer hospital in North Texas, and only the second in the state. BSWH’s mission is to serve all people by providing personalized health and wellness through exemplary care, education, and research as a Christian ministry of healing.

“The unique programs at the Baylor Pickens Cancer Hospital are tremendous examples of how health care can improve quality and reduce costs at the same time, which is essential for our country moving forward,” Pickens says. “I’m proud to have my name associated with them.”

The hospital offers quality care with staff trained in all aspects of cancer treatment. Dedicated facilities include a Blood & Marrow Transplant Unit, Apheresis Center, Oncology Pharmacy, Infusion Center and Processing Lab for stem cells and bone marrow products.

During Baylor’s 2014 fiscal year (July 1, 2013–June 30, 2014), Baylor Pickens Cancer Hospital provided vital care to 3,123 patients admitted there. No other hospital in North Texas provides care to more oncology in-patients.

The hospital, however, distinguishes itself by more than its patient volume. Like its namesake, innovation is core to its success. A couple of noteworthy examples are the Oncology Evaluation & Treatment Center (OETC) and the Infusion Center on the first floor. Combined, the two centers provided care through more than 4,600 patient visits during Baylor’s 2014 fiscal year.

The OETC – the first and only of its kind in Texas – offers urgent care for oncology patients after office hours, and is open 24 hours a day on the weekends. Evidence has proven the OETC is a safe environment where cancer patients can receive high quality care in a shorter amount of time than they would in an emergency department, where volumes often make wait times longer and oncology patients with compromised immune systems risk exposure to infectious diseases.

“The OETC has a team of expert caregivers who know exactly what to do for the particular urgent care needs of oncology patients,” says Kimberlee Hanna, the Nurse manager who oversees the OETC and the Infusion Center. “We are trying to create a positive and time-efficient experience during what is often a very stressful time for patients and families. Since the OETC is a physician referral clinic, our staff receives information on patients ahead of time so that we are ready and waiting for them when they walk through our doors.”

Having the Infusion Center and the OETC adjacent to one another allows oncology patients the convenience of around-the-clock access to blood transfusions, as well as hydration, chemotherapy and biological therapy infusions. These services, all available on holidays and weekends, are critical for patients whose schedules make it difficult to receive infusions during regular office hours. For patients whose regular office hours are in the daytime, the option to sleep in the private rooms while infusing during the night offers the opportunity to maintain a normal work pattern.

In addition to providing oncology patients easier access to high-quality care, the OETC and Infusion Center reduce costs for both the health care system and the patient by avoiding emergency department visits and hospital admissions.

Baylor Scott & White Health, the organization formed from the 2013 merger between Baylor Health Care System and Scott & White Healthcare, is today the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas. The organization now includes 46 hospitals, more than 500 patient care sites, more than 6,000 active physicians, 36,000 employees and the Scott & White Health Plan.

For more information visit, www.BaylorScottandWhite.com.

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Its $2 million gift helped establish the Mentoring Hall of Fame, which provides a valuable resource. The facility’s museum and resource center highlights how mentoring has helped change people’s lives.

“Helping at-risk youth is an important part of the Foundation’s mission,” Mr. Pickens says. “Big Brother Big Sisters perform an integral role in matching these youth with role models that can help them envision and build a future.”

In 2013, Pickens served as Honorary Chair and helped recruit Grammy-nominated and All-Star Celebrity Apprentice winner Trace Adkins to perform during the organization’s Big Black Tie Ball, the proceeds of which directly benefit the more than 5,000 children currently waiting for a Big Brother or a Big Sister. The organization reports that each $500 raised removes one child from its waiting list and matches them to a mentor who will enrich, empower, and encourage them to reach their highest potential. The event raised more than $435,000 to help the children of our community change their lives for the better, forever.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters was humbled to have T. Boone Pickens lend his support to our organization and this worthy event,” says Rob Roby, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “We were equally honored to have country music superstar Trace Adkins at this year’s Big Black Tie Ball. Through the generosity of Mr. Pickens, Trace Adkins donated an unforgettable performance as a demonstration of his friendship with Mr. Pickens and his commitment to changing the lives of the children we serve. I want to express our gratitude on behalf of the young men and women of our community who will benefit from their generosity, but will probably never get the chance to thank them themselves.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters, a volunteer organization that provides children support, guidance, friendship, and fun by matching them to adult role models. The agency’s mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

The Mentoring Hall of Fame also recognizes outstanding efforts on behalf of youth mentoring, having inducted such figures as Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, AT&T Inc. chairman and CEO Randall L. Stephenson, and Virgin America chairman (and and former chairman, president and CEO of American Airlines) Donald J. Carty.

For 86 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping change the way children grown up in Texas. Since 2003, the agency has mentored more than 45,000 children throughout our great state. As all of the North Texas agencies grew and efficiencies were sought to take the program to the next level, the next step grew evident —merger. In 2003, through the leadership of the separate Boards of Arlington/Mansfield, Dallas and Fort Worth, Charles Pierson was appointed the new CEO and the creation of Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas was accomplished.

In the years since this historic merger, other community agencies have also joined the organization including Northeast Texas (Paris), West Central Texas (Abilene, San Angelo and Brownwood) and Greater Houston in 2010.  As well, through the new efficiencies created through centralized functionality, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been able to expand to other communities previously unserved, including Waco, Waxahachie, Wichita Falls, Stephenville, and Jack County. This expansion culminated in the creation of the more geographically neutral name — Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star — in 2010.

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters, call 214-887-BIGS or visit www.bbbstx.org. For more about the T. Boone Pickens Mentoring Hall of Fame, visit www.mentoringhof.org

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During the last 21 years, the Bragan Foundation has awarded 584 students in school districts across Dallas and Fort Worth more than $1.4 million in $2,500 scholarships. The success of the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation scholarship program is proven by the fact that 97 percent of its recipients have graduated high school and enrolled in college.

“This is a great program, one I’m proud to be associated with,” Pickens says. “Young minds are a precious commodity. Bobby Bragan lived his life with an abiding love of the game of baseball, and upon his retirement from the game transferred some of that love to supporting the youth in his back yard.”

The Bragan Youth Foundation honored Pickens with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010, and in 2011 named one of its scholarships in his honor. The fund from which Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation scholarships are annually paid has been established over the years by contributions from corporations, foundations, individuals, and Bragan’s family and friends. Each of these contributions has been made in the form of a named “perpetual scholarship,” which is annually awarded to a specially selected scholarship winner in perpetuity.

“We are proud to have the opportunity to award an annual scholarship in Mr. Pickens’ name,” said John Esch, past BBYF president and current development chair. “A central part of the scholarship competition is for each participant to identify a role model and write an essay on the positive impact of that role model. Mr. Pickens is just that: a positive role model.”

The Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award Gala honors some of the greatest names in sports and philanthropy, and recognizes its scholarship recipients who will graduate from high school the following spring. Bragan, who died in January 2010, was involved with baseball in some form or fashion for nine decades. His first exposure to the sport was as a player, then as a manager and later as an executive and finally as Fort Worth’s ambassador to the game. Bragan was CEO and chairman of the Foundation until his death.

Bragan established his foundation in 1991. The foundation recognizes outstanding eighth grade students each year by awarding the promise of a college scholarship to selected students who have competed in its annual scholarship competition. By focusing attention on the availability of aid for merit at the middle school level, BBYF hopes to inspire students to plan for higher education, dedicate themselves to work hard to reach that goal, and push them to seek out additional aid at an earlier stage in their lives.

More than 37,000 eighth grade students from 137 public schools representing 22 school districts from across the North Texas metroplex are offered the opportunity to apply for these scholarships. Through this scholarship incentive program, the foundation gives students, regardless of need, the drive to stay in school, graduate, and go on to college.

The unique relationship of the foundation with professional baseball is especially exciting to these students, as well as to donors and supporters of the program. In addition, the assurance of financial assistance for college is particularly encouraging to an impressionable thirteen-year-old.

For more information on the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, visit www.bobbybragan.org.

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When the OSU Foundation, a private fundraising organization whose mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence, launched a Branding Success campaign, Pickens offered some extra incentives for the cause.

On February 26, 2010, Pickens announced a testamentary matching gift of up to $100 million to the university’s $1 billion Branding Success campaign. He added another $20 million to his pledge as the campaign’s February 2011 end neared. In the end, 2,665 donors combined for more than $73.4 million in gifts and pledges in addition to his $120 million. This total commitment of more than $193.4 million created or enhanced 396 endowed OSU student support funds.

“This place is special,” Pickens says. “It is good to see many OSU grads and friends getting behind the campaign. They love OSU, just as I do, and they want it to be the best in everything – academically and athletically. We enjoy strong leadership at OSU, and the leaders have big plans. They need resources to expand opportunities for aspiring students from across Oklahoma, this country and around the world. Now, we will have the money to make it happen and move OSU to the top.”

Among those Pickens inspired are OSU President Burns Hargis and his wife, Ann. They are giving $1.5 million for freshman scholarships, which qualifies for another $1.5 million from Pickens.

“One of the highpoints of being at Oklahoma State is working with students,” Burns Hargis said. “Ann and I love being with our students. And, they are incredibly inspiring to us. Many students across our state have the ability to succeed in college and recognize the benefit a degree from Oklahoma State can provide them. But, they simply must have some financial support to pursue it. We decided to help those students through this gift.”

Even non-alumni such as C. Hubert Gragg found Pickens’ offer too generous to ignore. Gragg was a lifelong friend of the late Henry Bellmon, a former U.S. Senator and two-time Oklahoma governor who provided the initial vision for OSU’s Scholar Development and Recognition program. Gragg honored Bellmon with a $1 million gift to that area, including $750,000 for the Bellmon Scholarship Endowment. That portion qualifies for a $1.5 million match from Pickens, pushing the total impact to $2.5 million.

“Oklahoma State was very important to (Bellmon), and scholar development was one of his passions,” Gragg said. “If my gift can help the brightest students at OSU pursue their dreams, I think Henry would be pleased by that.”

This is the second Pickens challenge sparking a record-breaking outpouring of generosity at OSU. In 2008, his $100 million commitment for endowed faculty positions prompted about 900 donors to add $68 million in just 40 days. With matches from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the total impact balloons to more than $330 million.

Pickens’ generosity and clever challenges have helped the Branding Success campaign exceed $830 million in gifts and commitments, putting it well ahead of pace to reach its goal of $1 billion before December 2014.

For more information, visit www.OSUgiving.com or call 800-622-4678 to speak with someone directly about joining Pickens in supporting higher education.

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“This research combines brain research and the support of our military, two key areas for my philanthropy,” Pickens says. “I’m excited about the prospects of this work.”

Center for BrainHealth researchers are using high-performance brain training to train elite service members to think smarter.

“Since the wars began in Iraq and Afghanistan, I have wanted to apply our novel, evidence-based research protocols to benefit military service members,” said Dr. Sandi Chapman, founder and chief director of the Center for BrainHealth. “These men and women fight courageously for our country, and our goal is to do everything possible to support their success once home or during deployment.”

BrainHealth scientists have developed and tested a cognitive training program called Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) designed to enhance mental productivity, enhance efficiency, and enrich problem-solving skills. BrainHealth research has shown that complex mental activity enhances cognitive brain health, restores cognitive loss, and builds resilience against decline.

“The SMART program helped me in several ways,” said Josh Lewis, a former Marine Corp Infantryman. “One of the biggest improvements I have seen is my ability to stay focused which allows me to finish tasks faster and develop thoughts more completely. Secondly, I have experienced fewer headaches after taking steps to stop overloading my brain. Before the SMART program, I would have debilitating migraines every six weeks or so. Since I completed the program in January, I haven’t experienced one.”

The second study being conducted at the Center for BrainHealth for returning service members seeks to minimize hyperemotional recall of life-threatening or fearful memories that disrupt post-combat everyday life. The novel study combines repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a magnetic coil that alternates polarity resulting in a temporary reduction in the brain’s fear response, reducing it to a tolerable level, and CPT, a method of psychological training that will teach patients how to lessen the emotional response associated with PTS.

“Through CPT, I was shown the limitations, loneliness and potential dangers that the path I was on held,” said former Marine Corp infantryman Mike Rials. “I was guided to give healthy meaning to the traumas I experienced and incorporate the good with the bad. I learned techniques that have allowed me to live in the moment and experience all this world has to offer. I still have a long journey ahead but BrainHealth taught me to see the ‘tall grass’ and gave me the tools to walk in it rather than the beaten path I was on before.”

Life-improving studies at the Center for BrainHealth have followed a unique horizontal approach across all brain conditions. The combination of leading researchers from across the country, outside-the-box research ideas, sophisticated technology, sensitive diagnostic measures, and a dedication to interdisciplinary research makes the Center for BrainHealth a nurturing environment in which to expand a comprehensive and collaborative approach to brain study.

For more information on the Center for BrainHealth or the military initiative, visit www.centerforbrainhealth.org.

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The Pickens Foundation has supported The Citizen Service Above Self Honors, which celebrates the stories of everyday “heroes” in America.

“People perform selfless acts in this country every day, and this program is a wonderful way to honor Americans who serve their fellow citizens in ways most of us may never hear about,” Pickens says. “This ceremony celebrates the best of what it means to be an American, and I am delighted to support it.”

The fewer than 100 living Medal of Honor recipients, who have been on the receiving end of countless accolades and respect from the American public for their extraordinary valor and selflessness, banded together in 2007 to create a national platform to promote “Service before Self.” At the heart of this initiative is the Citizen Honors, which recognizes and honors ordinary Americans who are extraordinary by going above and beyond on behalf of their fellow man either through a single act of heroism involving risk to one’s life or by demonstrating a profound long-term commitment to service above self. The theme is that every day in the United States, ordinary citizens perform extraordinary deeds.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, with the support of organizations like the T. Boone Pickens Foundation, is committed to working to change these perceptions by continuing to use our platforms to inspire and celebrate unsung acts of courage and self-sacrifice around the country.

“There are many ways to support our organization and what we stand for in this country, and we are lucky to be one of the many that the T. Boone Pickens Foundation chooses to support,” says W. Thomas Matthews, co-chairman of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. “Mr. Pickens has shown his love of country and true patriotism over these many years through his incredible generosity. The CMOHF board of directors, along with the recipients of the Medal of Honor, is most grateful for his belief in projects like Citizen Honors.”

For more information about the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation/Society, visit www.cmohfoundation.org or www.cmohs.org.

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The Foundation supplied a $5 million grant to help develop the 8-acre outdoor science laboratory located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake in Dallas

“I’m excited about the hands-on learning experience that the next generation of geologists and engineers will have in the energy learning center,” Pickens says. “Challenging young minds is the way we will adapt to the future energy demands.”

The adventure garden has 17 Learning Galleries, offering a comprehensive outdoor science laboratory where children can learn about nature in nature. One of the largest and most prominent of the Learning Galleries is the T. Boone Pickens Pure Energy Gallery. Pure Energy is anchored by a 30-foot-tall Energy Tower, and features three separate islands, each devoted to an alternative source of energy: water, wind, and sun. From an interactive machine that demonstrates how wind energy can be transformed to make things operate to high-powered water pistols and a solar tree with leaves composed of photovoltaic cells, the exhibits in Pure Energy deliver science education with a high dose of wow.

“Everyone has fun firing over-sized water guns to see how much real energy they can create,” says Maria Conroy, the Arboretum’s vice president of education. “We believe in the Sesame Street philosophy — that when you have something aimed at kids, you have to have material in there that appeals to teens and adults as well.”

More than a decade in the planning, the Children’s Adventure Garden has more than 150 exhibits that are interactive, hands-on, and fun.

“The Arboretum will expose children and their families to the mystery and excitement of science, and inspire them to be better stewards of our environment,” Arboretum’s president and CEO Mary Brinegar says.   “We intend to set the gold standard for children’s gardens. In fact, we believe that in its design, size, and scope, this Children’s Garden is unique in the world. We are so very grateful for the support and endorsement of the T. Boone Pickens Foundation for partnering with us in this significant project.”

The Arboretum grounds, which include 66 acres of gardens and fountains with a view of the lake and the downtown Dallas skyline, is a research and education facility as well as a local attraction.

For more information on the Arboretum, visit www.dallasarboretum.org.

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