Commitment made by OSU alumnus Keith Garton and David Sheehan
(STILLWATER, Okla., Aug. 29, 2025) — Oklahoma State University has announced a historic gift to the School of Media and Strategic Communications from OSU alumnus Keith Garton and his husband, David Sheehan.
The commitment is the largest in program history and will establish the Garton Family Endowed Chair for Media and Strategic Communications. It will also create endowed funds to support rural journalism and student organizations within the school.
“We are immensely grateful to Keith and David for this transformative gift to SMSC, which plays a crucial role in shaping the future of media by educating the next generation of journalists and communicators,” OSU President Jim Hess said. “This generous support will significantly enhance our ability to provide students with unparalleled resources and opportunities, empowering us to continue producing top-tier professionals who will impact the industry.”
The support will ensure long-term faculty excellence, enhance student-led media initiatives and expand experiential learning opportunities. It will also empower SMSC to broaden its reach into rural communities, ensuring underserved areas have their voices heard.
These benefits will help equip graduates with the ethical foundation and practical skills needed to lead in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
“This extraordinary gift is more than an investment in SMSC — it’s a commitment to the future of ethical, impactful storytelling,” said Melinda Cro, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Keith and David’s generosity ensures that our students will not only learn the craft of communication, but also use it to build community and shape a better world.”
A native of Duncan, Oklahoma, Garton’s career spans decades in educational publishing, including leadership roles at Scholastic, McGraw-Hill and TIME for Kids. In 2009, he founded Red Chair Press, a children’s book publishing company dedicated to engaging young readers in stories that provide models for strong character and good behavior.
His professional journey has been defined by an emphasis on ethical communication and audience-centered writing — values rooted in his education at OSU, where he earned degrees in journalism and mass communications.
“OSU opened my eyes to a lot of things I would never have known had I stayed in southern Oklahoma, where I grew up, or if I had left Oklahoma for school,” Garton said. “It’s a great place to learn who you are and make connections with people that will change your life forever.
“OSU was just the most comfortable place in the world to me. And it was important to give back in some way.”
For more information on how you can make an impact at OSU, visit osugiving.com.
About Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 27,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and more than 127 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 300,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
About the OSU Foundation
The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of OSU.
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