Capitol Cowboys: OSU Alumni Association hosts annual event to engage with state lawmakers

(OKLAHOMA CITY, April 15, 2026) — The largest university system in the state was well represented Wednesday at the Capitol as hundreds of alumni, students and supporters arrived in orange to advocate for Oklahoma State University.

Capitol Cowboys is a one-day event for members of the Cowboy family to create awareness and share their passion for OSU at the State Capitol.

“Capitol Cowboys bridges the gap between our university and the representatives of our state,” said Jackson Young, finance senior. “Getting to meet with legislators and relay the personal impact OSU has had on me as a student was an incredible experience.”

Approximately 110 current OSU students and 60 alumni from across the state answered the call to visit with elected officials, emphasizing the pivotal role OSU has played in their lives and the importance of higher education in Oklahoma.

The event included a pep rally in the Capitol rotunda with Pistol Pete, the OSU Spirit Squad and OSU Pep Band, along with comments from OSU President Jim Hess, Rep. Kyle Hilbert and OSU Alumni Association President Ann Caine — all OSU graduates. New OSU football coach Eric Morris was also recognized on the House and Senate floors.

“It’s a great day to connect with fellow Cowboys, promote our university and thank our legislators for their support of the land-grant mission,” OSU Alumni Association Board Chair Scott Eisenhauer said.

Dr. Hess had plenty of highlights to share about the reach and breadth of OSU’s impact in Oklahoma and beyond, but perhaps none so telling as the university’s crucial role in the state’s agricultural industry.

“Seventy percent of all wheat production in the state is done with OSU wheat varieties,” Hess said. “Thirteen percent of the whole wheat production of this planet is done with OSU wheat varieties.”

Cowboys’ conversations with legislators touched on the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education budget request, which focuses on lawmakers’ continued support of the state’s modern land-grant institution through investing in the OSU Agronomy Discovery Center, which drives Oklahoma’s agricultural economy.

In 2025, students and alumni advocated for OSU’s veterinary medicine program and the construction of a new veterinary teaching hospital. Members of the Cowboy family highlighted the ongoing push for investing in facilities that attract teaching talent and keep Oklahoma students in the state, in order for Oklahoma to continue leading in agriculture and food production.

“There are 156,000 OSU alumni who live in Oklahoma,” Dr. Caine said. “Connecting with our state legislators is essential to the success of our land-grant mission.”

Hilbert, a 2016 agribusiness and 2024 MBA graduate who serves as the youngest speaker of the house in Oklahoma history, offered additional remarks.

“When I think about the color orange, I think about family; I think about legacy; I think about excellence,” Hilbert said. “The world is watching whether they know it or not. OSU is present across the globe because when I think about orange, I think about excellence.”

For more information about the OSU Alumni Association or Capitol Cowboys, visit okstatealumni.org.

The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association serves more than 266,000 alumni, students and friends with programs for Cowboys of all ages. Through the Alumni Association, Cowboys get involved with the OSU family, stay informed of alumni and campus news, give back to support university initiatives and show their pride in America’s brightest orange.

Oklahoma State University is a premier land-grant university that prepares students for success. Through teaching, research and Extension, OSU engages communities and empowers servant-leaders to meet society’s most pressing challenges. OSU is the largest university system in Oklahoma and 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.