The University Of Oklahoma will posthumously honor late country star Toby Keith by awarding him an honorary degree.
The University said it is honoring the singer, songwriter, entertainer and successful businessman, “whose generosity enhanced the university and state of Oklahoma for decades.”
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Keith was inducted into the New York-based all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received the BMI Icon award, and he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame shortly before his passing in February 2024.
Through his Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, he helped raise a total of $18 million for nonprofits. With his wife, Tricia, he was also a significant supporter of OU Athletics.
Keith’s illustrious music career included more than 10 billion streams and 44 million albums sold.
In addition, the University of Oklahoma will award honorary degrees to three more outstanding individuals in recognition of their extraordinary achievements and generous service to others.
They are: distinguished educator, economist and activist Barbara Ann Posey Jones of Atlanta, Georgia; Tom E. Love, founder of Love’s Travel Stops; and David Proctor, of Dallas, Texas, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient for his work on the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 spacecraft missions.
The university will confer honorary degrees during 2024 Commencement. Love and Jones will be honored during a ceremony scheduled for May 10. Keith and Proctor will be honored at a ceremony set for May 11. Both ceremonies will take place at Lloyd Noble Center.
“Through their exceptional talents, transformative leadership and unwavering commitment to serving others, each of this year’s Honorary Degree recipients has left an indelible mark on the world,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr.
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