From the Duke News Service

September 23, 1999

Two alumni from Oklahoma City have given Duke University $5.5 million to support improvements to undergraduate residence halls, financial aid for students, the Duke Annual Fund and the Fuqua School of Business, President Nannerl O. Keohane announced Thursday.

The gifts are the receipts of two trusts established in 1997 by Aubrey K. McClendon, a 1981 Duke graduate, and his wife, Kathleen Byrns McClendon, Class of 1980. Aubrey McClendon has served as chairman and chief executive officer of NYSE-listed Chesapeake Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City since its inception in 1989.

The McClendons are members of several Duke governing boards and Aubrey McClendon helps direct the Campaign for Duke fund-raising effort as a member of its steering committee.

"Over the years, Katie and Aubrey have been very involved with Duke, with both their time and resources," Keohane said. "This $5.5 million gift to accomplish goals that are important to them and to Duke is but the latest evidence of their devotion to their alma mater. I am confident I speak for members of our Board of Trustees and the Campaign for Duke steering committee, as well as our faculty and students, when I say how deeply grateful we are for their exceptional generosity."

The largest portion of the gift — expected to be more than $3.5 million — will help fund an ambitious expansion and modernization of student residence halls.

Residential life planning is still underway, but a final proposal is expected to be presented to the university's Board of Trustees in December, with construction to begin next summer on West Campus. The preliminary plan is to construct a new 350-bed dormitory in the first phase to be completed by 2003, with the second phase concentrating on renovation of existing West Campus residence halls, according to Judith White, director of the residential program review.

"The need for enhancing the out-of-classroom experience of Duke upperclass students and modernizing the university's residence halls has been widely discussed by the Duke community over the past few years," said Katie McClendon, a member of the Board of Visitors of Trinity College, in which 80 percent of Duke's undergraduates are enrolled. "Aubrey and I wanted to be sure that there was a significant funding commitment at the outset for what are certain to be extensive and important changes for Duke students."

The balance of the gift will be used to create the McClendon Family Scholarship Fund, to support Duke's Annual Fund and the Fuqua School of Business, where Aubrey McClendon is a member of the Board of Visitors.

"We share Duke's commitment to a need-blind admissions policy and to providing strong financial aid programs for students who need assistance," Aubrey McClendon said. "We also know that Fuqua has a number of very important goals during this campaign period. The expansion of the school by new construction, as well internationally, are directions I am very glad the school is taking and we are happy to support."

The McClendons have supported a number of programs during Duke's fund-raising effort, including the arts and sciences endowment and Annual Fund leadership giving. Their gifts also helped to build the Brodie Recreation Center on East Campus, which opened in 1996, and West Campus Wilson Recreation Center, which opened in August.

The McClendons have three children.

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