Oklahoma University Physics Department Gets $6M Grant

Sep. 15–A foundation formed by the descendants of a University of Oklahoma professor donated $6 million Wednesday to OU’s physics and astronomy department, a news release states.

The Avenir Foundation’s donation honors Homer L. Dodge, a professor and the chairman of the department from 1919 to 1944.

Dodge also served as the graduate dean and the founder and director of the OU Research Institute, which helped the government and industries sponsor academic research, according to the news release.

OU has renamed the division the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Of the total donation, $1 million will go toward a student support endowment, $3 million will establish three endowed faculty positions and $2 million will fund renovations to Nielson Hall, which houses the department, the news release states.

The donation is the largest ever given to a department in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Avenir Foundation supports educational, arts and cultural activities, according to the news release.

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