Dennis Heinzig and Iona McMillan The Love of Wisdom Heinzig and McMillan gift $6.75 million to Department of Philosophy to advance ethics and critical thinking at OSU Growing up in Prague, Oklahoma, Dennis Heinzig yearned for more than what he found in his small town of around 2,300. For him, the answers to life’s questions wouldn’t be found there. So, Heinzig ventured out into a world that was much different than he expected — one that did not fit the perspective he started with, nor for which he was prepared. And then he found philosophy, where his quest for a broader understanding of truth and wisdom really began. “What philosophy did for me was take the blinders off conceptually,” Heinzig said. “It allowed me to begin to think more objectively about life’s important questions. By going beyond what I was taught one must think or believe, I began to discern what is true and ethical and then live accordingly.” Heinzig and his wife, Iona McMillan, have gained an invaluable amount from philosophy, and the couple wants as many Oklahoma State University students as possible to experience its benefits. In pursuit of that goal, Heinzig and McMillan made the largest donation ever to the OSU Department of Philosophy. Their $6.75 million gift will establish an endowed chair and fund ethics and critical thinking and an endowed general fund for philosophy. It will also continue to fund the Heinzig & McMillan Endowed Scholarship for Ethics and Critical Thinking. “We are deeply grateful for Dennis and Iona’s visionary commitment to advancing critical thinking and ethics at OSU,” said Dr. Scott Gelfand, former philosophy department head. “This transformative gift will empower our faculty and students to engage in rigorous inquiry, ethical reflection and meaningful action, contributing to the cultivation of ethical leaders and responsible citizens.” Ethics and critical thinking play a prominent role in OSU’s strategic plan and mission to become the nation’s preeminent land-grant university. “At OSU, our ideal graduate demonstrates professional preparedness, engaged citizenship, ethical leadership and personal responsibility,” OSU President Kayse Shrum said. “Each of those qualities has roots in philosophy, and when STORY GRANT RAMIREZ | PHOTOS PROVIDED 30 CONNECT 2024
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