Tom Stogsdill: A Life of Service Rooted in OBU
June 30, 2025
Tom Stogsdill still remembers the moment he knew Oklahoma Baptist University was where he belonged.
Stogsdill was a high school student attending a summer music workshop, and they were rehearsing an anthem inside Raley Chapel. The choir sang, “The Spacious Firmament on High.”
“The rehearsal was inspiring in itself, with a fantastic group of singers and instrumentalists,” he recalled. “I had never been part of something like that before. In addition, while we were singing, a thunderstorm passed through with lightning flashing behind the stained-glass windows. It was an awesomely memorable experience.”
That moment was the beginning of a journey that would shape his life. However, it wasn’t the only reassurance he received.
Another defining moment came during his junior year when he contracted a staph infection leading to endocarditis. Doctors told his family he likely wouldn’t survive 48 hours.
“During all of that time, more than three months in the hospital, my OBU family was praying for me,” he said. “I was blessed that my internist was Dr. Bruce Bell, an OBU graduate. He asked his believing medical colleagues to pray for me. I learned later that I had been prayed for in faculty and staff meetings. I’ll never know who all prayed for me, but I will always be grateful for a caring university family and answered prayer.”
Those experiences, along with the lessons he learned at OBU, became the foundation for his life’s work: helping universities grow and thrive through fundraising.
A Career of Transformational Impact
Stogsdill, a 1971 OBU graduate with a bachelor of arts in music, has spent more than four decades in university development and fundraising, shaping institutions across the country. From leading record-breaking capital campaigns to mentoring the next generation of advancement professionals, his impact is measured in hundreds of millions of dollars raised, campus transformations and countless students whose education was made possible through his work.
His career has taken him to institutions such as Mississippi State University, Elon University, the University of South Dakota and Wingate University. Most recently, he served as vice president for development at the Baptist Spanish Publishing House Foundation in El Paso, Texas, where he launched a major gifts program, secured endowments and increased fundraising revenue by nearly 70 percent in three years.
But for all his accomplishments, he credits OBU with shaping his approach to leadership and perseverance.
“I was a charter member of Omega Chi Delta,” Stogsdill said. “Our slogan at that time was ‘What we achieve too easily, we esteem too lightly.’ I have always felt that if something is truly worthwhile, then only my best effort will suffice. That helped create in me a strong work ethic, which served me well because fundraising is not easy.”
He also recalls the influence of his piano professor, Clair McGovern.
“I had started piano lessons relatively late as a teenager, so I struggled,” he said. “He assigned pieces that were above my skill level. He told me, ‘The difficult things we do right away; the impossible takes a little longer.’ I’ve never forgotten those words.”
Two other professors, James Woodward and Dean Angell, played pivotal roles in his life.
“Jim Woodward encouraged me to think beyond my current circumstances to consider what could be,” Stogsdill said. “He helped me not to put limitations on myself. At that time, I would never have dreamed that I would later be the chief development officer at four universities.”
“Dean Angell was a consummate musician and performer,” he continued. “He instilled in me and all the Glee Clubbers the determination to strive for excellence.”
A Lifelong Commitment to OBU
For Stogsdill, OBU is more than an alma mater; it’s a family tradition.
“I was the first in my family to attend OBU,” he said. “My mother got her associate’s degree after I graduated. I am extremely proud of her for pursuing her studies as a home missionary at the time.”
His daughter, Cara, also chose OBU, influenced by years of hearing stories about the university.
“She heard a lot of stories at home, as well as Ka-Rip and the ‘Hawaiian War Song,’” Stogsdill said with a laugh. “When she was considering OBU, she wanted to do a campus visit. She decided quickly that OBU was the right place for her.”
Cara met her future husband, Rodney Little, at OBU, where they both studied biology.
“Their relationship was fostered through a shared drive for academic achievement in a challenging program,” he said. “Cara also got her BSN after the BS in biology. They both represent the spirit of OBU.”
Why He Gives
Even after building a career in higher education advancement, Stogsdill sees something unique in OBU’s approach.
“I think that OBU prepares students for life by focusing on a ‘Why’ rather than on ‘What’ or other questions,” he said. “By that, I mean I was encouraged to answer the big question about purpose, meaning and mission. It’s important for people to learn why they’re here in the first place. Our identity is in Christ.”
That belief drives his commitment to giving back.
“Jesus said, ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,’” Stogsdill said. “Susan and I have chosen to demonstrate the place that OBU holds in our lives by investing the modest amounts we have given over the years.”
His first donation to OBU was the result of a simple phone call from a student fundraiser.
“A student called to ask for a gift,” he recalled. “I had never been asked directly before. I didn’t hesitate to give. And that was because of the value I placed on my OBU experience.”
He encourages others to support OBU in the same way.
“I think it is important for everyone to give as they are able, proportionate to God’s blessing,” he said. “If we truly believe that everything we have is the Lord’s, then we are just stewards of it. As such, we are to invest God’s money in places that make an impact for the Kingdom of God. Give not just what you can give but give regularly. Over a lifetime, your support can add up to significant amounts.”
Beyond financial contributions, he and his wife, Susan, established a scholarship in his parents’ names to honor their legacy of ministry and service.
“I feel that I am investing in OBU in order to support the mission of changing lives through a top-quality, purpose-driven, Christ-centered education,” he said.
A Call to Shape the Future
As OBU moves forward with its Shape the Future campaign, Stogsdill sees an opportunity for others to join him in giving back.
“If you want to make a difference in the world, OBU will make a huge difference in your life and equip you with the learning, tools, environment and encouragement you need,” he said. “You will be challenged to find and fulfill that purpose the first day you walk on campus and you’ll never be the same.”
What excites him most about OBU’s future is its role in preparing leaders who will bring Christ into a world in need.
“Our country and the world need Jesus now more than ever,” Stogsdill said. “Only people who know Him and are committed to fulfilling His commands can make a real, eternal difference in the world. We need OBU increasingly to speak into the lives of our students, their families, their churches and their communities to move past a socialized Christianity to one that fully embraces a genuine relationship with Christ and total obedience to Him, whatever form that might take in their lives.”
For Stogsdill, investing in OBU is more than a financial decision; it is an act of faith, a commitment to shaping the future, just as OBU shaped him.
Join the Shape the Future Campaign today.