Gift creates deanship, first endowed coach at Oregon State University

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Longtime Oregon State University volunteers and supporters Lee and Connie Kearney have made a $6 million gift, jointly creating the university’s fourth endowed deanship and also an endowed OSU head baseball coach position.

The coaching position is named in honor of retired coach Pat Casey and is OSU’s first endowed coaching position.

Residents of Vancouver, Wash., the Kearneys have been active on OSU-affiliated boards for more than two decades. Their previous gifts include two endowed faculty positions in the university’s School of Civil and Construction Engineering. The Kearneys' most recent gift elevates one of those positions to a deanship. Scott Ashford, dean of OSU’s…