ORU Announces Naming of New Media Arts Center in Honor of Peggy V. Helmerich

Tulsa, OK– Oral Roberts University (ORU) announced that the Board of Trustees approved naming the University’s newest building in recognition of Peggy V. Helmerich.  The fourth new addition to the expanding campus, the Peggy V. Helmerich Media Arts Center (MAC), will house ORU's theatre, dance, music, and digital media departments. Construction on the building is scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2024 and opened for the Fall 2024 semester.  

ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson expressed the University's appreciation, "This generous gift compliments ORU's commitment to the arts.  I want to express our gratitude to Hans Helmerich and the board members of The Helmerich Trust for their contribution to our growing campus.  The new Peggy V. Helmerich Media Arts Center will offer our students incredible opportunities.  Mrs. Helmerich's artistic talent and philanthropic spirit embody the attributes we believe our graduates will carry into the world.”  

Peggy V. (Dow) Helmerich is known for her roles as Nurse Kelly in the film Harvey, starring James Stewart, and Judy Greene in the war drama Bright Victory, with Arthur Kennedy, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.  She had starring roles in two family films, Reunion in Reno and You Never Can Tell.  Peggy retired to marry Walter Helmerich III and relocated to Tulsa, where she raised five sons.  Mrs. Helmerich is known for establishing the Tulsa Library Trust, the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, and her devotion to improving healthcare education, among other charitable efforts. 

The Peggy V. Helmerich MAC will be located on the west side of the ORU campus, joining the new Welcome Center and the J.D. McKean Library. The arts departments will have access to a 450-seat proscenium arched auditorium, a 144-seat music performance hall, and a 100-seat black box theater. The performance spaces will provide dual functionality, also serving as teaching spaces. The two-story structure contains over 78,000 square feet of space.

The MAC Foyer

The new building will also house faculty offices and support space for students. These include a green room, rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, and a costume shop. The dance department will have access to new rehearsal studios. Film and media students will study in state-of-the-art technology spaces, including a new digital production studio, AR/AV studio, and control room. Music students will have access to orchestra, choral, and practice rooms. As with all the new ORU buildings, this construction will be completed debt-free and without the usage of any tuition dollars. The expected cost of the center is $38 million.

ORU has made extensive additions and improvements to its campus in the last five years. Construction of the Global Learning Center, the Nursing and Engineering Complex, the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship, and Niko Njotorahardjo Hall have all been completed, and last year, the Fenimore & Fisher College of Business was renovated and updated. The new Welcome Center, the J.D. McKean Library, the Mike Carter Athletic Center, and the Media Arts Center complete Phase One of the Whole Leaders for the Whole World Campaign. Phase Two includes a contemporary meal service building and new student housing. 

Please click here to learn more about Phase II of the WLWW campaign.  

ABOUT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 150 nations (from 2019 to 2023) to be whole leaders for the whole world.

The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2024). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest-ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the most diverse colleges in America, the #1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest.

ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:

• #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
• #2 in Most International Students
• #3 in Best Value
• #6 in Best College for Veterans
• #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West

For more information, visit www.oru.edu.