Stuart Family Foundation Gives $2 million to Support OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Expansion in Tulsa

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center has received a transformative $2 million gift from the Stuart Family Foundation to support its expansion to Tulsa. The expansion will increase access to high-quality, comprehensive cancer care for patients in northeastern Oklahoma, allowing them to receive treatment closer to home.

For many patients in Tulsa and the surrounding region, accessing cancer treatment has historically required traveling long distances, often at the most critical moments in their care. These challenges can delay treatment, increase financial strain and place additional burdens on patients and their families.

This expansion represents a meaningful step forward in addressing those gaps. By bringing advanced cancer services closer to where patients live, Stephenson Cancer Center-Tulsa will help ensure more Oklahomans can begin and continue treatment without leaving their communities.

The Stuart Family Foundation, created in 1971 by Tulsa civic leaders Harold C. Stuart and Joan Skelley Stuart, reflects a multigenerational commitment to philanthropy rooted in the Stuart family’s deep ties to Oklahoma. Harold, a distinguished attorney and former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, and Joan, daughter of oil pioneer W. G. Skelly, established the foundation to support charitable, cultural and educational institutions that strengthen communities across Oklahoma. As the foundation evolved, their son Jon R. Stuart, who served as trustee and principal officer and wife Dee Dee, continued the family’s philanthropic leadership, ensuring that its work remains grounded in the values and civic spirit instilled by his parents. Susan Peterson, daughter of Jon and Dee Dee and a trustee ensures the foundation maintains its broad, community‑focused mission while preserving the family’s legacy of civic engagement. Today, its grantmaking remains primarily focused on Oklahoma nonprofits reflecting both the family’s roots.

“Our motivation to support the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center stems from our love for both OU and Tulsa,” said Susan Peterson. “The Stuart Family Foundation always tries to be supportive of OU whenever we are able, and to have the opportunity to take part in the building of this world class center in Tulsa is something we just couldn’t pass up.”

In recognition of this extraordinary investment, the first-floor cafe will be named the “Stuart Family Foundation Café,” reflecting the Foundation’s lasting impact on cancer care in the region.

“We are hopeful that the Stuart Family Foundation Café will be a place of relaxation and respite for both the families of the patients being treated at the center and for the employees and medical staff who are working so hard day in and day out to give care to those in need,” Peterson said.

As the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, the expansion of Stephenson Cancer Center plays a vital role in advancing research and patient care across the region. The new state-of-the-art facility will feature 70 exam rooms, 45 infusion spaces, three linear accelerators, comprehensive imaging capabilities including MRI and PET-CT, and dedicated clinical trial space designed to expand as the center grows.

“We are deeply grateful to the Stuart Family Foundation for this extraordinarily generous gift and for their long-standing commitment to the University of Oklahoma and the people of our state,” said Dr. Robert Mannel, director of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. “This investment allows us to expand our reach in meaningful ways, bringing nationally recognized, comprehensive cancer care to patients and families in northeastern Oklahoma. As we look to the future, the support of the Stuart Family Foundation and other donors strengthens our ability to advance research, grow clinical trials and deliver innovative, patient-centered care — ensuring more Oklahomans have access to the lifesaving treatments they need, when and where they need them most.”

This investment reflects a shared commitment to improving health outcomes and expanding access to care so that more patients can receive the treatment they need, when and where they need it most.

For more information about how to support the expansion of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, visit OUHealth.com/ways-to-give.