Keith will be honored this spring
Toby Keith is one of four to receive an honorary degree from The University of Oklahoma for his extraordinary achievements and generous service to others. Keith, died in February 2024 at the age of 62 due to stomach cancer, will be granted his honorary degree posthumously on May 11th.
“Through their exceptional talents, transformative leadership and unwavering commitment to serving others, each of this year’s Honorary Degree recipients has left an indelible mark on the world,” states OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Their profound dedication has touched countless lives, and we take great pride in conferring the university’s highest honor upon them.”
Keith built an unparalleled career that included ten billion streams, 100 million radio plays, and 44 million albums sold. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Keith was inducted into the New York-based all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received the BMI Icon Award, and he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame shortly before his passing.
Through his Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, launched in 2004, he helped raise $18 million for nonprofits, including OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for children and families seeking treatment for life-threatening illnesses. With his wife, Tricia, he was also a significant supporter of OU Athletics.
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in US News & World Report’s Best Colleges list.
