CUF Annual Report 2020

C onstructing the Future It’s not possible to reflect on southwest Oklahoma’s rich history without including the McMahon family and their incredible impact on shaping the southwest region of this state. An American middle-class family, Eugene “E.P.” McMahon, his wife Louise, and son Eugene Davis McMahon settled in the Lawton, Oklahoma Territory in 1901. At the turn of the century, Lawton was in the middle of its transfiguration from tents and dirt roads to permanent structures, installing telephone line and municipal offices. E.P. reveled in the potential opportunities that could be had in this new homestead. Louise, charming and sociable, became a successful piano teacher while E.P., a former lawyer, would enter the insurance and real estate industry. The family would quickly settle into their place in Lawton.

At the age of 15, Eugene Davis began selling newspaper ads for the Lawton Constitution. After graduating from OU, Eugene would go on to become a newspaper manager as well as serve time in the armed forces during WWI. It wasn’t until after WWI ended that Eugene found great success through oil royalties.

In 1936, E.P. McMahon passed away. Four years later, the McMahon Foundation was established with an endowment of $50,000 in combined assets from Eugene and his mother. Since then, the McMahon Foundation has awarded millions of dollars throughout Lawton to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Specifically, the McMahon Foundation has provided over $18 million in support to Cameron University, making it the leading donor in the university’s history. Most recently, the McMahon Foundation presented Cameron University a $1.25 million gift that will fund a substantial upgrade of the library on its main campus. Construction is slated to begin during the 2020-2021 academic year and will include additional collaboration spaces for students and faculty, meeting rooms that will be open for public use, and construction of an atrium to include a bistro. Additionally, there will be an emphasis on increased technology-enabled spaces, more access to electrical outlets, and better wireless connectivity. The renovation will also include an upgrade to the restroom facilities as well as parking adjacent to the library will be expanded.

Expanding the library will greatly benefit our students and the community for many generations to come.

By providing much needed updates to one of Cameron’s most utilized buildings, we hope to encourage students to take advantage of the resources provided to them and create an environment for better learning. Cameron remains dedicated to providing the best quality education to southwest Oklahoma.

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