A leader in Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry, Charles C. Stephenson of Tulsa has been named the 2011 recipient of the Trailblazer Award presented by the University of Oklahoma Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.

Established by OU in 2003, the award is presented bi-annually to honor the exceptional individuals in the energy industry who blaze a trail for others to follow.  These Oklahoma Trailblazers have pioneered operational or scientific practices, procedures, and developments for the energy industry, thus enhancing the quality of life for the people of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.

The award was presented at a dinner on Friday, Nov. 4, on OU’s Norman campus.

“Charles Stephenson has not only been a leader in the oil and gas industry, he has been an inspiration to others to give back to help the community,” said OU President David L. Boren.

“Charlie Stephenson is an outstanding recipient of the Trailblazer Award, based on his professional achievements and generosity,” said Larry Grillot, dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.  “Charlie and Peggy have given both their time and significant financial support to the University of Oklahoma and have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the development of Oklahoma’s future in terms of people, facilities and employment.  It’s an honor for me to be a part of this well-deserved recognition of Charlie Stephenson.”

Stephenson, a native of Antlers, graduated from OU with a bachelor of science degree in petroleum engineering in 1959. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Army, he began his oil career when he joined Amerada Petroleum Corp.

After serving in various engineering capacities at Amerada, Stephenson was promoted to manager of Engineering Services. Between 1971 and 1973, he was manager for production operations at a private, Tulsa-based oil and gas company, after which he was a principal in the privately held Andover Oil Co., where he also served as president.  Following the sale of Andover to Santa Fe International Corp. in 1982, he was elected president of Santa Fe-Andover Oil Co. and served in that capacity for a year.

In 1983, Stephenson co-founded Vintage Petroleum Inc., headquartered in Tulsa, and served as president until 1990, when it became a public company, and as CEO until March 1994. Later, he became chairman of Vintage, which was known as one of the most aggressive and flourishing companies in exploration for new oil and natural gas reserves, acquiring producing properties from major oil companies and marketing production domestically and in South America. In 2006, he retired as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Vintage Petroleum Inc., which was sold to Occidental.  

Stephenson, who was elected to the Distinguished Graduates Society in 1996, has given both his time and support to the university as a member of the OU President’s Associates and the College of Engineering’s Board of Visitors, as a founder of the Sarkeys Energy Center, and as a founding member of OU’s Seed Sower Society for donors of $1 million or more. He currently serves as a member of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy Board of Visitors.  In 2003, he was a recipient of OU’s highest honor, the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Along with wife, Peggy, he made a $6 million lead gift to OU in October 2002 to help build the Stephenson Research and Technology Center, which transformed an empty field into the OU’s burgeoning Research Campus.  In 2006, the Stephensons made another $18 million gift to help OU build the Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, and in October 2010, the Stephensons presented OU with a historic $12 million gift to benefit cancer programs for all Oklahoma.

Past recipients of the award include John W. Nichols in 2003, the Lloyd Noble Family in 2005, Curtis Mewbourne in 2007 and Lew O. Ward III in 2009.