Andy and Helen MacKay

Andy and Helen MacKay are The University of Tulsa’s biggest fans and have adopted its faculty, staff and students as family. For more than two decades, they have supported the university in many ways because of one main reason: they love TU.

The MacKays’ generosity is felt across campus through gifts that have established student scholarships, supplied engineering lab equipment and funded Golden Hurricane athletic teams. In 2018, the couple created the Andrew D. and Helen G. MacKay TU Scholarship for Innovation, a gift enabling 30 students to attend TU that previously would not have been able to financially afford it. Another contribution, which endowed the Andrew and Helen MacKay Endowed Presidential Scholarship, established nine presidential scholarships — TU’s most prestigious academic merit award that covers full tuition for four years.

“One of the most fulfilling experiences, for us as donors, is watching students graduate and go on to do great things in their lives,” Andy said.

Andy and Helen are members of the Dean’s Circle in the Collins College of Business, the Kendall College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Their support has advanced the departments of chemistry, biochemistry, physics, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering. The Andrew D. and Helen G. MacKay Center for Education and Research is housed within J. Newton Rayzor Hall, and Andy has served on advisory boards for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as the Tandy School of Computer Science. The MacKays also funded equipment purchases to build a modernized electric power laboratory in Rayzor Hall in 2016.

In addition to their academic interests, Andy and Helen are longtime members of the Golden Hurricane Club and have funded coaching positions, graduate assistantships and critical equipment purchases for women’s rowing, football, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball. Andy is a member of the TU Board of Trustees, the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences Hall of Fame and the Collins College of Business Hall of Fame. He and Helen also are active in Friends of Finance, the Golden Hurricane Club 1930 Society, the McFarlin Library Henneke Society and the Patron’s Council at Gilcrease Museum.

Originally from the west coast, Andy received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the California Institute of Technology along with an MBA in finance and a master’s degree in physics from the University of California at Berkeley. He and Helen were awarded honorary degrees from TU in 2017.

The couple first arrived in Oklahoma in 1978 when Andy transferred to Tulsa with his employer, Combustion Engineering. They also resided for a time on the east coast before returning to Tulsa and establishing Maccor Inc., a leading manufacturer of battery testing equipment for hundreds of international clients including Apple. Shipped directly from Tulsa, Maccor products are used in more than 50 countries by researchers, manufacturers and organizations that perform detailed evaluation of batteries and other energy storage devices. Andy’s physics and engineering education combined with an innovative spirit of entrepreneurship is the secret to his success as president and CEO of Maccor as well as cofounder, chairman and a former longtime president of Unicorp Systems Inc., an airline electrical equipment repair company in Tulsa. Unicorp is FAA approved and specializes in the testing and repair of avionic and electrical components for major domestic and international airlines, including American Airlines in Tulsa. A significant number of Maccor and Unicorp employees are TU alumni or have connections to TU.

“The work ethic, industry knowledge and skillsets that TU grads demonstrate are unsurpassed by other universities,” Andy said. “We hire TU alumni with high expectations, and they’ve proven their abilities in ways that grow our sales and expand our global reputation.” The MacKays’ loyalty and devotion to TU signify an understanding of the sacrifices many students must make to earn a college degree. Helen worked during her college years, and Andy’s education was made possible through a scholarship he received from his mother’s employer. After benefiting from the generosity of others, Andy and Helen enjoy paying it forward by helping provide an accessible and affordable college education for students of similar backgrounds.

“A college education can change the trajectory in a young person’s life,” Andy said. “It’s important to us that we give back in the same way we were supported. We want to give students opportunities they never thought were possible.”

Focused on making a positive impact on the lives of students, Andy and Helen are much deserving of the J. Paschal Twyman Award and the TU legacy they have created.