In 2006, the Stephenson Research and Technology Center was established at the University of Oklahoma. The $27 million facility was named in honor of the Stephensons in recognition of their $6 million lead gift for its construction. Charles Stephenson was chairman, president and CEO of Vintage Petroleum, which merged with Occidental Petroleum in 2006.

The building included nearly 95,000 square feet of both private and communal laboratory, office and general gathering space, the two-story building was configured to support rapidly changing research programs and new collaborative initiatives in biosciences, bioengineering, robotics and supercomputing.