The College of Business Administration is officially renamed the Spears School of Business on December 3, 2004, in honor of alumnus Dr. William S. Spears, who one month earlier made the largest academic gift to OSU to that date.

Spears, a 1962 graduate from OSU, founded his company, Cenergistic, in 1986 as Energy Education, Inc. The Dallas-based firm develops and implements a proprietary energy conservation program that enables schools to reduce energy consumption and redirect funds toward education.

Spears was inducted into the Spears School Hall of Fame in 2005.