‘Most rewarding career’
Boren says it’s right time to pass along OU reins
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma President David Boren thanked a packed house Wednesday for the “most satisfying experience in my entire life,” but said the time has come to pass the baton to a new president.
At a news conference in Holmberg Hall, that at times drew deafening cheers, Boren announced he will retire effective June 30, contingent on the selection of a permanent successor “so there will be no gap in the university’s leadership and no pause in our forward momentum.”
The 13th president of OU said he started thinking about stepping down two or three years ago.
“I had wanted the transition to occur when the university was at maximum strength. I believe the right time has come,” he said.
Boren noted OU has been recognized as one of the best public universities in the county. He credited strong faculty, students with great potential and “an extraordinarily talented leadership team ready and able to lead our university into the future.”
He thanked his wife, Molly Shi Boren, who “has been a constant source of strength for me,” along with all Oklahomans, the students and the faculty.
Boren said he recently was looking over comments he made at his installation in November 1994. “Among other things,
I spoke of what I hoped we could accomplish together as a university family,” he said.
“Because of the entire OU family, many of these dreams have already come true. Serving as your president has been the most rewarding career of my life.”
Lows and highs
Boren said his greatest disappointment is the lack of state funding for common education and higher education.
In 2016, Boren led a campaign for a vote on a penny sales tax to immediately address Oklahoma’s “education emergency,” stating Oklahoma is No. 1 in cuts to education and 49th in the amount invested per child.
State Question 779 would have generated about $615 million annually to fund a $5,000 raise for teachers statewide and about $120 million for higher education. Voters defeated it in November.
“That was a disappointment,” Boren said. “I still have high hopes that what happened with the state election was just opening a conversation: ... Are we doing enough to educate our children? And clearly we’re not. I think just getting that on the state’s agenda, it will stay there until the problem is solved.”
The greatest challenge, he said, was the racial incident that led him to remove Sigma Alpha Epsilon from campus.
“The entire nation was watching. That incident was going to define who we were,” Boren said.
The students’ response touting the university as an inclusive community that cares about and respects each other was heartwarming, he said.
“The values and spirit of community that I hoped our students would have, they truly have. It’s become their own. They own those values,” he said.
Time has come
Boren underwent heart bypass surgery in March.
“Obviously it took a lot of energy out of me,” he said. “It makes you think when you’re going to be 77 at your next birthday that the time has come.
“I didn’t want to be president unless I could give every ounce of my energy to the job and feel that I was at the top of my game,” he said.
Boren said he will lead the university until his successor is in place, and after that will continue to teach political science at OU.
“It’s the end of an era,” said Clarke Stroud, OU vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “I think it’s easy to take leadership for granted until you have these kind of salient moments where you can view a person’s entire body of work. To look at where our university is compared to 1994, it’s nothing short of spectacular.”
Gov. Mary Fallin said she has great respect for Boren.
“He is a tireless promoter of OU, and I’m sure he will continue to be a strong advocate for all levels of education after his retirement. President Boren clearly meets the definition of being a public servant,” Fallin said.
In January, OU officials, faculty and student honored Boren for 50 years of public service. He is the first person in state history to serve as governor, U.S. senator, OU president and as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Burns Hargis, president of Oklahoma State University, commended Boren on “his remarkable career and epic success.”
“Personally, I appreciate his collaboration and friendship. He has been a wonderful partner to me and Oklahoma State,” Hargis said.
“The state of Oklahoma owes David Boren its deepest gratitude. His lifetime of public service has earned him a place as one of Oklahoma’s finest statesmen. We appreciate all he has done and OSU wishes him all the best.”