NEWS
Date
The university is saddened to share the passing this morning of David L. Boren, whose life’s work was rooted in his commitment to the people of Oklahoma and his belief in the power of education to change lives. For more than five decades, he devoted himself to our state, nation, and university, first serving as a state Legislator before rising to become Governor of Oklahoma, a United States Senator, and the 13th president of the University of Oklahoma.
While still a student at the OU College of Law, he launched his lifelong pursuit of public service, successfully running for election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. After serving four terms, at age 33, he became the nation’s youngest governor at the time of his inauguration in 1975. As a U.S. Senator for 16 years, he championed numerous efforts to make government more effective and accountable to the American people, and he remains the longest-serving chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. His statesmanship while in Congress earned bipartisan respect and admiration, proving that principled leadership can transcend party lines for the good of our nation. Throughout his 24 years as president of the University of Oklahoma, he elevated the prestige of the university through his profound belief in education as the great equalizer, creating pathways to opportunity for countless students.
“Few individuals have so wholeheartedly dedicated their careers to serving others as President Boren, who was driven by a bold vision to create a better, stronger future,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “He was guided by a steadfast philosophy of serving the greater good, as well as an enduring belief in the transformative power of education.”
The university remembers his many lasting contributions and extends heartfelt condolences to his wife, Molly Shi Boren; his children, Dan Boren, Secretary of Commerce for the Chickasaw Nation, and Carrie Boren Headington, Canon Evangelist for the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas; and to his entire family, friends, and all those who were inspired by his life and work.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) has awarded the University of Oklahoma a $25 million grant to help construct a new OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center facility in Tulsa, a project that will house the newly named TSET Clinical Research Center and significantly expand access to clinical trials and cancer care in the region.
Mike Banad, a researcher with the University of Oklahoma, has been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to pursue the development of advanced materials that could shape the future of energy-efficient electronics and photonics.
A new partnership between the University of Oklahoma School of Music and the Norman-based nonprofit SunHive Collective is giving OU students hands-on experience working with young adults with special needs, an opportunity that music education faculty member Melissa Baughman, Ph.D., calls “pure joy.”
