It is the man’s own money to donate as he chooses. If he himself had been as inspired by the psychology department as by the football team, then he would have donated otherwise. “We come to college, not to learn to make a living, but to learn to live a life.” (I only but wish he had graduated from Iowa State.)

bystander, at 7:50 am EST on January 11, 2006

no boon to teaching or learning

Two things need to be made clear:

1. Of course it’s his money. He can do with what he wishes but that doesn’t mean this is the best use of it. (I’m assuming that bystander or anyone s/he loves is not suffering from a medical condition that could be better treated with $165M)

2. This will mean great things for what might best be called cowboys.com but will have little impact on okstate.edu. The money will be spent on and for athletes. It is concieveble that this will reduce the subsidy transfered from teaching and learning to sports but don’t count on it. Mr. Pickens, who made his money in the oil bussiness, could have helped the geology, engineering, or bussiness units at OSU but he choose sports. This will help sports but not these or any other academic departments.

Pete, Univ. of Houston, at 8:43 am EST on January 11, 2006

It Wasn’t Broken

In the interest of full disclosure, T. Boone Pickens gave money to the OSU School of Geology, which bears his name. So does part of OSU’s golf course, the football stadium, and a wing of some fraternity. The guy does spread it around.

Also in the interest of full disclosure, my childhood home will be bulldozed for the athletics village, and my 89-year-old father’s home may also be. My parents were OSU professors for 40+ years. Two of my four siblings are alums.

The academics vs. athletics argument about this gift is cetainly legitimate, but it’s just one consideration.

Another consideration is that this village is part of a plan that the OSU Regents haven’t approved — but Pickens and Schmidly go merrily on their way as if the Regents were behind it. OSU continues to acquire property for the village by intimidating homeowners into selling at what OSU determines to be a “fair price.” In one case, they offered about 2/3 of the appraised price.

OSU has the right to use eminent domain to simply take this property, if it so chooses. OSU mentioned that fact when the gift was announced, though they’re now blaming that on the property management company and President Schmidly claims he was out of the country at the time. They’re now saying eminent domain is a “last resort.” But it’s unclear whether this use of eminent domain would even be legal, setting aside the moral and ethical arguments against using it, given that any economic development benefits (a disputed use of eminent domain under scrutiny in Oklahoma) are doubtful.

Another consideration in this gift is that the village, if it’s approved, will require much more to maintain than is possible with OSU’s $35 million athletics budget. Athletic director Holder was plain in the announcement of this gift that the village will require all alumni and “friends of OSU” to step up their giving. What kind of a gift is that?

Another consideration is that demographic data from the U.S. Census suggest that enrollment will be dropping for the next 20 years. Investment in any kind of facility is risky now, when fewer students will be around to use it. Fewer students means fewer alumni, which means fewer pockets to pick to support an athletics village — never mind academics.

Another consideration is that alienating the Stillwater community and embarrassing its faculty, graduate students, and alumni will have far-reaching consequences for OSU. If you’re a motivated student looking to be challenged academically, you’ll go elsewhere. If you’re a recent Ph.D. looking to build a career, you wouldn’t pick a place that goes into debt for academics facilities but seeks out cash for athletics.

And a final consideration lies in Dr. Schmidly’s last statement, as quoted in this news article: “I can’t tell a donor, ‘Don’t give us this money for this, because we really wanted to give it over here. I’ve got more sense than that.” How is that sensible? I’m neither a university president nor an oil tycoon, but I think any president who CAN’T speak truth to power has big problems. Any president who CAN’T say to a donor, “Gee, thanks for your interest, and here’s how much more benefit your money will have if we invest it in academics” lacks courage and creativity.

And I think this lack of worthy leadership at OSU is going to be the biggest problem of all, if the Regents go forward with this Boone-doggle.

As a lifelong supporter of higher education, I’m living in a Dali landscape. A record-breaking gift to OSU — to any institution of higher education — should be a cause for rejoicing. We should all be thrilled. But this is sickening. Bystander, would that he HAD graduated from Iowa State.

For more information about the Stillwater community’s response to this gift, see www.okstateexpansion.com.

Marion Agnew, at 8:37 pm EST on January 11, 2006

As a former humanities fundraiser for the Univ. of Wash...

I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments of the article & most of the commenters.

The fact that Pickens gave money to athletics and not to OSU’s psychology department has little or nothing to do with the department & much to do with Pickens’ priorities both as a student and alumnus. The only academic gift mentioned above is to the geology dept. This gift of course is marked by self-interest since it will indirectly (or even directly) benefit his own oil industry. And though the mega gift will benefit academic programs, they do seem an afterthought.

As for the statement by the college president that he couldn’t rightly refuse such a large gift...the truth is that he really COULD NOT refuse such a gift. But not for the reasons he mentioned. He’d be fired within 5 minutes of the news of the gift’s refusal being released. This guy, just as much as the athletic director, was hired to produce winning sports teams. As the faculty council leader said, academics were a distant second in the president’s job description.

I used to work at Dartmouth College (admittedly an entirely diff. kettle of college fish, but still...) and believe you me that school didn’t blink about refusing gifts that were proferred. But I guess they felt they could afford to. AFter a while I got to thinking that their centralized fundraising system was more of a hindrance to the school rather than a benefit. But no one asked me. The school’s been around a long time and thinks it’s figured out the best way to do things. Who are we to judge (I mean that slightly ironically)? But at least college officials COULD turn down an athletic gift that conflicted with academic interests. That’s saying a lot.

Richard Silverstein, at 4:33 am EST on January 12, 2006

I am a third generation graduate of OSU. My mother is 84 and father is 89 and also a veteran of World War II and is semi-bed fast. They live in their home which was built by my grandfather at 1110 N. Bellis, Stillwater. No one, not OSU, not the State of Oklahoma, not the City of Stillwater, not the US Government should have the right to take their home if there is any possible reasonable alternative. OSU has lots of land where they wouldn’t have to take anybodies home. The area my parents home is in is planned for tennis courts. OSU has tennis courts, they have a soccer complex, and they have a baseball stadium. This action is just flat wrong, not needed, wastefull and will probably result in higher fees to students. It will block traffic in Stillwater and cost the taxpayers of Stillwater and Oklahoma millions and other home owners their homes in constructing new traffic corridors.

OSU has been bought.

Leonard G. Herron IIIOSU Class of 1975

Leonard G. Herron III, Economic Development Director at Northern Oklahoma Development Authority, at 7:12 pm EST on January 12, 2006