LifelongSooner
1/15/2006, 11:29 AM
OSU wonders: Does gift come with a catch?
By ARNOLD HAMILTON / The Dallas Morning News
STILLWATER, Okla. – The night before going public with his record $165 million gift to Oklahoma State University athletics, Boone Pickens met briefly with the school's football coaches at Dallas' Hibiscus restaurant to preview his plans.
One coach asked what seems to be on the minds of many OSU insiders and supporters these days:
"What is it that you expect? What do you expect from us?"
While the Dallas billionaire's breathtaking cash gift is widely celebrated here, it also has triggered worries that one man with deep pockets and a willingness to spend could end up exerting too much power over a taxpayer-financed institution – and, by extension, over a smaller town whose economic vitality depends on the university.
"He wields a lot of influence, and he's not hesitant to wield it," said Dr. Bob Darcy, a regents professor of political science and chairman of OSU's Faculty Council. "The people at the university – rightly or wrongly – go out of their way to accommodate him on everything, real or imagined."
The result: Some critics now lampoon OSU as Boone State.
For his part, Mr. Pickens, 77, professes an undying loyalty for his alma mater and insists he won't micromanage Oklahoma State's affairs, in athletics or otherwise. But he told the football coaches – in Dallas for a national coaches' meeting – he has one expectation.
"I could stand here and tell you that 12-0 will do," he said, but "that's not what I'm after. I don't think that's realistic to tell a coaching staff that it's got to be 12-0 to make me happy.
"I said I want us to be competitive."
Bubbling resentment
Mr. Pickens' giving – at least $235 million in the past three years – and OSU's plans for the money are stirring debate and some resentment here, especially a proposed Olympic-esque athletic village that would gobble up hundreds of small homes, apartments and duplexes north of Boone Pickens Stadium.
The complex is expected to include a new indoor practice center for football and other sports, a new baseball stadium and new women's soccer, equestrian and track facilities.
Some area residents and landowners, though, protested the plan at a December regents meeting, especially appalled by initial hardball tactics. Notably, there have been hints that the university might invoke eminent domain to seize properties from those who refuse to sell.
Internet message boards and letters to the editor raged with debate. A recent OSU grad and a current student joined forces to launch a Web site that parodies Mr. Pickens and university President David Schmidly through comic strip panels deriding the athletic village proposal and what they view as the school's fealty to Mr. Pickens.
__________________________
Skewered on the Web
Garrett Hellman, a recent Oklahoma State graduate, and Chris Stellman, an OSU senior who owns a home in an area threatened by the planned athletic village, launched a Web site that lampoons Dallas billionaire Boone Pickens and university President David Schmidly through comic strip panels. The site, at www.boonestate.com, also sells buttons and stickers critical of Mr. Pickens' influence at the school. In an interview, Mr. Pickens declined in general to comment on such criticism.
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"It's pretty evident he's pulling some strings," said Chris Stellman, one of the Web site creators. He's a senior biology major who owns a home in the area affected by the athletic village. "We aren't opposed to Pickens or his donations – just that they're being used to displace homeowners."
In an interview last week, Mr. Pickens declined in general to comment on critics' complaints. But Dr. Schmidly, the former Texas Tech president, and Burns Hargis, the OSU regents chairman, said Mr. Pickens doesn't give with strings attached – or with any my-way-or-the-highway demands.
"Boone has never tried to influence anything," Dr. Schmidly said. "I find Boone remarkably wonderful to get along with.
"Now, he does have high standards. He's going to hold us accountable for doing these facilities right. But Boone is not a micromanager. He doesn't pick up the phone and call me and say, 'You do this, this, this, this, this.' He's just not that kind of individual."
Dr. Darcy, though, said he believes Mr. Pickens' influence was underscored last month, when he served as OSU's graduation speaker.
Moments before Mr. Pickens, university leaders and faculty, all dressed in academic regalia, were to march into Gallagher-Iba Arena to begin the ceremony, the OSU president issued an order, Dr. Darcy said.
The order: Everyone must take off the mortarboard caps because: "Boone doesn't like hats. No hats."
"It was fine with me, because I don't like them, either," Dr. Darcy said, "but it sent a message that the slightest whim was going to be catered to."
According to OSU spokesman Gary Shutt, Dr. Schmidly remembers the story differently: The president told Mr. Pickens he did not like mortarboards, "and they agreed not to wear them."
"They didn't ask others not to wear them," Mr. Shutt wrote in an e-mail, but most "followed their lead."
"Everyone was free to wear them or not."
Not trying to play coach
Either way, Mr. Hargis said, he and other OSU officials "darn sure listen to his [Mr. Pickens'] opinions." But he said they don't always follow his advice.
"I can tell you: I'm very interested in what Boone Pickens thinks. I'm not going to make any bones about that," the Oklahoma City banker said, chuckling.
"He is not reticent about expressing his opinion. But anybody that thinks he's got this kind of Svengali control over the university is just dreaming. This guy's got plenty to do. And he recognizes what he knows and what he doesn't know. I don't think he fancies himself as a football coach or a basketball coach or the like."
John Lippincott, president of the Washington-based Council for Advancement and Support of Education, said his experience suggests universities are increasingly sophisticated when it comes to "managing these relationships in appropriate ways."
A decade ago, he noted, Yale University returned a $20 million gift to establish a program in Western civilization when the donor wanted to select those who would teach it. Last month, Florida State University opted to return a $5 million gift from a faculty member – and matching state money – when it refused the donor's demands to construct a building devoted to his specialty, synthetic chemistry.
Some on campus and in Stillwater suggest Mr. Pickens is a natural target for such resentment, given his national persona – a high-stakes oilman, investor and corporate raider identified by Forbes as one of the 400 richest Americans, worth about $1.6 billion.
"That feeling is definitely out there. I've heard it repeatedly," said Stillwater Mayor Bud Lacy, an OSU accounting professor for 26 years.
$300 million in gifts
All told, the university said, Mr. Pickens has donated more than $300 million to the school where he earned his geology degree in 1951. While last week's gift was dedicated to athletics, Mr. Pickens has given millions to OSU academics. The School of Geology is named for him. Three years ago, when he donated $70 million to OSU, only $20 million went to athletics – for renovation of the football stadium that now bears his name.
In an interview last week, Mr. Pickens admitted he has wondered occasionally if his gifts might end up discouraging others from giving.
"That has crossed my mind. ... 'Just let him pay,' " he said. "But I think if you go back over the history of the school and focus on the athletic department, a lot of us gave, but we felt like at times we didn't get results" in many sports.
"I think now that our supporters are going to look at it from the standpoint of, hey, there's enough money here now to really have the facilities that will be as good as anybody else ... I think they're going to look at it and say the train is leaving the station and they want to be on it."
Officials said criticism of Mr. Pickens might be fueled by two factors. One is the emotional debate over the future of the areas targeted for the athletic village – about 300 homes, apartment units and duplexes spread over 100 acres or so.
Recently, though, several of the landowners who have agreed to sell their property said they were pleased with the purchase price.
Another bone for critics is concern that the commitment to the athletics means OSU academics will take a back seat for the foreseeable future.
University officials, however, insist that the $300 million in athletic projects isn't all they are planning. Also on tap: more than $400 million in construction that OSU leaders say will help the academic side, including a new home for the School of Architecture.
Dr. Darcy, the Faculty Council chairman, said he is thrilled for athletics that Mr. Pickens' has donated so much money. But he said he isn't convinced the university will be able to raise enough money to do all it wants for its sports program – meaning fundraising could be focused for years on athletics, not academics.
"The first priority at Oklahoma State University has to be education," he said. "Education is the only purpose for Oklahoma State University. And they don't get it."
Mr. Hargis, the regents chairman, said he believes athletic successes fuel an esprit de corps that encourages alumni and friends to donate more to the university for all sorts of purposes.
Indeed, he said, a rule of thumb is that a national championship in a major sport such as football can mean up to $50 million in new donations for a school.
And Dr. Schmidly said he believes good facilities help lead to national championships, pointing to the University of Texas' football title.
"They're a great university and they have great facilities and they attract great student athletes," he said. "That's where we want to be. We don't intend to be second fiddle to anybody. Our goal is compete with the top level."
By ARNOLD HAMILTON / The Dallas Morning News
STILLWATER, Okla. – The night before going public with his record $165 million gift to Oklahoma State University athletics, Boone Pickens met briefly with the school's football coaches at Dallas' Hibiscus restaurant to preview his plans.
One coach asked what seems to be on the minds of many OSU insiders and supporters these days:
"What is it that you expect? What do you expect from us?"
While the Dallas billionaire's breathtaking cash gift is widely celebrated here, it also has triggered worries that one man with deep pockets and a willingness to spend could end up exerting too much power over a taxpayer-financed institution – and, by extension, over a smaller town whose economic vitality depends on the university.
"He wields a lot of influence, and he's not hesitant to wield it," said Dr. Bob Darcy, a regents professor of political science and chairman of OSU's Faculty Council. "The people at the university – rightly or wrongly – go out of their way to accommodate him on everything, real or imagined."
The result: Some critics now lampoon OSU as Boone State.
For his part, Mr. Pickens, 77, professes an undying loyalty for his alma mater and insists he won't micromanage Oklahoma State's affairs, in athletics or otherwise. But he told the football coaches – in Dallas for a national coaches' meeting – he has one expectation.
"I could stand here and tell you that 12-0 will do," he said, but "that's not what I'm after. I don't think that's realistic to tell a coaching staff that it's got to be 12-0 to make me happy.
"I said I want us to be competitive."
Bubbling resentment
Mr. Pickens' giving – at least $235 million in the past three years – and OSU's plans for the money are stirring debate and some resentment here, especially a proposed Olympic-esque athletic village that would gobble up hundreds of small homes, apartments and duplexes north of Boone Pickens Stadium.
The complex is expected to include a new indoor practice center for football and other sports, a new baseball stadium and new women's soccer, equestrian and track facilities.
Some area residents and landowners, though, protested the plan at a December regents meeting, especially appalled by initial hardball tactics. Notably, there have been hints that the university might invoke eminent domain to seize properties from those who refuse to sell.
Internet message boards and letters to the editor raged with debate. A recent OSU grad and a current student joined forces to launch a Web site that parodies Mr. Pickens and university President David Schmidly through comic strip panels deriding the athletic village proposal and what they view as the school's fealty to Mr. Pickens.
__________________________
Skewered on the Web
Garrett Hellman, a recent Oklahoma State graduate, and Chris Stellman, an OSU senior who owns a home in an area threatened by the planned athletic village, launched a Web site that lampoons Dallas billionaire Boone Pickens and university President David Schmidly through comic strip panels. The site, at www.boonestate.com, also sells buttons and stickers critical of Mr. Pickens' influence at the school. In an interview, Mr. Pickens declined in general to comment on such criticism.
______________
"It's pretty evident he's pulling some strings," said Chris Stellman, one of the Web site creators. He's a senior biology major who owns a home in the area affected by the athletic village. "We aren't opposed to Pickens or his donations – just that they're being used to displace homeowners."
In an interview last week, Mr. Pickens declined in general to comment on critics' complaints. But Dr. Schmidly, the former Texas Tech president, and Burns Hargis, the OSU regents chairman, said Mr. Pickens doesn't give with strings attached – or with any my-way-or-the-highway demands.
"Boone has never tried to influence anything," Dr. Schmidly said. "I find Boone remarkably wonderful to get along with.
"Now, he does have high standards. He's going to hold us accountable for doing these facilities right. But Boone is not a micromanager. He doesn't pick up the phone and call me and say, 'You do this, this, this, this, this.' He's just not that kind of individual."
Dr. Darcy, though, said he believes Mr. Pickens' influence was underscored last month, when he served as OSU's graduation speaker.
Moments before Mr. Pickens, university leaders and faculty, all dressed in academic regalia, were to march into Gallagher-Iba Arena to begin the ceremony, the OSU president issued an order, Dr. Darcy said.
The order: Everyone must take off the mortarboard caps because: "Boone doesn't like hats. No hats."
"It was fine with me, because I don't like them, either," Dr. Darcy said, "but it sent a message that the slightest whim was going to be catered to."
According to OSU spokesman Gary Shutt, Dr. Schmidly remembers the story differently: The president told Mr. Pickens he did not like mortarboards, "and they agreed not to wear them."
"They didn't ask others not to wear them," Mr. Shutt wrote in an e-mail, but most "followed their lead."
"Everyone was free to wear them or not."
Not trying to play coach
Either way, Mr. Hargis said, he and other OSU officials "darn sure listen to his [Mr. Pickens'] opinions." But he said they don't always follow his advice.
"I can tell you: I'm very interested in what Boone Pickens thinks. I'm not going to make any bones about that," the Oklahoma City banker said, chuckling.
"He is not reticent about expressing his opinion. But anybody that thinks he's got this kind of Svengali control over the university is just dreaming. This guy's got plenty to do. And he recognizes what he knows and what he doesn't know. I don't think he fancies himself as a football coach or a basketball coach or the like."
John Lippincott, president of the Washington-based Council for Advancement and Support of Education, said his experience suggests universities are increasingly sophisticated when it comes to "managing these relationships in appropriate ways."
A decade ago, he noted, Yale University returned a $20 million gift to establish a program in Western civilization when the donor wanted to select those who would teach it. Last month, Florida State University opted to return a $5 million gift from a faculty member – and matching state money – when it refused the donor's demands to construct a building devoted to his specialty, synthetic chemistry.
Some on campus and in Stillwater suggest Mr. Pickens is a natural target for such resentment, given his national persona – a high-stakes oilman, investor and corporate raider identified by Forbes as one of the 400 richest Americans, worth about $1.6 billion.
"That feeling is definitely out there. I've heard it repeatedly," said Stillwater Mayor Bud Lacy, an OSU accounting professor for 26 years.
$300 million in gifts
All told, the university said, Mr. Pickens has donated more than $300 million to the school where he earned his geology degree in 1951. While last week's gift was dedicated to athletics, Mr. Pickens has given millions to OSU academics. The School of Geology is named for him. Three years ago, when he donated $70 million to OSU, only $20 million went to athletics – for renovation of the football stadium that now bears his name.
In an interview last week, Mr. Pickens admitted he has wondered occasionally if his gifts might end up discouraging others from giving.
"That has crossed my mind. ... 'Just let him pay,' " he said. "But I think if you go back over the history of the school and focus on the athletic department, a lot of us gave, but we felt like at times we didn't get results" in many sports.
"I think now that our supporters are going to look at it from the standpoint of, hey, there's enough money here now to really have the facilities that will be as good as anybody else ... I think they're going to look at it and say the train is leaving the station and they want to be on it."
Officials said criticism of Mr. Pickens might be fueled by two factors. One is the emotional debate over the future of the areas targeted for the athletic village – about 300 homes, apartment units and duplexes spread over 100 acres or so.
Recently, though, several of the landowners who have agreed to sell their property said they were pleased with the purchase price.
Another bone for critics is concern that the commitment to the athletics means OSU academics will take a back seat for the foreseeable future.
University officials, however, insist that the $300 million in athletic projects isn't all they are planning. Also on tap: more than $400 million in construction that OSU leaders say will help the academic side, including a new home for the School of Architecture.
Dr. Darcy, the Faculty Council chairman, said he is thrilled for athletics that Mr. Pickens' has donated so much money. But he said he isn't convinced the university will be able to raise enough money to do all it wants for its sports program – meaning fundraising could be focused for years on athletics, not academics.
"The first priority at Oklahoma State University has to be education," he said. "Education is the only purpose for Oklahoma State University. And they don't get it."
Mr. Hargis, the regents chairman, said he believes athletic successes fuel an esprit de corps that encourages alumni and friends to donate more to the university for all sorts of purposes.
Indeed, he said, a rule of thumb is that a national championship in a major sport such as football can mean up to $50 million in new donations for a school.
And Dr. Schmidly said he believes good facilities help lead to national championships, pointing to the University of Texas' football title.
"They're a great university and they have great facilities and they attract great student athletes," he said. "That's where we want to be. We don't intend to be second fiddle to anybody. Our goal is compete with the top level."