NORMAN — David L. Boren’s tenure at the University of Oklahoma passed another milestone this past week. We’re used to historic announcements about fundraising achievements, merit scholars and school rankings but this one was more personal.
Mr. Boren, a former state representative, governor and U.S. Senator, is now the second longest serving president in the university’s 119-year history. On Tuesday, he surpassed OU’s first leader, David Ross Boyd, who served for 16 years, 2 months and 6 days. Only George Lynn Cross served longer.
Like he did on his first day on the job in 1994, Mr. Boren had lunch with students in a dorm cafeteria. He still teaches a class, something he told Regents he wanted to do when they hired him away from the U.S. Senate. He says the interaction energizes him and reminds him why he took the university president’s job.
Dr. Cross served 24 years, 5 months and 9 days in the position. He was president from 1944 until 1968. Like President Boren, he presided over a campus in the midst of a growth boom. Mr. Boren, who turns 70 in the spring, has transformed the campus in many ways since he arrived in 1994.
We congratulate him on this personal milestone, thank him for his service and wish him many more years inside Evans Hall. Who knows? Mr. Boren could have made a longevity goal of surpassing Dr. Cross’ record. If you’re counting, he has eight years, three months and two days to go.
