ORU gets checks for $62 million
BY APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer
Thursday, January 31, 2008
2/11/08 at 11:31 AM
For more: Catch up on previous stories and documents related to the ORU lawsuit.
The Green family’s donation signals
acceptance of its deal with the university.
The response was immediate
and enthusiastic on
Wednesday when Mart Green
handed Oral Roberts University
Trustee Scott Howard three
checks totaling $62 million.
Students and employees at
ORU’s regular chapel service
quickly rose, cheering and
clapping in appreciation.
Interim President Ralph Fagin
punched his fist into the
air. He had just told students
they were about to see a miracle
and, echoing ORU founder
Oral Roberts’ words, said,
“Something good is going to
happen to you!”
The Green family’s donation
signaled acceptance of its deal
with ORU, which requires the
college to adopt shared governance,
in which professors,
administrators and trustees
jointly run the university.
The deal was partly contingent
on the Green family being
“reasonably satisfied that
all outstanding litigation involving
the university” could
“be settled on a fair and reasonable
basis for the university,”
according to the family’s
proposal.
Two of the three former
professors who sued the
school in October, alleging
they wrongfully lost their
jobs, are continuing with
their lawsuit, which kicked
off a storm of criticism
against ORU and its nowformer
president, Richard
Roberts, who resigned but
denied wrongdoing. Three
other lawsuits — filed by two
students and a former ORU
accountant against ORU and
its leaders — are pending.
Green did not talk about
the lawsuits during the chapel
service or in a written
statement.
“Our family is humbled to
be fortunate enough to make
this donation and are excited
to work with the board of
trustees on how best to use
these funds to help create a
stronger ORU,” he said in
the statement.
At chapel, Howard raised
the Greens’ checks in the air
and then prayed: “Heavenly
Father, we thank you for this
wonderful gift. . . . We pray
for the future of Oral Roberts
University, God, that the mission
will go forth, . . . the vision
will be strengthened,
Lord, going forth in the future
for generations to
come.”
After the service, several
students said they were happy
about the donation. Senior
Ricky Broughton expected
the gift to pull ORU out of
debt and to pay for campus
renovations.
He said he did not know
whether ORU needed a new
governing board, but he
thought the change could be
good.
Student Ben Gallaher said
everything he had heard
about ORU’s new leaders
was good, so he trusts them.
The 16-member board of
trustees, led by Green, replaced
the board of regents
and met for the first time
Wednesday.
April Marciszewski 581-8475
april.marciszewski@tulsaworld.com
