Gaylords donate $22 million to OU journalism school

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), May 2, 2000

OKLAHOMA CITY (JR) -- The University of Oklahoma will use a $22 million donation from Edward L. Gaylord and his family to build a "world class" college of journalism and mass communication, OU President David Boren has announced.

The donation is the largest single gift to a public university in state history. It also is believed to be the largest one-time gift ever made to a journalism and mass communication program at any American public university or college, Boren said.

It will fund construction of Gaylord Hall, a new $14 million journalism and mass communication building, Boren said.

The university's journalism and mass communication program will be elevated from "school" to "college" status -- greatly increasing its national prestige.

"This extraordinary gift will assure the University of Oklahoma a place among the leading U.S. institutions engaged in journalism and media education," Boren said.

Edward L. Gaylord is the editor and publisher of The Oklahoman.

Gaylord's sister, Edith Gaylord Harper, was the first woman to serve on the general news staff of The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. She also was an early president of the Women's National Press Club.

His daughter, Christy Gaylord Everest, is an OU Regent and said she is excited to see that the gift will help elevate the journalism school's status.

"Because of my association with OU, I am aware of what an excellent institution it has become," she said.

The donation includes an $8 million endowment to fund faculty positions and student scholarships and internships.

Boren said an extra $4 million in state funds will be requested to help fund teaching positions. The money would create three endowed chairs and seven endowed professorships, including one for a distinguished visiting journalist.

University officials said the new journalism building will be built on land now used for parking. They said they have not determined how the old journalism building will be used, but said some classes may be held there after the new building is completed.

Officials said the endowment will nearly double the number of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as provide faculty research grants, establish a lecture series, upgrade labs and computers and expand the program's library.

There are about 700 undergraduate students and 30 graduate students in OU's journalism and mass communication program.

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication will include the current H.H. Herbert School of Journalism.

The college's three other programs -- advertising, broadcasting, and electronic media and public relations -- will continue as separate academic programs.

A committee will conduct a national search for the first dean for the new college, Boren said. Professor Shirley Ramsey will serve as interim dean.

The Gaylords' gift will push the university's five-year fund- raising campaign total to $411 million. It had an original goal of $200 million and ends in September.

Gaylord Hall will house The Oklahoma Daily, the student newspaper, and the Sooner Yearbook, Boren said.

David Dary, retiring director of the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said, it is "appropriate that the new college will be named for the Gaylord family, which has played a pioneering role in Oklahoma journalism and media history."

Dary has held the Edward L. and Thelma Gaylord Chair in Journalism and Mass Communication.

"If H.H. Herbert were alive today, he undoubtedly would be very pleased with the gift from the Gaylord family," Dary said.

Herbert, who came to OU from Illinois in 1913, became a close friend of the E.K. Gaylord, who had founded The Oklahoma Publishing Co. in 1903.

"E.K. Gaylord provided early support for OU's journalism program from the 1920s until his death in 1974," Dary said. "Even after his death, his estate provided support," said Dary.

Christy Gaylord Everest, daughter of Edward L. Gaylord, serves as a member of the OU Board of Regents. She and her husband, Jim Everest, established the Jimmy Everest Center at the OU Health Sciences Center in memory of their son, who was a patient at Children's Hospital.

They have also supported numerous other academic and athletic programs at OU, as has Christy Everest's sister, Louise Bennett, and her husband, Clay Bennett.

E.K. Gaylord II and his wife, Natalie, have hosted an annual event at the Lazy E Arena to benefit Children's Medical Research at the OU Health Sciences Center.