From Boren’s first day as the president of OU in 1994 to today, the campus is forever changed for the better. His leadership has transformed OU into one of the top universities in the nation. See the critical moments in Boren’s legacy that sculpted the remarkable institution we know today.
With over 50 years of public service, President David Boren was the first person in state history to have served as Governor of Oklahoma, U.S. Senator, President of the University of Oklahoma, and as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
As a U.S. Senator, he prioritized education, making Oklahoma one of the top five states in the nation for increases in education during his term.
He also authored the National Security Education Act, which established the largest overseas scholarship program for American students since the Fulbright Program.
Under Boren’s leadership, OU was ranked in the top 50 public universities in the nation and top 100 out of public and private universities for the first time in OU's history.
In addition, OU’s three campuses have increased endowed faculty positions from 94 to 562, bringing some of the brightest minds to the heartland.
Boren also helped establish the Stephenson Cancer Center and the Hamm Diabetes Center at the OU Health Sciences Center, as well as new facilities for the College of Allied Health, major landscaping of the campus and the construction of a student union. In addition, he also established the TU-OU School of Community Medicine in partnership with the University of Tulsa.
During his tenure, OU has repeatedly had the highest academically ranked student body in state history.
In addition, OU has been the only public university in U.S. history to rank first among all universities — public or private — in National Merit Scholars enrolled.
And During the Boren years, OU became the only U.S. university to have students who won the Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Goldwater, Fulbright and Truman scholarships in the same year.
The efforts of President and Mrs. Boren have resulted in OU’s ranking among the 25 most beautiful campuses in America.
We're grateful for a president that has persistently advocated for education in his years of public service and brought that passionate advocacy to OU, resulting in remarkable strides in academics, research, and innovation.
President Boren had an ambitious vision for what the University of Oklahoma could be and worked to make it a reality.
The future of the University of Oklahoma is bright because of Boren's legacy.