Students have the opportunity to learn more about OU President David Boren. An exhibit illustrating the life of one of Oklahoma's most influential men can be seen in Dale Hall.

After Friday, the exhibit moves to the OU Visitor's Center in Jacobson Hall.

Boren will celebrate his 60th birthday Saturday, and OU will hold a birthday celebration for Boren from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday in Beaird Lounge in Oklahoma Memorial Union. Faculty, staff and students are invited.

The exhibit covers his life from his first official picture printed in a newspaper announcing his birth to recent pictures of his work at OU, archivist Carolyn Hanneman said.

The idea for the exhibit was born when students working in the congressional archives of the Carl Albert Center discovered some memorabilia in the Lyle Boren collection, Hanneman said. An item that especially caught their eyes was a photo of Lyle and Christine Boren's son, David.

The students thought it would be interesting for students to learn more about the life of the OU president.

Hanneman said some students who attend OU today can't remember the time when Boren was in the U.S. Senate or governor of Oklahoma.

Linguistics senior Jennifer Hanson, who helped put the exhibition together, said when she came to OU she did not know much about Boren, except that he had been a politician. Learning about his academic achievement and his political career was interesting, she said.

"Seeing how serious he took his education is an inspiration," Hanson said. "To me it is amazing to see how much he has accomplished in 60 years."

Digging through Boren's baby pictures and learning about his life changed her perception of the OU president, Hanson said.

"It makes him seem less like a celebrity, more human and down to earth," she said.

Assistant curator Todd Kosmerick said it took about six weeks to put the exhibit together.

Kosmerick and Hanneman collected photographs and memorabilia that cover 12 panels. They gathered 60 to 70 unique items from the Lyle Boren Collection, Associated Press material, The Daily Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Historical Society and the president's office, Hanneman said.

Kosmerick said president Boren provided Senate papers for the exhibit.

Boren was also helpful when it came to identification of people in photographs, Hanneman said.

Kosmerick said his favorite item in the collection is a recent picture of Boren reading to a group of children Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat in which Boren wears the famous striped hat.


For a biography of President Boren, visit www.heritage.org/events/2000/oct00/oklahoma/boren.html.
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