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ORU Community Celebrates First-ever Founder's Day
By Rachel Wegner 07
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Falling just a day before Chancellor Oral Roberts' 90th birthday, the chapel service featured addresses by founding faculty members, a member of ORU's first four-year graduating class and university leaders. A short documentary about the founding of ORU and a video address by Chancellor Roberts himself were also shown. At the beginning of the service, Dr. Billy Joe Daugherty 74, 92, 02 prompted those gathered to reflect on the rich history of ORU.
"Each of us should think about our own heritage, the legacy that you have, the story of how God brought you into contact with ORU," Daugherty said. "Every one of us has a story. Around the world today, people are being blessed because of the life of Oral Roberts."
Voices from the past
Reverend Terry Law, a 1969 graduate, shared stories about his interaction with Chancellor Roberts as he traveled with him on crusades. Law said he saw Chancellor Roberts' anointing for healing in a powerful way while working alongside him. Law is the founder of World Compassion, a faith-based organization that assists churches in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of people in their communities across the globe.
"When you think of the vision that God put in the heart of a young man in western Oklahoma, it's quite a tribute to what God has done here," Law said. "And here we are, how many years later, and God has honored His call to Oral Roberts. We owe him a great debt."
Dr. Nathan Meleen, a founding faculty member who still teaches at ORU, spearheaded the committee that established and organized Founder's Day. He took a moment to recognize eight other founding faculty members, along with several faculty emeritus, that were in attendance.
"These are the people I looked up to as a young faculty member in 1967," Meleen said, as they stood and received applause and cheers.
Meleen then shared from a letter that he had written to Chancellor Roberts in March 2007, which was the initial inspiration for establishing Founder's Day. The letter reflected upon the early days of ORU and the qualities of scholarship, academic freedom and diversity that Chancellor Roberts instilled into the university.
"Words can fail to convey my deep and abiding appreciation for your impact on my life," he read. "I am truly blessed of the Lord. In heaven, we will have the joy of sharing about our triumphs here and God's faithfulness through the years. I honor you. I respect you. I love you. Working with you has been the greatest and richest experience of my life. For that I will be eternally grateful."
Dr. Carl Hamilton, who was originally a staff member of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, shared the story of how he met with Chancellor Roberts in December of 1961. It was then that Roberts shared with him the dream to build ORU and invited him to be one of the founding faculty members.
During his time on the faculty, Hamilton was part of the effort to achieve full accreditation for the university. Looking back, Hamilton recounted a deep admiration for Chancellor Roberts, cultivated by the many memories and experiences from his time spent working alongside him to build ORU.
"The most outstanding thing I know about Chancellor Roberts, after all the years that we worked together, [is] Chancellor Roberts is a man who will, without fail and without regard to the cost, obey God," Hamilton said. "He's the most outstanding example of that that I've ever known of or ever will. He did that many times -- in troubled times, when it was hard, when it was easy."
Dr. Ray Lewandowski, who was also an early faculty member in the communication arts department and served as that department's chairman for 17 years, spoke about the many landmarks that were not in or around ORU when he first arrived. With only a few dormitories and buildings constructed and mostly rural surroundings, Lewandowski emphasized just how far ORU has come in the last four decades.
"It's been a pleasure to be here," Lewandowski said. "We've had some bumps in the road, we've had some disappointments, but all in all, it's been a wonderful time. It's impossible to share all the memories of over 39 years at this place; however, I do want to say: Oral Roberts, thank you for hearing God's voice, for acting upon what you heard. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your dream, God's dream."
The perspective of the present
Student Association Executive Vice President Chad King, a junior at ORU, spoke briefly (in place of SA's president, senior Adam Arrington, who was ill with the flu). King said he came to ORU knowing very little about its founder and its heritage. With time, King began to realize what a remarkable university it was and how his own dreams were inspired by the way Chancellor Roberts held fast to God's call.
"As soon as I stepped on campus, I felt the presence of God," King said. "I knew I was in the right place. [I] think about the dream that [Chancellor Roberts] had. He walked these grounds for years and never gave up on the dream that God gave him."
Dr. Ralph Fagin 70 also participated in the service. Fagin is serving as ORU's interim president while the newly established Board of Trustees searches for a new president. He read government proclamations from Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. These two declarations officially established Oral Roberts Day in the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma as Jan. 24, 2008.
A word from the Chancellor himself
Dr. Daugherty flew to Chancellor Roberts' home in California on Monday, Jan. 21 to interview him for a video that was shown during the Founder's Day Chapel. Chancellor Roberts, in turn, reflected on how God first called him into the healing ministry, and on the founding and history of ORU. When ORU was dedicated on April 2, 1967, nearly 20,000 people were in attendance as Rev. Billy Graham gave an address.
"Billy gave the talk of his life. Among the things he said [was], 'If Oral Roberts University ever departs from its founding purpose, from the way God spoke to Oral Roberts to build it, may a curse come upon it and the spirit of God be removed,'" Chancellor Roberts said, emotion evident in his voice. "I felt that go through me like a fire. The founding purpose of ORU is still in effect."
While spending time in Tulsa off and on since October, and witnessing many of the major events that have transformed ORU, Chancellor Roberts was able to meet and get to know the Green family, who gave $8 million to the university in November with the offer of an additional $62 million as requested changes are made in the area of governance. The Oklahoma City-based Green family founded both the Hobby Lobby and Mardel Christian and Educational Supply chain stores. As part of the proposal attached to their gift, the Green family asked that Mart Green be appointed chairman of a new Board of Trustees, which will replace the Board of Regents.
"With the Green family coming in to lead ORU into a new level, they have committed that they will carry the founding purpose of Oral Roberts University," Chancellor Roberts said. "I believe in this family. They're precious people of God. I've gotten to know them and to pray with them and to meditate upon ORU with them, and I have confidence in them. The new board will carry the founding purpose of ORU on and on and on until Jesus comes."
