ORU's 50th Commencement Speaker
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 13, 2017
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Stephanie Hill, Director of University Relations & Communications
Office: 918.495.7337, Mobile: 918.720.5548
sthill@oru.edu
TULSA, OK – Hobby Lobby CEO, David Green, will address the 50th graduating class at Oral Roberts University on Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m. at the ORU Mabee Center.
“We are honored that David Green will be sharing his story with our 2017 graduates. He has been a great friend to this university and a visionary in the Kingdom of God,” said ORU President William M. Wilson. “He has been a diligent businessman, building a company that has been faithful to honor Biblical principles.”
In 1970, Green and his wife Barbara borrowed $600 and started making miniature picture frames out of their home. Two years later, they opened a store in Oklahoma City and Hobby Lobby was born. Today, with almost 750 stores, Hobby Lobby is considered the largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world.
Green credits his company’s success with the legacy his parents left, honoring God’s calling to prioritize family, living generously and sharing the truth of the Bible.
The Green family has given generously to ORU over the past 10 years to help eradicate the university’s debt, increase campus renovations, fund Whole Person Scholarships and many other university initiatives.
Green and his son Mart serve on ORU’s Board of Reference, with Mart as the current chair. Green’s granddaughter, Amy Fallon also graduated from ORU.
Green recently released a new book, Giving It All Away… And Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously. In it, he opens up about the success of Hobby Lobby, the 2014 court case challenging the Affordable Care Act abortion-coverage mandate, and how he has raised his family to value what is truly important.
The Green family also plans to open the Museum of the Bible later this year in Washington, D.C. The 430,000-square-foot museum will be the most technologically advanced museum in the world providing guests with an immersive and personalized experience as they explore the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible.
For those who cannot attend the 50th Commencement celebration, it will be broadcast LIVE on ORU’s National Television Network GEB America. Friends and family can watch on DirecTV Channel 363 or in Tulsa on Channel 53 or Cox Cable 23. It will also stream live on gebamerica.com, on ROKU, Apple TV, or on the free GEB America mobile app.
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