WASHINGTON – Former University of Oklahoma president, Oklahoma Senator, and Oklahoma Governor David L. Boren (D) died early Thursday morning, the university said. He was 83.
“Few individuals have so wholeheartedly dedicated their careers to serving others as President Boren, who was driven by a bold vision to create a better, stronger future,” OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said in a statement.
That future started at the Oklahoma State Capitol where he was a member of the House before becoming the nation’s youngest governor in 1975. He went on to spend nearly three terms in the Senate beginning in 1979 before stepping down in 1994 to resume an academic career he started in Shawnee at Oklahoma Baptist University.
Boren was the longest-serving chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where current Oklahoma Senator James Langford (R) currently serves. During his time on the committee, Boren created the National Security Education program which provides scholarships to students to study national security issues in areas or countries such as Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Boren was known for his policies advocating against apartheid in South Africa and his bipartisan approach to leadership on his committee.
Boren left the Senate in 1994 to become the President of the University of Oklahoma. While President, Boren spent his years as president introducing new programs to draw National Merit Scholars, created OU’s Honors College, and began the programming that would eventually become the Boren College of International Studies, named for him.
Upon his retirement from his position as president of OU in 2018, Boren said, “To the OU family: serving you as president has been the privilege of my life. I wish @OU14pres well as he leads us forward. Tomorrow, l return to my favorite role: teacher!”
Known simply on campus as DBo, the David L. Boren College of International Studies was established in 2011 during his time as president. The college draws upon Boren’s commitment to international policy as well as his vision for OU to become a place to grow the next generation of global leaders.
Tom Cole (R, Moore), who holds a PhD in British history from OU said, “his impact is still visible today on the OU campus through academic programs, architecture, infrastructure, and the university’s dynamic role in the civic, cultural, and economic life of the state.”
Another of Boren’s legacies is the recognition of Indigenous People’s Day at the University, a project pioneered by student leaders and sponsored by the administration.
Cherokee Principle Chief Chuck Hoskins said, “We will forever be indebted to him for the ideals he advocated for: public education, fairness and the rights of Native people… he helped lay the foundation for stronger relationships between tribal nations and the state of Oklahoma.”
Throughout his career, Boren fiercely advocated for the energy industry by lobbying the Carter administration to deregulate the cost of natural gas in the wake of the 1970s energy crisis. Further, Boren spent his time in the Senate advocating against a proposed energy tax in the early 1990s.
Congressman Frank Lucas (R-Cheyanne), the only member of the current Oklahoma delegation to have shared time in Washington with Boren, said in a statement on X, “David will be remembered for his decades of devotion to public service and his desire to better our great state. Oklahoma’s agricultural, oil and gas, and educational institutions had no fiercer supporter or defender in Washington than David Boren.”
Boren came from a political family— he was born in the DC area the son of Lyle Boren, a congressman.
Mary Boren, his cousin and the current state senator representing Norman said, “The life and legacy of David L. Boren left a lasting impact of excellence. His contributions to his family and community were a blessing, and I had the privilege of calling him my cousin and constituent.”
He is also survived by his wife, Molly Shi Boren whom he married while in office as Governor. The couple was the first to be married while in office.
His son, Dan Boren also served in Congress representing Oklahoma’s 2nd district until 2013 and now serves as the Secretary of Commerce for the Chickasaw nation.
“The countless heartwarming stories I hear almost daily from people across this state who he helped are reminders of his remarkable life. We shall cherish the memory of his service and remarkable life,” Dan Boren said.
Services are pending.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
