The Buzzards in the Halls of SMU

Considering SMU football's struggles during the last 20 years, perhaps the wild drama that unfolded Sunday in the school's efforts to hire June Jones as its new football coach shouldn't be surprising.

As of late Sunday night, Jones was still deciding between taking the SMU job and returning to Hawaii, according to agent Leigh Steinberg.

Steinberg said he expected a decision Sunday night – or early this morning Dallas time. SMU athletic director Steve Orsini did not return a call seeking comment.

While Jones was in Dallas meeting with SMU president R. Gerald Turner, Orsini, trustees and the school's search committee and enjoying dinner with boosters at a local steakhouse, Hawaii supporters made a tremendous 11th-hour push to try to keep Jones.

It had seemed a foregone conclusion that Jones would accept SMU's five-year offer of between $1.7 million and $2 million a year, according to two sources, after reports surfaced Saturday that he had tendered a resignation letter before flying to Dallas.

But on Sunday, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle called to intervene. David McClain, the president of the University of Hawaii system, called with a third, "amplified" offer, Steinberg said.

(Dallas-SMU) – The George W. Bush Presidential Library Site Selection Committee announced Dec. 21, 2006, that it will enter into further discussions with Southern Methodist University in Dallas as the next phase of its process to choose a site for the library.

SMU has proposed various site options on its main campus, five miles north of downtown Dallas.

“It is indeed an honor for SMU to have reached the next stage of the selection process,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “In preserving and sharing historical documents and artifacts, the George W. Bush Presidential Library at SMU would be a tremendous resource for the study of presidential decision-making in this post 9-11 era. If selected as the site of this resource, SMU would welcome visitors, students of all ages, and scholars from throughout the world to its campus and to Dallas. We look forward to further discussions with the selection committee on the details of this historic project.”

SMU is a private institution with approximately 11,000 students. Its students come from all 50 states and nearly 90 foreign countries. Minority students make up about 21 percent of the student body....

“As a scholar of politics and history, I know that in our democratic society, it’s important to have presidential libraries to house the archives that will be used by generations of scholars to understand the times in which we live and to inform future policy debates,” said James F. Hollifield, professor and director of the Tower Center for Political Studies at SMU. “A presidential library can be a repository of archives from which we will learn and grow as a people.”...

“No matter what one’s political affiliation, the library would offer SMU students opportunities for a unique educational experience. At their doorstep would be valuable research materials and programs attracting national and world leaders,” said Carl Sewell, chair of SMU’s Board of Trustees. “SMU would become even more of a resource for learning, and the library would strengthen Dallas as an important global destination.”...

SMU has about 100,000 alumni worldwide, with about 40,000 located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Among its distinguished graduates are Academy Award winner Kathy Bates and Nobel Laureate physicist James Cronin.

Founded in 1911 by what is now The United Methodist Church, SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom.

Welcome to the website for the SMU Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for setting policies and guidelines for the operation of the University.

This site provides the schedules and agendas for upcoming meetings, along with other news and information and other supporting documentation. We hope you find it helpful.

Board Members

CARL SEWELL
Sewell Automotive Companies
Chair

RICHARD WARE
Amarillo National Bank
Vice-Chair

MARK A. NERIO
Citicorp Data Systems Inc.
Secretary

RUTH ALTSHULER
Civic and Philanthropic Leader

MICHAEL M. BOONE
Haynes & Boone, LLP

BRADLEY W. BROOKSHIRE
Brookshire Grocery Company

LAURA WELCH BUSH
The First Lady of the United States

REV. KIRBYJON CALDWELL
Windsor Village United Methodist
Church

DONALD J. CARTY
Chair, Virgin America

JEANNE TOWER COX
Civic Leader

REV. W. MARK CRAIG
Highland Park United
Methodist Church

GARY T. CRUM
CFP Foundation

LINDA PITTS CUSTARD
Custard/Pitts Land and Cattle Co.

ROBERT H. DEDMAN JR.
ClubCorp International, Inc.

FRANK M. DUNLEVY
SG Cowen Securities

JUAN L. ELEK
Elek, Moreno Valle Y Asociados

THOMAS J. ENGIBOUS
Texas Instruments Incorporated

GARY A. EVANS
Southern Methodist University
Faculty Senate President

ALAN D. FELD
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld

GERALD J. FORD
Diamond A Ford Corporation

ANDREW GALLOWAY
Southern Methodist University
Student Representative Trustee

JAMES R. GIBBS
Frontier Oil Corporation

MILLEDGE A. HART, III
Hart Group, Inc.

FREDERICK B. HEGI JR.
Wingate Partners

WARD L. HUEY JR.
Retired, A. H. Belo Corporation

RAY L. HUNT
Hunt Oil Company

GENE C. JONES
Civic and Philanthropic Leader

BISHOP SCOTT J. JONES
Kansas Area
The United Methodist Church

ROBERT A. LEACH
RBC Dain Rauscher

PAUL B. LOYD, JR.
LSL Partners

BOBBY LYLE
Lyco Holdings, Inc.

BISHOP ALFRED L. NORRIS
North Texas Conference
The United Methodist Church

CONNIE O'NEILL
Southern Methodist University
President, Alumni Assn.

H. ROSS PEROT JR.
Perot Systems Corporation

JEANNE L. PHILLIPS
Hunt Oil Company

CAREN H. PROTHRO
Civic and Philanthropic Leader

WILLIAM JOEL RAINER
Shortridge Academy

BISHOP ANN B. SHERER
Nebraska Area-Nebraska Conference
The United Methodist Church

HELMUT R. SOHMEN
World-Wide Shipping Group Ltd.

JOHN C. TOLLESON
Tolleson Wealth Management

R. GERALD TURNER
Southern Methodist University
ex officio

RICHARD J. WOOD
The Japan Society of New York

Mr Ho Kwon Ping is Executive Chairman of the Banyan Tree Group, which owns both listed and private companies engaged in the development, ownership and operation of hotels, resorts, spas, residential homes, retail galleries and other lifestyle activities in the region. KP is also Chairman of the family-owned Wah Chang Group.

In addition to his commitments with the Banyan Tree Group and Wah Chang Group, KP is also Chairman of Singapore Management University, the third national university in Singapore; Chairman of MediaCorp, the national television and radio company; Board Director of Singapore Airlines Limited; member of the Singapore-US Business Council; member of Asia-Pacific Council, the Nature Conservancy; member of the Regional Advisory Board of London Business School; member of the International Council of the Asia Society; member of the INSEAD International Council and member of Media Development Authority International Advisory Panel.

Prior to joining the Wah Chang Group in 1981, KP worked as a journalist with the Far Eastern Economic Review.

KP was educated in Tunghai University, Taiwan, Stanford University, California, and the University of Singapore. He is married to Claire Chiang and has two sons and a daughter.

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