BOT Chairman's Letter At Odds With Boone Policy

(above) Former President Bush spoke at a DU event last night that raised $670,000 for the University of Denver
From: Denver Post

The former Chairman of the University of Denver Board of Trustees, Trygve Myhren, wrote the following letter to the Denver Post on Monday. Those of you following the Boone Saga over the past decade, might be amused to hear his thoughts on how an "excellent university" conducts itself in the community.
On Monday, the University of Denver welcomed and honor former President George W. Bush at our 16th annual Korbel Dinner. Some have stated that the university should not have invited Bush. I believe they may misunderstand the role of excellent universities in our society.

The university, as distinct from our students, faculty and alumni, does not take positions on political or social issues. Therefore, it does not ban speakers or act discourteously to them. This would be antithetical to our mission as a safe haven for the expression and examination of all points of view in a politically polarized society.

I am thankful Bush graciously accepted the invitation to serve as our keynote and be recognized with Korbel’s Global Service Award.

DU embraces the right of everyone to speak openly as well as everyone’s right to listen peacefully. The university has a history of promoting the discussion of different perspectives. Recent provocative Korbel speakers have included George Soros, Madeleine Albright (daughter of Korbel School founder Josef Korbel), and Korbel graduates Condoleezza Rice and Gen. George Casey Jr.

Trygve E. Myhren, Denver

18 comments:

dggoddard said...

Well this letter is sure to raise some interesting questions since it seems at odds with every frickin' move Chancellor Coombe has made in the past six years.

Anonymous said...

Our university is being run by out of touch old men who clearly live in some kind of bubble.



achsdu17 said...

Face Palm....

Dunker said...

This letter pretty much sums up why I have always loved and respected DU. I hope at least the classroom experience has not changed. In my day, Chancellor Mitchell and Dean Rice used to visit the Student Union and act as bartenders. It's time for Chancellor Coombe to roll up his sleeves and get to know DU students better. I bet he'll be pleasantly surprised.

Anonymous said...

The university is a much better place academically than when Mitchell was chancellor. Also, there were student petitions to get rid of Mitchell due to his woodstock west response - time and foggy memories make things seem better than they were

Anonymous said...

Through it all, Mitchell had an open door policy for all students. I agree, he was not that cool in his handling of Woodstock West. However, in the next 2 years, he mellowed quite a bit.
I must say, I don't remember students wanting Mitchell fired. Students did want answers why the DU Research Institute was helping with the war effort in their research. They wanted Mitchell to shut it down.

miller said...

I was on my way to class in the old biz ad building and a bunch of woodstock westers decided to do a number on me. I ended up in the hospital for a couple of days and mitchell came to visit me. I doubt Coombe Daddy would have come down from his ivory tower to do that.

Anonymous said...

Your little blog related to hockey used to be funny. As I remember it, the blog started when USCHO got tired of DG posting his penis banner one too many times.

When the drive to save Boone started, I jumped on board.

This post seems to show all that went wrong over time. You seem to have bought into some sort of First Amendment , academic integrity, pseudo intellectual bullshit. Sorry but you're not qualified comment. You're just not that smart.

At the end of the day Boone is just a mascot. The issue doesn't define the University. It doesn't go to the drive for academic excellence and quality of the students,

Time for DG to return to his strong points. Put the toga back on, get shitface drunk and act the clown for us.

Anonymous said...

Wait, wait, wait. They were holding a peace demonstration and ended up kicking the crap out of Miller. Is that irony? Or does it show how pathetic Miller's college experience must have been?

Anonymous said...

check out the U.S. News and World Report rankings out today ... DU drops from 83 to 91

Anonymous said...

It's all Peg's fault. Fire the DOPpES!

5BWest said...

Chancellor Mitchell was the Lee Iacocca of his time. When the university was on the ropes, he kept us standing. In his own way, he was as valuable as Dan Ritchie to the University.

DUmp tHE AnONyMous DOpE

old pio said...

"Mo" Mitchell came to DU from Encyclopedia Britannica, where he had served simultaneously as editorial director and CEO--the only person to hold both positions at the same time. He had been General Manager of the CBS owned and operated station in Washington, WTOP. And told students who insisted they were going to continue their occupation of Old Main: "Very well, you will sit down students and stand up alumni." He also famously posed for a great photo (with Dean of Students Barbara Mertz) a la Bonnie and Clyde. Wide lapel suit, fedora, Tommy gun, with foot on the bumper of a vintage car.

1980 said...

Damn, I wish this blog would focus on hockey again instead of all this crap, I really don't care anymore, just want some hockey!

Anonymous said...

The blog was formed as a generator of DU school spirit from the very beginning. Boone is part of school spirit, and the University's many attempts to kill spirit are very important to many of us. Identity DOES matter, and mascots are part of that, too.

But make no mistake. There is a battle going on here that is larger- it's all about the school and how it wants to make its own form of progress and leaving behind its history. And how it cares about its alumni base. DU had been making strides , but I feel the place is starting to backslide, and its important that alumni stand up before more damage is done...

Anonymous said...

In contrast , I guarantee If George would have whipped out his 2004 DU Championship jersey during the visit, you guys would all be happier than a pig in mud right now.
Btw, where is that jersey? Do those types of presidential momentos get archived some where? Was it fake, and after the ceremony the nameplate got removed and the jersey got re issued? Did George sell it on Ebay?

Anonymous said...

Domestic gifts that the President and First Lady do not keep are usually transferred to the National Archives for the future presidential library museum.

In other words, Bush's 2004 DU jersey is likely sitting in a storeroom at the newly opened GW Bush Presidential Library on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas.

Anonymous said...

10:47 is right. I believe the problems all stem from mismanagement. The students, professors and fans have their hearts in the right place. Mismanagement by Coombe as to the University, Peg as to leadership or lack thereof within the Athletic Department and DG with with respect to the the scheduling and perferformance of the kid in the Boone outfit have led to mistrust and a general dissatisfaction. Something has to be done. I say fire the DOPpEs!