George Lynn Cross
Encyclopedia
George Lynn Cross was a botanist, author
, and the seventh and longest serving president of the University of Oklahoma
from 1943 to 1968. Cross oversaw the expansion and construction of numerous university buildings and helped lead the college through the 1960s protest period.
and attended South Dakota State College, where he earned a master's degree in 1927. He earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago
, where he was eventually offered a job as an associated professor at the University of Oklahoma
.
Cross's academic specialty was botany
, and George Lynn Cross Hall, which houses OU's department of botany and microbiology, was named in his honor and in tribute to this fact. While president, Cross prepared specimen slides
that are still used in botany classes.
Cross oversaw the college through a period of skyrocketing enrollment following World War II as thousands of veterans attended under the GI Bill. He saw the construction of 37 new buildings and the donation by the U.S. Navy, in May 1946, of 1400 acres (5.7 km²) to the campus. Cross also oversaw the integration of the University of Oklahoma
and the student protests of the 1960s.
Cross was known for his public speaking ability and quick wit. His most famous quote came at a budget meeting with state legislators. After a long presentation and 45 minute justification of the OU budget,a legislator asked him why the university needed more money. A frustrated Cross replied "I would like to build a University of which the football team could be proud."
David L. Boren
, the university's current president, proclaimed that he wanted his time as president of the university to parallel that of Cross's.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and the seventh and longest serving president of the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
from 1943 to 1968. Cross oversaw the expansion and construction of numerous university buildings and helped lead the college through the 1960s protest period.
Early life
Cross was born in South DakotaSouth Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
and attended South Dakota State College, where he earned a master's degree in 1927. He earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where he was eventually offered a job as an associated professor at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
Cross's academic specialty was botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, and George Lynn Cross Hall, which houses OU's department of botany and microbiology, was named in his honor and in tribute to this fact. While president, Cross prepared specimen slides
Plant anatomy
Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of the internal structure of plants. While originally it included plant morphology, which is the description of the physical form and external structure of plants, since the mid-20th century the investigations of plant anatomy are...
that are still used in botany classes.
OU president
Cross's popularity quickly grew amongst the faculty and staff, and when the university president at the time stepped down, he was named interim president while the board of regents searched for a new candidate. They eventually realized no better candidate existed and he remained president for 24 years.Cross oversaw the college through a period of skyrocketing enrollment following World War II as thousands of veterans attended under the GI Bill. He saw the construction of 37 new buildings and the donation by the U.S. Navy, in May 1946, of 1400 acres (5.7 km²) to the campus. Cross also oversaw the integration of the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and the student protests of the 1960s.
Cross was known for his public speaking ability and quick wit. His most famous quote came at a budget meeting with state legislators. After a long presentation and 45 minute justification of the OU budget,a legislator asked him why the university needed more money. A frustrated Cross replied "I would like to build a University of which the football team could be proud."
David L. Boren
David L. Boren
David Lyle Boren is an academic leader and American politician from the state of Oklahoma. A Democrat, he served as the 21st Governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1994. He is currently president of the University of Oklahoma. He was the longest serving...
, the university's current president, proclaimed that he wanted his time as president of the university to parallel that of Cross's.