What is Kansas University’s greatest asset?

Granted, the university is a combination of many things and many of these parts help strengthen the overall operation, but is there any one facet of the university that stands out and seems to weather any storm on campus year in and year out?

Many years ago, the presence of the late Chancellor Franklin Murphy might have been considered the school’s greatest asset because he did wonders for the university. But chancellors come and go, some too soon and some too late.

KU has been fortunate to have had a number of truly outstanding faculty members, men and women who made a tremendous positive difference in the lives of thousands of graduates.

The KU campus often is cited as being one of the most beautiful in the nation. Several departments and schools are ranked among the nation’s best. The KU basketball team is known throughout the country and abroad as one of the most successful and storied.

There have been great individual athletes such as Jim Ryun, Al Oerter, Glenn Cunningham and Wilt Chamberlain and past coaches such as Forrest Allen, Roy Williams and Larry Brown.

Again there are many very strong parts of the university tapestry, but what stands out as the strongest, tested and continuous asset of the university?

This writer thinks the answer is fairly simple: the alumni and friends of the university. This group of loyal, generous, interested and committed individuals goes back a long way.

The KU Endowment Association was founded in 1891 and, since that time, officers, trustees and contributors have been extremely generous in their fiscal support of the school. This support and loyalty to the university overarches any single weakness, poor performance or disappointment in the university of its faculty and students.

There’s no question that individual chancellors can and have played significant roles in encouraging fiscal support of the school. This support has been present even in times of questionable leadership in Strong Hall. It’s been there whether KU’s athletic teams are winning or losing.

Most alumni have had one driving goal, and that is to establish excellence at KU. They want to play the game, whether in academics, research or sports, by the rules. They don’t want shortcuts or cheating of any kind.

Back to the importance of the KU Endowment Association. This past fiscal year, KUEA provided $103.9 million to the university to use in many ways. This is the first time this total passed the $100 million mark. Since its founding, the association has given the university $1.2 billion.

Yet, even though the association is giving back millions upon millions to the university, the association’s assets now total $1.14 billion.

Money from the association has been used by university officials for a wide range of purposes: faculty support, student scholarships, art acquisitions, land purchases, buildings, library needs, scholarship halls, salaries to attract gifted faculty members, laboratory equipment, to help the athletic department attract coaches and other needs.

The availability of this money has made a tremendous difference in the excellence of the school. If KU had been forced to rely solely on what the state has provided over the years, it would be a far different school than it is today. The KU Endowment Association has conducted three capital campaigns since the 1950s, and each time, KU alumni and friends have exceeded the drive goals. Chances are, it won’t be long before plans are announced, or at least begun behind the scenes, for another capital campaign. Care must be given, however, that the actions and hunger by some at KU do not detract from and lessen the desire and enthusiasm by many to be as generous as they have been in previous years.

The KU Alumni Association also plays an extremely important role, and it is fortunate the current leadership of this body is making a significant difference in the group’s effectiveness. It is long overdue.

Trustees of the endowment association met Friday for the organization’s 114th annual meeting. These men and women have the responsibility of guiding and directing the organization. Even though the association’s record is outstanding, there is no room for complacency. Donors face increasing requests for money by many other organizations and schools, and it is critical that money given to the association is spent in a careful, prudent manner.

KU enjoys many assets, but none is more important or lasting than the totally independent KU Endowment Association. This is an important and rare distinction among university endowment associations. The KUEA is totally independent of the university, totally, but it has only one purpose, and that is to do what it can to help make the university an even finer institution, one far better than the state alone could provide.

Congratulations to the association for what it has accomplished since 1891, and best wishes for continued success.