We can't pay you enough
By Ralph Amos

As you leaf through this inaugural issue of Ohio Today, it's easy to see the scope of Ohio University's successes, best told through the stories of our students, alumni, faculty and staff.

So who gets the glory for keeping us at the top? Not the administration alone. Not the faculty and staff alone. But each of you, our 156,000 alumni throughout the world. You make the difference!

In my first year as Ohio University's alumni director, several of my professional peers have asked me, "What keeps your alumni so excited about Ohio University?" "It's a special place," I respond, "and we know it."

It is said that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. And Ohio alumni contribute that, making a huge difference on campus and around the world.

The greatest source of energy is pride in who you are and what you are doing. It is evident that Ohio University alumni display that extra - that energy, that pride, that commitment.

And the truth is, these things are priceless.

A member of the Ohio University Alumni Association Board of Directors recently rescheduled a vacation sheíd been planning for a year in order to be on campus when a crucial decision was made.

You can't pay alumni enough for that.
 

CNN anchor and alum Leon Harris

 
This past spring, CNN anchor and 1983 cum laude graduate Leon Harris spoke at both the morning and afternoon undergraduate commencement ceremonies on little sleep and for no pay, heading back to Atlanta in time for his 4 a.m. Monday program rehearsal.

You can't pay alumni enough for that.

In this issue of the magazine, you learned of an alumnus who serves as commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. And about an alumna who is working to preserve the language of the Comanche Indian tribe. Day after day, these and countless others cast our university in a positive light.

You can't pay alumni enough for that.
 

Cutler Scholar Heather Baird

 
This fall, 21 Manasseh Cutler Scholars are studying on campus - 20 because of alumni donors. These outstanding students receive full tuition, room and board, and funding for summer programs and travel through an endowment that now stands at almost $2.8 million. In 1998-99 alone, 3,454 students shared more than $2.2 million in endowed scholarships, the great majority made possible by your generosity.

You can't pay alumni enough for that.

So many of you have made similar sacrifices in your personal lives for Ohio University. You are our ambassadors, our most qualified advisers. You have the best and most worldly perspective on how we can get things done for Ohio University, and you give to your alma mater in time, talent and contributions.

We can't pay you - or thank you - enough for that.

I hope that all of you who have shown such commitment to your school feel pride in the university's successes and inspiration in the part you play in them. We know full well that we can't pay you enough for that kind of attitude, hard work and personal sacrifice.

As British educator and social commentator John Ruskin observed, "The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it."

Thank you for keeping Ohio University strong.

In closing, I would like to add my sincere wish that you enjoy this inaugural issue of Ohio Today and those that follow in the months and years to come. This magazine truly is for - and about - you.

Ralph Amos is executive director of alumni relations for Ohio University.

The Ohio University Alumni Association is here for you. To share suggestions for how we can best serve you, please contact us. We can be reached by phone at (740) 593-4300; by mail at Konneker Alumni Center, 52 University Terrace, Ohio University, P.O. Box 428, Athens, Ohio, 45701-0428; by fax at (740) 593-4310; or by e-mail at alumni@ohio.edu.