Making Dreams a Reality – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 12, 2005
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Since 1951, when Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes took over the Ohio State football program, there has been a theme at Ohio State known as “Pay Forward.” The idea that you cannot fully pay back those that have helped you was first expressed by the famous author Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay entitled “Compensation,” therefore you should pay forward to those you can help.
“In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody. Beware of too much good staying in your hand. It will fast corrupt and worm worms. Pay it away quickly in some sort.”
Hayes preached a lifestyle of paying forward in all that you do. In April 1982, Hayes gave a speech to a crowd of 300 at Harvard University commemorating the life of Emerson. Hayes spoke of the influence Emerson and his essay “Compensation” had on his coaching career.
“It became the cornerstone of my coaching philosophy,” Hayes said during the speech. “Mr. Emerson taught me how to touch others and made me see myself in a broad perspective in my profession. And if we can’t pay back, we can always, always pay forward.”
One man who witnessed Hayes’ lifestyle and teaching methods was Rex Kern, a student-athlete at Ohio State from 1968-70. Kern, who was the quarterback on the 1968 national championship team, remembers just how strongly Hayes believed in this philosophy.
“Woody always taught us to pay forward,” Kern said. “He would stress it in meetings or in situations when he felt we needed to be reminded. He felt you should pay forward to help others in need, and he did it consistently. We always saw and heard him do it. “He spoke about it quite often, and we took it to heart. We all carry on the lifestyle that coach Hayes taught us.”
The “Pay Forward” lifestyle is still going strong at Ohio State. The Ohio State University department of athletics is considered one of the best athletic departments in the country. The university and its student-athletes enjoy events held in world-class venues.
Thousands of donors practice the “Pay Forward” philosophy each year by contributing their talents and resources to the university. The department of athletics is recognizing a special group of these benefactors by creating the Pay Forward Society, a donor recognition organization that honors individuals and organizations that have made single gifts of $5 million or higher to athletics projects.
The charter members of the Pay Forward Society are Hunting National Bank, Bill and Mae McCorkle, Al and Martha Phipps and the Jerome Schottenstein Family/Value City Department Stores. These donors have provided transformational gifts that enabled the construction of the Jerome Schottenstein Center and Value City Arena, the renovation and enhancement of Ohio Stadium, the construction of the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion and the renovation of the Scarlet Golf Course.
Tom Hof, the associate athletics director for development and marketing at Ohio State, deals firsthand with these university supporters and stresses the importance of their gifts.
“A transformational gift is a donation at such a significant level that it literally transforms a program or project,” Hof said. “These gifts enable us to begin new projects and/or enhance programs that would not be possible without them. These kinds of gifts help make dreams become a reality. They enable us to take a concept from the drawing board to actual implementation. Without them, the projects remain on paper as a desire versus a tangible object that will directly enhance the lives of the students who will benefit from them.”
Gifts from the Schottenstein family and Huntington National Bank enabled the construction of the Jerome Schottenstein Center/Value City Arena and the renovation of Ohio Stadium.
Jay Schottenstein, chairman of Schottenstein Stores Corp., is proud that the university is carrying on the family name.
“My father, Jerome Schottenstein, of blessed memory, was a native of Columbus who took great pride in what The Ohio State University meant to the central Ohio community and the state of Ohio,” Schottenstein said. “When the opportunity was brought to us to name the OSU sports and entertainment center, our family felt that our father would be extremely pleased by naming it in his memory.”
“The members of the Jerome Schottenstein family and the great people at Value City Department stores helped usher in a new era for the Ohio State Department of Athletics,” Hof said. “Their major gift to the Jerome Schottenstein Center and Value City Arena jumpstarted a campaign to improve the Athletics infrastructure and it remains the largest gift ever received by the Department.”
As a representative of Huntington National Bank, Jim Kunk strongly believes in helping where he can and giving back to the university.
“It means a great deal to our organization to be supportive of Ohio State and all they do for their students and student-athletes,” Kunk said. “Everything going on at both facilities has been great. It has been fun watching the development and how the process was carried out. We are very pleased with the projects and the relationships that have been built. Everything developed just like Ohio State planned it would.”
“Our partnership with our friends at Huntington National Bank is truly special,” Hof said. “When we have a need, Huntington has stepped forward time after time to help us improve and excel. They believe in investing in the community, and nowhere is it more evident than at Ohio State.”
Thanks to a transformational gift from the late Al and Martha Phipps, the Ohio State varsity golf course is now under reconstruction. The Phipps’ were great supporters of Ohio State and its golf program. Al, especially, loved golf and wanted to ensure that Ohio State became the premiere collegiate golf course in the country.
Lang D’Atri, the Phipps family attorney, witnessed first-hand exactly how strongly the Phipps’ felt about paying forward.
“Al and Martha had no siblings or children, so Ohio State, consequently, became their family,” D’Atri said. “Al was a representative on the USGA Rules Committee and golf and OSU were a very large part of his life. For those reasons, they chose to recognize Ohio State as the chief beneficiary of their estate.”
The Ohio State golf course features two courses, the Scarlet course and the Gray course. Ohio State men’s head golf coach, Jim Brown, envisions that the renovated Scarlet course will offer many new opportunities to host major events and will be one of the best golf venues in the United States.
“I have known the Phipps family for probably 20 years. Al, especially, was very involved with and supportive of OSU golf. It was his goal to make the Ohio State golf course the best golf course in collegiate golf and one of the best courses in the United States. I am very excited because it is a lifelong gift that will help transform the golf course into what he always wanted,” Brown said. “It allows us to host big events, such as the women’s NCAA championships, which will be coming here this year. We are hoping to host Big Ten championships and regional championships in the future. Thanks to the Phipps’ gracious donation, these things are possible.”
Now in its first season is the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. This world-class aquatic facility is a result of the generosity and selflessness displayed by Mae McCorkle and her late husband, Bill. The new McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion allows Ohio State to host regional and national events, as well as provide student-athletes with an outstanding facility to train and compete. Mae McCorkle knows what it means to pay forward and is willing to take the extra step to help those in need.
“I was very honored when asked to be in the society. I have always lived my life to pay forward and help as much as I can, McCorkle said.” It is rewarding when you give back. I am a positive thinker and love helping others. It is so rewarding to help the university in any way possible. I continue to look to pay forward any opportunities that I can. Knowing that the new aquatic center will help student-athletes into the future is a big part of why I made the gift.”
“The McCorkle’s tremendous generosity made our dream of a world-class aquatics facility a reality,” Hof said. “Their gift inspired several others to contribute and as a result, we were able to construct a facility that rivals any in the nation.”
Thanks to the donations and support of these four members, The Ohio State University athletics department will continue to grow and improve for years to come. These initial Pay Forward Society members have paved the way for other Buckeye supporters to contribute to the university and pay forward into the future.
