I was an almost-40 year old leader of the university’s institutional advancement operation; she was a 1976 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. I came on board at the university to develop a robust program that would have about a decade to grow, mature and then launch a major fundraising campaign for its 125th anniversary; she came on board to create the Global Children’s Studies Center. On this particular day, she and I were chatting over lunch at the campus Burger King. She asked a question that became a lens for many of my decisions, personal and professional, for the decades that followed.
“Is this university big enough for us?” she asked.
I knew she wasn’t talking about enrollment numbers, the number of acres that comprised the campus, or the size of the scholarship account. She was asking about the administration’s vision, courage and leadership. She was asking if they had the character of the university’s namesake that was so proudly extolled in marketing. She was asking if they were willing to take the risks of the university’s founders when it became the third university established in Texas. Her question was not to suggest that she and I were better than the university, only if it was a good fit for the visions that we had for the programs that we were hired on to establish.
“No,” I said.
“I was afraid so,” she replied. Our conversation carried on from there.
I left about a year later and she about a year after that, as I recall. Her boldness had crossed swords with administrators many times and she eventually left, despite strong support from community members and alumni. She gave me a copy of a manuscript of what was planned to be a book based on her experiences as the “Housewife for Peace” in Ireland. Sadly, web searches for her and the university reveal nothing; she has been erased from anything to do with the institution. She died six years ago.
Life is short. Be careful where you decide to plant roots, build a future or make a difference. Choose the right fit; be Goldilocks. You will someday be forgotten or erased completely from records. Sometimes it is best to dust off your sandals and move on, as is taught in the Bible, to continue with what you are uniquely gifted to accomplish.