OPUBCO sale marks end of an era

David Dary, former head of the journalism department at the University of Oklahoma and author of a book about the Gaylord family, said the pending sale “really marks the end of an era.”

“I think what struck me the most was the completeness with which they covered the state,” he said.

OU President David Boren said the sale announcement has brought a “flood of memories of the many contributions of the Gaylord family, which helped build our state.”

“For more than a century their charitable gifts have created and sustained some of the most important institutions in our state, including universities, medical facilities, organizations which help those in need and those which support the creative arts,” Boren said. “The latest example of the impact of this family is the building of a new cancer center for all Oklahomans.”

But Boren said if the Gaylord family's publishing era had to come to an end, he could “think of no better person to take up their legacy than Philip Anschutz.

“I've had the privilege of knowing him for many years,” Boren said.

“Philip Anschutz, like the Gaylord family, is widely known as a philanthropist dedicated to helping the communities in which he is involved. He is truly a public-spirited citizen.”