GRIFFIN TO LEAD OHIO
STATE UNIVERSITY
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Archie Griffin, one of Ohio State's most recognizable and
respected graduates, was announced today as the next
leader of The Ohio State University Alumni Association,
Inc., an organized body of alumni dedicated to making
Ohio State stronger.
Griffin will take office as president/CEO on Jan. 1,
2004, said Dan D. Sandman, chair of the Association's
board of directors and vice chairman and chief legal and
administrative officer of United States Steel Corporation
in Pittsburgh. Griffin will replace another campus
leader, Dan L. Heinlen, who will retire on Dec. 31.
Heinlen has spent 38 years with the Alumni Association,
the last 30 at its helm.
"What attracted me to this position was my passion
for Ohio State," Griffin said. "I've had the
opportunity to travel coast to coast and visit with a lot
of alumni clubs and thousands of alumni and see their
passion for Ohio State. I look forward to continuing the
work that Dan has started. This is a great opportunity
for me."
Griffin said he is excited about working closely with
alumni.
"People make the difference," he said.
"Their love of the university is very visual on
football Saturdays and at basketball games. But as I have
traveled around, I can see their passion not only for
sports but for the university as a whole."
The Ohio State University Alumni Association is a
dues-supported organization of graduates, former
students, and friends of Ohio State with 123,195 members.
The organization is headquartered at Longaberger Alumni
House, 2200 Olentangy River Rd., across from the
Schottenstein Center.
"The search committee did a wonderful job,"
Sandman said. "There was unanimous, enthusiastic
support for Archie. We were impressed by his work ethic,
his solid values, his dedication to the university, and
his enthusiasm for taking on this new job. I can't say
how excited we are that he will lead our organization
into the future"
Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook was also delighted
by the announcement.
"We are thrilled to have Archie Griffin heading our
Alumni Association," Holbrook said. "He is a
beloved and admired Ohio State legend, and his
involvement in community initiatives across the state
represents the finest characteristics of the Buckeye
spirit. Furthermore, through his work as associate
director of athletics, he has demonstrated the skills to
manage and lead a large organization. This outstanding
appointment will ensure that Archie will stay connected
to Ohio State."
One of the greatest running backs ever to play college
football, Griffin was awarded the Heisman Trophy in
consecutive years, 1974 and 1975, and is the only player
to ever claim the award twice.
"The choice is masterful, and I could not be more
delighted with the selection," Heinlen said.
"Archie was a tremendous athlete, but his meaning to
Ohio State goes far beyond what he did in his playing
days."
Currently the associate director of athletics at Ohio
State, Griffin has long been an ambassador of goodwill
for the university and for the community as a whole.
"My nickname for Archie is 'the Flag',"
athletics director Andy Geiger said. "He is the Ohio
State symbol in so many ways. His affability, his
approachability, and his accomplishments have meant a
great deal to this university and to the Department of
Athletics in so many ways."
As associate director of athletics, Griffin leads 14
men's and women's varsity sports programs and oversees a
budget of approximately $13 million.
"Archie's management ability and his style are well
suited for this new assignment," Geiger said.
"I think it's a brilliant choice."
Griffin brings to the Alumni Association a broad range of
experience, service, and contacts.
He created the Archie and Bonita Griffin Foundation Fund,
a charitable fund used to develop children's programs in
central Ohio in the areas of sports, education, and
travel. He also created the Archie Griffin Scholarship
Fund, which raises funds for Ohio State's Olympic sports
programs.
Griffin also serves on the boards of many not-for-profit
firms, including the Central Ohio Breathing Association,
the Columbus Youth Foundation, and the National Football
Foundation Hall of Fame Honors Court. In 1998, he chaired
the YMCA of Central Ohio's annual giving campaign.
Griffin's leadership in athletics is reflected in the
Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award, established by the
Ohio High School Athletic Association to recognize
student athletes for sportsmanship, ethics, and
integrity.
In 1999, he received the PricewaterhouseCoopers Doak
Walker Legends Award, which recognizes college football
greats who have exemplary records of leadership in the
community. In 2000, he was one of six former athletes to
receive the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for
distinguishing themselves since completing their college
careers.
Griffin graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor's
degree in industrial relations in 1976. He played eight
seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL.
After working for the Shoe Corporation of America for
seven years, Griffin returned to his alma mater in 1984
as an assistant director of staff employment. The
following year, then athletics director Rick Bay
recruited Griffin to the athletics department.
Griffin served as the special assistant to the athletic
director and as an assistant director of athletics before
moving to his current position. He admitted that it was
not an easy decision to leave the department.
"I've got great working relationships within the
athletics department - a wonderful staff and a great
group of coaches," he said. "It was a tough
decision for me."
The Alumni Association search committee was comprised of
Thomas J. Moyer, chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court;
Thomas A. Waltermire, chairman and CEO of PolyOne Corp.
in Avon Lake, Ohio; former state senator Ben E. Espy, a
private practice attorney in Columbus; Elaine H.
Hairston, chancellor emerita of the Ohio Board of Regents
and senior consultant of Academic Search Consultation
Service in Washington, D.C.; James F. Patterson, past
chair of the university's board of trustees; and Sandman.
Jed Hughes of the firm of Spencer Stuart conducted the
search.
Check out the
photos from the Backyard Bash!
If you know or
would like to say "congrats" to the following
OSU grads, please do! OSU Alumni Assoc will honor
in 2003 the following:
1943 Graduates:
Dr. Richard Stinson, Horticulture, PSU,
State College, 16802
Joel Habegger, Ag., 130 Greenview Dr., Lancaster, 17601
Helen Buss, Education, 507 State Road, Lancaster, 17603
Richard Buss, Agriculture, 507 State Road, Lancaster,
17603
1953 Graduates:
Philip Keeney, Sr., Dairy, 1449 Curtain
St., State College, 16801
James Doughty, Civil Eng., 601 Pennayr Rd., Camp Hill,
17011
Hugh Wolfe, Dental Tech., 620 Marlow Dr., York, 17402
Fred Bovie, Weld Eng., 505 Eton Lane, York, 17402
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