OSU Alum Frank Morsani to Speak on Campus April 20

Monday, April 18, 2016

Oklahoma State University will welcome Frank Morsani, an Oklahoma State alumnus, business leader and philanthropist, to campus on Wednesday, April 20, to share insight from his new book, “To Be Frank: Building the American Dream in Business and Life.” OSU President Burns Hargis will lead a question-and-answer session with Morsani during the event, which is part of the OSU Leader-in-Residence Speaker Series. All OSU students and the general public are invited to attend at 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theater.

The book chronicles his most unlikely journey from a Dust-Bowl era home with no electricity to becoming one of the top auto dealership owners in the country and Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, working hand-in-hand with three U.S. Presidents as a champion of small business.

Along with co-author Dave Scheiber, Morsani wrote the book to demonstrate to young people “that they can be all they want to be” by hard work and determination. His goal in “To Be Frank” is to inform, educate and inspire. And he underscores that education is a continuum: To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “never, never, never, ever give up.”

In addition, Morsani writes about the need to trust employees to do their jobs. His management philosophy stemmed from his Navy experience aboard an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. “The military does an outstanding job of passing authority to the lowest common dominators,” he says.

One of the most important factors in Morsani’s success has been his willingness to take risks, and this applies to daily life and to work. The book describes these two aspects of life and their importance in detail - a message that can benefit all readers.

Morsani also explains why he is focused on philanthropy, giving millions to the University of South Florida, University of Tampa, Oklahoma State University and other nonprofits.

Morsani and his wife Carol both hold honorary doctorates from Oklahoma State University and are also recipients of the 2005 Henry G. Bennett Award, the highest humanitarian award given by OSU. Frank, a 1957 trade and industrial education graduate, was inducted into the OSU College of Education Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Copies of “To Be Frank” will be available for purchase following the April 20 presentation. It is also available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

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