Most Taylor students know him for making the Euler Science Complex possible. Others remember him as the 89-year-old chapel panel member whose razor sharp wit kept Taylor President Eugene Habecker and Bill Gaither on their toes earlier this semester. You might even know him as Chief Executive Officer of Avis Industrial Corporation in Upland, Ind. But there's much more to know about Leland Boren.
When you meet him, the first thing that strikes you is Boren's hospitality. During an hour-long interview, his home was bustling with visitors. Settled in a large chair by his living room window, Boren insisted each guest try a generous slice of his daughter-in-law's homemade coffee cake. Maybe two.
"It's open house over here," Boren said. He chuckled, adding, "I call it 'Grand Central Station.'"
Another striking fact about Boren is he can't say enough about Taylor.
And Taylor would not be the same without Boren. The Euler Science Complex and the new athletic fields are just a couple of ways Boren and his late wife LaRita's generosity has impacted campus.
"The Borens' commitment to the university and to its students, faculty and coaches has been massive," Habecker said. "Leland's an incredible blessing."
Boren's ability to give is a direct result of his hard work and successful career.
"My grandpa grew up during the Great Depression, and because of that experience, he works really hard at whatever he does," said freshman Sami Bowser of Boren. "He loves learning, which is amazing because he never got much schooling. Growing up, he had to work."
After graduating high school in 1941, Boren went straight into the workforce rather than college.
But lack of extensive education hasn't held Boren back one bit. According to Bowser, her grandfather holds seven honorary degrees from numerous universities.
"I think it's seven," Bowser said. She paused, "But it may just be six."
"Just six" still sounds pretty good to most of us.
In 1944, Boren joined the Pierce Governor Company, and his career began to thrive. "I started at 25 dollars a week," Boren said. "But pretty soon I decided I wanted to be president of the company."
After becoming president, Boren purchased the company in 1987, following its merge with Avis.
Boren's wife was equally hard-working. LaRita served on the Taylor Board of Trustees for 35 years and was a Director of Avis Industrial Corp. until her passing in 2011.
"(My grandmother) had so much energy for her age," Bowser said. "A lot of that might have been her trying to keep up with Grandpa, and she was probably the only woman alive who could do it!"
During her life, LaRita issued numerous scholarships to Taylor's Bahamian students, a gift Leland Boren carries on today.
"LaRita was a leader in (our giving)," Boren said. "And we want to continue that legacy."
Boren knows exactly why he and LaRita have given so generously to Taylor.
"We have a lot of outside companies visiting us at Avis, and sometimes our visitors stop by Taylor's campus," Boren said. "It's not unusual that they tell me Taylor students are the most attentive, kind and warm college students they've ever encountered."
Boren specifically remembered an older woman who told him of a Taylor student who picked up her car and drove it to her so she wouldn't have to walk across campus. Boren paused after telling this story, then added, "That really says something, you know?"
Aside from his commitment to Taylor, one of the most evident qualities about Boren is his love for family. Boren met LaRita, who was an airline stewardess at the time, on a business trip in the late '40s.
LaRita made a strong impression on Boren, despite their initial disagreements over church denominations and politics.
"I thought she was a great gal," Boren said.
They were married for 53 years.
"You know, she was a Republican, and I was a Democrat, but we still got along," Boren chuckled.
A few of Boren's friends are still learning how to "get along" with his politics. And with his humor.
"He loves to poke fun at just about anything," Bowser said. "The only bad thing about my grandpa's sense of humor is that some people don't realize he's joking."
Boren shared a recent story to this effect.
"I've got a couple of friends who said Obama doesn't believe in Biblical principles," Boren said. "I told them, 'Neither does Romney. In his religion, you can have more than one wife at the same time!' Well, they blew up on me." He raised an eyebrow, amused.
"We finally got back on a friendly basis, but I had a lot of fun with it!"
And fun is one more thing you'll encounter if you meet Boren. Whether students feels his impact by walking through Euler or by enjoying conversation with him over his coffee cake, Boren brightens the lives of Taylor students daily.
