P. Walker professorship and keynote request

Thanks so much for your most generous gift to complete the funding for the
professorship honoring Pinkney Walker. I'm delighted that you plan to
attend the Davenport Society banquet on October 13.

The purpose of this e-mail, which Rosalee suggested as the most efficient
way of reaching you, is two-fold:

1. To seek your endorsement of naming the new professorship the Pinkney
C. Walker Distinguished Teaching Professorship. Rather than designating the
professorship for Business and Economics, for Business Theory, or for some
other area, I'd like to use it to recognize and reward a faculty member in
the College of Business who is especially known for teaching effectiveness.
Both Bob Pugh and Ralph Clark endorse this approach; I have a call into
Harold Hook to seek his input.

A few points of elaboration:
* "Distinguished" is a standard adjective in the titles of such
positions.
* We will use a committee of faculty and administrators within the
college to select the recipient of the professorship, subject to my
approval.
* And, I don't know if we will have the recipient selected by October
13.

This name for the professorship (1) coincides with Pinkney's great strength,
(2) allows me to avoid any "turf battles" (either within the college or with
Economics) and (3) underscores the great importance of teaching in the
college. Please let me know whether you are agreeable to this name.

2. To ask you to serve as the keynote speaker for the Davenport Society
banquet on October 13. We would be honored if you would present a brief
talk (perhaps 10 minutes in length) related to some aspect of the future of
business. Your doing so would certainly add luster to an always festive
event. By way of brief background, Jack and Mary Bush, MU alumni who now
live in Dallas and are co-chairs of the Davenport Society this year, have
chosen the future of business as the theme for the banquet and program.
Your talk would come after dinner and could be preceded or followed
(probably followed) by the announcement of the Pinkney Walker Professorship.
I understand from Rosalee that you will be giving a talk in Austin the
morning of October 13; perhaps an abridged version of it would be suitable
for the Davenport Society banquet. Of course, you have great latitude in
choosing the topic you would like to address. Please let me know if you
will serve as the keynote speaker.

If you can give me quick responses to these 2 requests, we will complete the
plans for the evening, which will include the annoucement of the Pinkney
Walker Professorship and, I hope, a keynote address by you. Naturally, if
you have questions, either you or Rosalee can call me. My office # is
573/882-6688, and my home # is 573/875-2972.

Let me close by mentioning that there was some question as to whether or not
Pinkney would attend the banquet on October 13. Apparently he had/has been
experiencing some health problems. However, the latest I've heard is that
he intends to attend, due in large part to your commitment to be there.
Time permitting, you might want to give him a quick call to tell him you'll
see him here in Columbia on October 13. (By the way, if Pinkney and his
wife arrive on October 12, I will invite them to attend an informal dinner I
will host that evening for members of the college's advisory board. Of
course, you are invited to attend the dinner on October 12 as well, but it's
my understanding that you will fly to Columbia on October 13.)

Ken, thanks very much. I hope and trust that you had an ample dose of "R&R"
during your vacation. I look forward to hearing from you.