Pearls of Wisdom

On 5th October I had the great privilege to meet with Dr. Tori Murden McLure, President of Louisville's Spalding University, trustee of the Muhammad Ali Center, author and not incidentally the only woman (and one of very few people at all) to row single handedly across the Atlantic Ocean. My own intimidation aside, Dr McLure was hugely fascinating both on the subject of her involvement with the Ali Center (at the personal request of Muhammad Ali) and the mission for Spalding, which she described as the "scrappy"' underdog of Louisville's tertiary education.

Set in the 13th poorest zip code of the US, Spalding began life as a log cabin school founded by Catholic nuns in 1814 to provide basic education and to develop the helping professions: teaching, nursing, social work. Today it still retains (small c) Catholic identity, and proactively uses this values-base to make sure that its 21st century incarnation still reaches those who most need education. 50% of its students are the first student in their household to attend university, and 75% are from economically challenged families. Spalding also employs an 'every student' policy, recognising that many students arrive not "university ready" and give additional support in English and other skills to try and prevent the huge drop out rate of first year students experienced by most universities in the US. Spading is also riding the wave of adapting campus life to be equally welcoming to mature students, a rapidly growing demographic.

Of her involvement with the Ali Center, she has a tone of great respect and fondness when she speaks of "Muhammad" and how she became involved. Muhammad Ali famously said to her before she set out on her record making journey, that she did not want to be known as the woman who "almost" rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. This mutually respectful relationship is probably one of the reasons she was asked to be a trustee Ali's of legacy in overseeing the Center project: something he always insisted should not just be a boxing museum. McLure outlined to me the original and still developing idea that the Center will become established on a world stage a centre for tolerance and healing, that it can develop conflict resolution techniques and understanding, and honour the journey of understanding the Muhammad Ali himself began.

I couldn't help thinking, that as Muhammad Ali's health sadly deteriorates, that he's chosen wisely to entrust someone like Dr McLure with developing his Center. Someone who doesn't let something like an ocean get in her way.