OU REGENTS NAME SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, NEW SOCIAL WORK BUILDING FOR ANNE AND HENRY ZARROW

TULSA – Henry Zarrow recently celebrated his 93rd birthday, and the University of Oklahoma School of Social Work received a present from his family – a $5 million gift from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation of Tulsa, OU President David Boren announced March 25, 2009.

Mr. Zarrow, a lifelong Tulsan known for his generous heart and humble manner, has given so much to others, and his family wanted to surprise him with something really special for his birthday, they said. 

His children, Judy Kishner and Stuart Zarrow, and grandchildren, Julie Cohen, Dr. Jay Wohlgemuth and Dr. Edward Zarrow, all of whom are trustees of the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, agreed that a major gift to the School of Social Work would be an exceptionally fitting way to honor Mr. Zarrow and his beloved late wife, Anne, his partner in life and in giving for 65 years.

The gift will help construct a new building for the School of Social Work, a 92-year-old program that offers the only master’s of social work degree in the state.  The school has been housed for a number of years in a former fraternity house on the eastern edge of the Norman campus.  Rhyne Hall, the school’s current home, has very limited space, which has reduced the number of improvements that have been possible over the years.

“Henry and Anne Zarrow are among the greatest philanthropists in our state’s history,” Boren said today at a meeting of the OU Board of Regents.   “We truly cannot thank Henry Zarrow and his family enough for this gift and for all they have done for our state, the University of Oklahoma, and our Social Work students and faculty, whose work grows ever more important in these challenging and difficult economic times.”

In recognition, the OU Regents unanimously approved the naming of the School as the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and the new Social Work building on the Norman campus as Anne and Henry Zarrow Hall.

Speaking on behalf of the Zarrow family, Kishner said, “The family and the trustees of the foundation could think of no better way to honor our parents and grandparents than to name the new building for the School of Social Work after them. They have always been supporters of education at all levels and have focused much of their giving to organizations where social workers are the driving force. What better discipline to carry their names?”

Plans call for the new Social Work facility to be built in the center of the Norman campus on the current site of the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center at 700 Elm Ave.  At their May 2006 and May 2007 meetings, OU Regents approved a major renovation of the Commons Building for the Jim Thorpe Center.  That renovation is well under way, and plans call for current occupants of the Thorpe Center to be moved to the newly renovated Commons Building by early fall 2009.  After that, the site will be prepared to make way for Anne and Henry Zarrow Hall. 

The new Social Work building will reflect the traditional Cherokee Gothic architecture of OU’s most historic buildings, while providing all the amenities of a modern, high-tech academic facility, including distance learning and video-conferencing capabilities to link the Norman campus social work program with the OU-Tulsa program.

Henry Zarrow has led a remarkable life that has always included a deep commitment to giving to those in need and ensuring access to social and medical services.  Zarrow was the first son of Sam and Rose Zarrow, who immigrated to the United States from Russia.  He went to work in the family grocery business at age 6 and opened his own grocery store at age 13, working before and after school.  At age 22, he started Sooner Pipe and Iron, which later became Sooner Pipe and Supply, the largest independent pipe and supply business of its kind in the world.  He began making charitable donations even before he had fully paid for his first truck for the business.  He sold the business in 1998. 

The Zarrow family and foundation have been exceptionally generous donors to programs and projects on OU’s campuses in Norman, at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and at OU-Tulsa.  Their philanthropy has benefited a range of important areas from scholarships to faculty endowments, from the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History to campus beautification and the OU-Tulsa North Side Medical Clinic.

Additionally, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation has made gifts to many other programs throughout the state, with a special interest in children’s issues, the homeless and the poor.  Together, Anne and Henry Zarrow dreamed of a Tulsa Center for the Homeless and worked and gave the funds to make it a reality.  They have played leading roles in helping the public schools, in developing a senior citizens center in Tulsa, in building libraries in the Tulsa area, and in establishing a center to help those with mental health needs.  During his life, Henry Zarrow has chaired or led the boards of more than 50 charitable organizations in Oklahoma.