Ben Novak’s Open Letter to the Penn State Board of Trustees

By Ben Novak on Jan 16, 2012

January 16, 2012 (Posted)
Transmitted Electronically to: bot at psu . edu
January 15, 2012

Steve Garban, President
Board of Trustees
The Pennsylvania State University
205 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802

 

RE: An Open Letter to the Penn State Board of Trustees

 

Dear Steve,

The continued stonewalling by the Board of Trustees to the demands of the alumni and students to rescind the firing of Joe Paterno and restore his reputation has reached the point of causing positive harm to the University.

I shall not here recite all the arguments about why the decision to fire Joe Paterno, and the way it was executed, were mistaken. If Board members have been attentive to what is being said within the University community they will have already heard the reasons. Suffice it to say that the vast majority of the alumni and students are convinced by those reasons, and their demands to restore Joe Paterno’s honor—and Penn State’s honor—shall relentlessly grow.

If the Board continues to stonewall, or even attempts to justify its decision, the damage to the University will grow incalculably. Neither the students nor the alumni will ever forget all that Joe and Sue Paterno have done for this University, nor all that they have stood for. If the Board continues on its present course, it is setting itself up for a classic confrontation not only between it and the entire University community, but also between it and everything that Penn State has ever stood for.

Three things are necessary to right the situation. First, a resolution of the Board rescinding its decision; second, a direction to the president of the University to hold a formal University convocation in full academic regalia in order to apologize to Joe and Sue Paterno; and finally, a resolution of the Board restoring Joe Paterno’s honor while at the same time recognizing that a new head coach has been hired. Franco Harris has suggested that Joe Paterno be named Honorary Head Coach for the first four games next fall. I suggest that Joe be given the title of Emeritus All-Time Penn State Head Football Coach.

The first and third of these are clear and need no explanation. The need for a formal University convocation may be less so. A formal convocation will provide the proper academic setting to rivet the attention of the public to where it should be: on the wonderful spirit and loyalty of the alumni and students of this University, and their determination to honor Joe Paterno no matter what the world says.

For the fact is that Joe Paterno’s life and values have been infused into generations of Penn Staters. He embodies the Penn State Spirit and he always will.  Penn Staters will always honor and remain loyal to both him and it.

This is both the reality of Penn State, and the image of the University that the students and alumni want the world to see.

It will take considerable courage for the Board to admit that a mistake has been made. But it has long been part of the Penn State way to forthrightly admit a mistake and move on. Please do not disappoint the Penn State community by failing to display the same forthright courage, so that our great Alma Mater can move on to carrying out its mission of providing excellence in teaching, research, and service.

I respectfully request that the secretary of the Board be directed to forward a copy of this letter to all Board members.

 

With best personal regards, I remain

For the glory of Old State,

Ben Novak ‘65


  • Donald A Schnure

    I emailed the following letter to the Board of Trustees yesterday:

    SUBJECT: 
    Disgraceful Treatment of Joe Paterno

     

    TO:  The Penn State Board of Trustees
    (“Board”)

    Ladies and Gentlemen:

    I am a 1964 graduate of Penn State and a member of the President’s Club.

    I was saddened, deeply disappointed and angered by your rush to judgment
    without due process when you fired Joe Paterno on November 9th.   Nothing
    could be further from the truth that firing Joe was, as stated by the Board, in
    “the best interests of the University.”  Joe has been the image and
    soul of Penn State for decades.  He has done more to promote the
    good name and image of Penn State than anyone else in its history.  Your actions
    in firing him were disgraceful.

    Joe Paterno did not drop the ball in 2002 — he promptly reported the alleged
    perverse acts of Jerry Sandusky as recited to him by Mike McQueary to the
    Athletic Director.  The ball was instead dropped by members of the
    Presidents Office and, it appears, by at least certain members of the Board who
    should have more diligent in taking action regarding the more graphic version
    of Sandusky’s alleged perverse acts reported by McQueary in follow-up of Joe’s
    initial report to the Athletic Director. 

    May no act of ours bring shame — The Board’s act of firing Joe Paterno
    without due process threw fuel on the media frenzy surrounding the Sandusky scandal and has been thoroughly condemned by Penn State alumni.  Are you proud of your role in this act
    that has brought shame unto the University?

    The Board’s vote to fire Joe Paterno was unanimous.  I am sure that Joe
    had supporters on the Board who did not desire to fire him, but who acquiesced
    to give the appearance of an united front.  Years ago, I worked for a
    public company whose Board of Directors always voted the way the CEO
    desired.  One of the Directors once said to me, only partially in jest:
    “I’m not a ‘Yes Man’ for John; when he wants me to vote ‘No’, I vote
    ‘No’.”   Were you a ‘Yes Man’ when you voted to fire Joe?

    It is not too late for the Board to at least partially restore honor to Joe
    while he lives, and to the University, by rescinding the vote to fire him and
    allowing him to retire with a small portion of the dignity he deserves. 

    An act that the Board could undertake that would be acclaimed by Penn State alumni would be to announce the naming of Paterno
    Field at Beaver Stadium to honor Joe for his accomplishments.  An
    appropriate time to hold the dedication ceremony for Paterno Field at Beaver
    Stadium would be at the Blue-White Game on April 21st.  If that were
    to occur, you could expect a record turnout in attendance to honor Joe.

    I hope that each Board member is guided by his or her conscience in doing the
    “right thing” to rectify your prior actions in firing Joe and
    degrading his many accomplishments that have contributed to the growth and greatness
    of the University.  You have harmed a good man unfairly.  Now is the
    time for you and each of your associates on the Board to show some
    backbone and admit you were wrong in your treatment of Joe.

    Sincerely,

    Donald A. Schnure

  • Claudia

    Dear Ben,

    I found your brother Michael’s article on National Review Online and quickly clicked the link to read your emotional letter written to the Penn State Board of Trustees.  I am just an average Jill who was so saddened by the way Joe Paterno was treated by the politically correct board and the media.  I have personal reasons for my feelings sadness and interest in the unjust way JoePa was treated.  My father suffered a similar fate many years ago by a law firm he founded.  He never recovered from being rebuffed.  My dad used to say afterwards that good friends stood by and let him be fired for reasons they knew were false.  The biggest sadness of all, my father used to say, was he felt he all of a sudden had no friends. At the end I’m sure Mr. Paterno felt the same way.  No one who could have stopped this raised a voice to help him. Penn State killed Joe Paterno.  JoePa simply gave up and died of a broken heart.  Thank you for your quest.  It is the right thing to do.



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