Boren family spokesperson reflects on legacy of former governor

In the wake of the passing of former David Boren on Thursday, members of the Boren family are speaking out to share their memories of the former governor and U.S. senator.

Boren, who served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma, was a three-term senator representing the state in Washington D.C. before becoming the 13th president of the University of Oklahoma.

RELATED: David Boren, former Oklahoma governor, US senator, OU president, dies at 83

News 9 spoke with Bob Burke, the Boren family spokesperson, who said the family had been preparing for Boren's death for some time.

"Molly, his wife of 47 years, and the daughter, Carrie, and son Dan, everybody has expected this for a couple of weeks," Burke said. "Hospice was called in a couple of weeks ago. Diabetes has just racked his body for some time, and so this was an end that was not unexpected."

Boren began his political career in 1966 when he was elected to the State House of Representatives. He served four terms before running for governor in 1974.

"He was elected to the House of Representatives from Seminole County while he was still in law school at OU, and served six years," Burke said. "Then he became the youngest governor in America at age 33, and then was elected in 1978 to the Senate."

Burke said he also spoke with James Woolsey, a Tulsa native who served as the CIA director under President Bill Clinton.

Q: What did you and former CIA Director Woolsey speak about regarding Boren?

"We talked about David's significant service as the longest-serving chairman of the US Senate Intelligence Committee," Burke said. "That is one of the most significant committees in Congress, and Jim Woolsey was talking about how David had such a cool and calm hand when in the Oval Office and other places while America was faced with a big decision to make in the Middle East or other hot spots in the world. David was always cool and calm and collected."

Q: How was Boren able to bridge the gap between Republicans and Democrats?

A: "He could go across the aisle because he was very smart, the smartest person I ever knew. He was a Rhodes Scholar, of course, but he could also communicate with a guy in overalls on the main street of Beaver, Oklahoma, or he could communicate with a very smart member of the opposite party. For example, last night, I texted back and forth with a Republican senator, former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming, and they just had great admiration for each other. Earlier this week, talked to former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn. Sam Nunn was a Democrat, but the Democrats and Republicans actually got together in those days and played on the Senate softball team. That hasn't happened for the last 20 years, and I hate that for the country, but he was able to simply cross the aisle with good ideas and pass lots of ... Bipartisan legislation."

Q: Many people thought David Boren might run for president one day, but he did want to come back home to Oklahoma, serving out the last part of his career as the OU president for more than 20 years, can you talk about the legacy he left behind for the university?

A: It was a game changer, not only in the appearance of the campus with major new buildings but also in programs. So many different areas of the university changed, and it all went for the betterment of the students. Of course, Molly changed the appearance of the campus because she loves flowers and she literally made the campuses, both in Norman and in Tulsa, to be showcases."