Harry T. Wilks
By the time they graduate, most students will almost surely have sat in, learned from or listened to something in which Harry T. Wilks had a hand. After all, between an endowment for Miami's primary leadership institute, a $3 million-donation toward the new state-of-the-art theater in the Armstrong Student Center, the establishment of a lecture series and scholarship fund as well as five years of service on the board of trustees, Wilks had his hands pretty much everywhere on Miami's campus.
The 1948 alumnus died Tuesday-the day of his 89th birthday. After nearly a century as a resident in the Hamilton community, he is sure to leave a mark, President David Hodge said.
"Harry leaves an enormous legacy at Miami and in the Hamilton community," Hodge said on the Miami News website. "He was one of the most creative and imaginative people I have ever met, and he lived life with an irrepressible joy that inspired everyone around him. He will be greatly missed and long remembered."
One of his most prominent marks on Miami's campus is the Wilks Leadership Institute, founded in 2002 on Wilks' belief that student leadership could be a cure for many of the U.S.' biggest economic and political problems.
"He believed a lack of leadership could be blamed for a lot of our country's biggest problems," Wilks Leadership Institute Director Eric Buller said. "He believed that in endowing the institute, he had found a way to cure an ailment in the U.S. He believed in transformational and ethical leadership."
Wilks drafted a memorandum of understanding to guide the terms of use of the endowment but largely left the day-to-day operations of the institute to the university, Buller said. He would nonetheless call or email Buller regularly to discuss issues he hoped the institute might address or ideas he had for speakers they might bring to campus.
"One thing he really wanted to have was a presidential debate here," Buller said, chuckling. "That tells you something about the grandeur of the ideas he had for what Miami should be. That's the way he thinks about Miami and the impact it should have, not only on this region but on the entire nation."
Wilks' belief in Miami translated into over $9 million in donations and endowments over the years, but also into a deep level of commitment to its students that came out in a number of forms.
"Every conversation we ever had was a conversation about students," Buller said. "He cared deeply for the students of this university. As a trustee, every time a conversation came up about raising tuition or fees, he was the most vocally against it. He really cared about [how these issues] affect students."
Wilks' love for Miami and its students came second only to his love for the people of his hometown of Hamilton, Ohio-and perhaps his passion for the arts. He had a long-standing vision of bringing an extensive collection of art from across the centuries to Hamilton.
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"His constant focus was on bringing art to Hamilton," Buller said. "That was his passion and the effort and resources he dedicated to it were tremendous."
Fifteen years ago, he brought this vision to reality by establishing the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum. The park sits on 365 acres Wilks initially bought as a site for his retirement home. Not long after purchasing the land however, developers began vying for it as a site to build subdivisions. The idea repulsed Wilks and he decided to instead fill the land with modern sculptures from around the world-- and Pyramid Hill was born.
"I kind of compare him to Walt Disney," Pyramid Hill Office Manager Richard Batdorf said. "He had a vision for a sculpture park and he followed through ... He wanted the history of sculpture exhibited at the park, from ancient to contemporary. And we've pretty much done that so far."
The park boasts 68 pieces of contemporary art and 70 more ancient pieces in the 10,000 square foot ancient sculpture museum. Wilks designed the entire park's layout, including the roadway system running through it. Unlike with the leadership institute on Miami's campus, Wilks chose to be very hands-on at Pyramid Hill, taking part in its day-to-day activities right up until just after Christmas this year, Batdorf said.
"We called him the king of micromanagement," Batdorf said. "He could be a real cartoon character sometimes. He could be stubborn, a real pain in the butt one minute and be your best friend the next. We're all going to continue doing what we've been doing and make sure his vision isn't obstructed."
He also championed the arts on Miami's campus and a recent donation of $3 million led the university to name the new theater in the Armstrong Student Center in his honor.
"The last time I saw him was at the Armstrong Student Center at the theater dedication," Buller said. "To see the theater, he could not have been happier. He was beaming. He was overjoyed."
Wilks will be buried at the sculpture park this Friday in a family-only graveside service, Batdorf said.
"Those were his wishes," Batdorf said, chuckling softly. "He wanted to be buried in the park or he wanted his ashes sent into space. He'll never be forgotten here, that's for sure."
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