Resigned Richard Roberts, as president of Oral Roberts University (ORU), on November 23. Roberts is facing a lawsuit that alleges he misspent school finances on lavish personal purchases. Days after Roberts's resignation, Mart Green, founder of the Hobbly Lobby and Mardel retail chains, donated $70 million to ORU, most of it dependent on reforms in the school's leadership, finances, and governance. The school had been $52 million in debt.
Died Jarrell F. McCracken, founder of Word Inc., on November 7 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. He was 79. A pioneer in the Christian recording industry, McCracken launched Word in 1951 with a spoken-word album in which Jesus leads a football team to victory in "The Game of Life." By 1954, McCracken had branched into publishing as well. He sold his share of Word to the American Broadcasting Company in 1974, but remained president until his resignation in 1986.
Died Ingrid Trobisch, an author, ministry founder, and missionary to Cameroon, of pancreatic cancer. She was 81. Born to missionary parents in Moshi, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Trobisch was most widely known for her writing, including the bestselling The Joy of Being a Woman. Family Life Mission grew out of Trobisch and her first husband Walter's speaking, writing, and counseling ministry to uphold godly principles in home life.
Died Henry Hyde, a longtime member of the House of Representatives, R-Illinois, on November 29. He was 83. A vocal pro-life voice in Congress, the Roman Catholic Hyde received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on November 5. Hyde resigned from Congress in 2006.
Ex-President Roberts Separates Completely (Almost) from ORU | With a promised $70 million gift being dangled in front of them, ORU Regents plan to disentangle themselves from the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association. (November 28, 2007)
ORU President Resigns | In October, Richard Roberts denied charges of misusing university funds and took a leave of absence. In November, the faculty gave him a no-confidence vote. Now, he's calling it quits. (November 23, 2007)