|
Oatman
named entrepreneur in residence
By
Amy Geiszler-Jones
Mike
Oatman, who helped transform a Wichita country-and-western radio
station into a successful, multi-million dollar broadcasting conglomerate,
plans to share some of the secrets to his success with WSU students.
Oatman
has agreed to be WSU’s entrepreneur in residence this year,
sharing his many experiences in business, media and music with students
in classes and one-on-one interaction.
This
is the first time someone will hold that distinction for such a
lengthy time; previous entrepreneurs in residence at WSU have spent
only one day on campus, interacting with students and faculty.
"I’m
excited about the prospect of maybe helping give the practical side
of business to students," Oatman says. "There’s an
academic side, but they need to understand the practical side, too."
That’s
one of the reasons Don Hackett, Center for Entrepreneurship director,
lobbied Oatman to join WSU in the unpaid position of entrepreneur
in residence.
"He
has those life lessons that we sometimes don’t convey to the
students as well as we should," Hackett says.
Oatman
is one of Wichita’s most successful entrepreneur stories. He
joined KFDI radio station as a program director in 1964. A year
later, owner Mike Lynch bought out his father’s majority ownership
in the station and Oatman became co-owner. Over the next three decades,
Oatman and Lynch’s Great Empire Broadcasting group grew to
include numerous stations in Wichita; Tulsa, Okla.; Springfield,
Mo.; and Omaha, Neb.
Oatman
spent more than 35 years on the air at KFDI, and his smooth, hillbilly
banter as "tee-legged, tow-legged, bee-legged, bow-legged curly-headed,
pee-williker Ol’ Mike" was a favorite among listeners.
Along
the way he wrote the book "Ol’ Mike’s Philosophy
and Foolishness" and was inducted into the Country Music Disc
Jockey Hall of Fame. He was and continues to be involved in several
community groups, including WSU’s Board of Trustees. He’s
garnered several awards for his community involvement and most recently
was named an honorary alumnus by WSU.
Since
selling Great Empire Broadcasting for $95.9 million in mid-1999,
Oatman has been involved with The Mikes’ Investment Co. and
writes a weekly column for The Wichita Eagle.
Oatman’s
extensive experiences make him an ideal mentor for WSU students,
says Hackett.
"This
is a guy other programs would salivate over having come out and
do this," Hackett says. "He has so many experiences he
can focus on. He won’t be telling the same story over and over."
Oatman
says he’s comfortable in the role of training and teaching,
which he did often with his employees – coaching salespeople,
department managers and others. He’s also been a frequent guest
speaker in the past at WSU, most recently speaking to one of Hackett’s
classes last month.
One
lesson Oatman says he’ll stress is the importance of building
an environment that encourages long-term employees.
Oatman
will be available to speak in more than just business classes, Hackett
says. Oatman will have an office in Devlin Hall. Sharon Mock in
the Center for Entrepreneurship (978-5162) will handle his scheduling.
An
invitation-only reception to honor Oatman in his new WSU position
is being planned for mid-April.
|
