About George Kaiser
George Kaiser, chairman of BOK Financial and Kaiser-Francis Oil, has described his motivation for philanthropy as "largely guilt," stating that he gained advantages from being born into an advanced society with loving parents. He has said that he is "responsible neither for my genetics nor for my nurturing" and that the "purest form of charity" is to give all children an equal opportunity at birth. Kaiser has stated that the mantra of his foundation is that "no newborn child bears any responsibility for the circumstances of his or her birth" and that a child's future being heavily dependent on those circumstances "just seems fundamentally unfair."
Kaiser has been a prominent advocate for early childhood education, particularly for children from birth to age three, which he has called "the most important" intervention. He has argued that such programs are "a moral imperative and a sound investment," citing evidence that they reduce correctional system costs and improve educational attainment. He has also been the visionary behind the Gathering Place park in Tulsa, which he said was intended to be "transformational for the city" and to restore a "sense of community." Kaiser has stated that his foundation aims to be "proactive in creating and expanding programs" and that he is "disturbed by inequality" in American society, preferring to "bring up the have-nots" rather than "knocking down the haves."
Source: AI-verified profile updated from George Kaiser's recent appearances.
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Transcript (19 segments)
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Narrator0:06
It all started with a dream, a dream of building a park where all Tulsans could gather.
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Interviewer0:13
What was the first reaction of your staff when you told them you wanted to do something of this magnitude?
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George Kaiser0:18
I don't know that it was a pronouncement from me, because we all talked from time to time about the fact that we wanted to do something along the riverway.
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Narrator0:27
The dream belonged to this man, George Kaiser, the Tulsa billionaire who made his money in business but is making his mark in helping others. Kaiser is behind some of the most innovative ideas in philanthropy, and his countless contributions to Tulsa are extraordinary. Now his biggest and boldest idea to date is about to debut.
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Interviewer0:48
George, when do you remember first envisioning Gathering Place, and what were your initial thoughts?
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George Kaiser0:53
Well, we began thinking about it well before 2007, when we had an initial idea to place some gathering places along the river every half mile or a mile or so. The idea behind it was we had the sense that Tulsa was in a little bit of a rut economically and in a lot of other ways, and we wanted something that would be somewhat transformational for the city. So we wanted a place where people would get together and try to restore that longtime sense of community in Tulsa.
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Narrator1:28
The son of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany and eventually settled in Tulsa, George was educated at Harvard. He later returned to Tulsa and eventually took over the family oil business.
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Interviewer1:39
The park, of course, is just one of your many philanthropic projects. Did your upbringing have an impact on your giving spirit?
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George Kaiser1:46
Certainly. My family reinforced the concept of your obligation back to others, back to society, back to your city. They were very grateful that the city of Tulsa took them in as an immigrant.
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Interviewer2:00
It's obvious you put your time and money where your heart is, and we're all very fortunate that your heart is here in Tulsa. Did you ever think about leaving the city or moving somewhere else?
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George Kaiser2:09
Not really. Since my wife lives part-time in San Francisco, I did not leave my heart in San Francisco, fortunately. So I'm a pretty stable guy, at least physically, and so I never seriously considered it, but probably because I kept getting caught up in events that reinforced my desire to be rooted here.
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Narrator2:39
George Kaiser has a special love for children. The mission of his foundation is to provide every child with an equal opportunity. This is reflected not only in Gathering Place but in much of the foundation's other community work.
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Interviewer2:54
For many, active giving is also about receiving. What have you personally received from your many gifts to others, and you're always helping others, wanting to help others?
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George Kaiser3:05
I get a little, probably more satisfaction over seeing that we have been able to make a difference in someone's life who really didn't have a chance, didn't have the chance as I had, than I do out of the rewards of financial rewards and emotional rewards of making an income out of what you do.
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Narrator3:26
Throughout George Kaiser's life there runs a common thread, an unbroken theme of hard work and humility, of caring, compassion, and undying dreams. And now his biggest dream of all is about to unfold.
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Interviewer3:39
When you look around the park here today, days before the opening, what gives you the greatest sense of pride?
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George Kaiser3:46
It will be the kids and the shrieks of excitement about seeing something that they never thought they would be able to see. We hear kids say, 'I can't ever go to Disneyland, and now I don't have to. It's right here.' So that gives me the greatest pleasure.
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Narrator4:05
For generations to come, people of all ages from all parts of the city and all walks of life will come to Gathering Place, hopefully realizing it was built just for them. After all, it's the people's park, and George Kaiser wouldn't have it any other way.
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Becky Dixon4:23
For Tulsa's Channel 8, I'm Becky Dixon.
