Tech Topics - Summer 2008 - (Page 20) TheHill ROB FELT Ted Turner Takes the Prize Ivan Allen honor goes to outspoken philanthropist By Kimberly Link-Wills P the board of whoever that selected me.” That comment sparked the first of erhaps the most entertaining accept- many guffaws and gasps emitted in ance speech for the Ivan Allen Jr. response to Turner’s tells-it-like-he-seesPrize for Progress and Service was it remarks. delivered this year by Ted Turner. Reasoning why he would not take Other winners, all fine speakers more than the allotted time for his themselves, are former Georgia Gov. acceptance speech, Turner said, “When and Sen. Zell Miller, who won the first you run a news network and a sports award, given in 2001, followed by team and you say the game’s got to former President Jimmy Carter, Cls 46; start at 7:30 or the news has got to go on the late political humorist Molly Ivins; at 8 o’clock, it’s got to go on at 8 o’clock. former Sen. Sam Nunn, Cls 60; Sims I’m a great believer in time. One reason creator Will Wright; and civil rights that I’ve been divorced three times is leader Jesse Hill. Last year, that I couldn’t stand my wife being late philanthropists Lessie Smithgall and her all the time.” late husband, Charles, GS 33, received Tardiness on the part of his wives the honor. hasn’t been the only thing that’s gotten Turner was handed the 2008 prize on the nerves of the CNN founder and by President Wayne Clough, who said former owner of the Atlanta Braves, the tribute was being given for Thrashers and Hawks. “extraordinary “What has philanthropy and nearly driven me visionary entrenuts over the years What has nearly preneurship.” is people doing driven me nuts over “Many people stupid things, who achieve great when it’s not really the years is people wealth, as Ted that much harder doing stupid things, Turner most to do the smart when it’s not really certainly has, use thing and the right that much harder to that wealth to thing,” he said. escape from the Turner said he do the smart thing problems of the launched the and the right thing. world. But instead world’s first 24of escaping from hour cable news this world, Ted network in 1980 Turner uses his wealth to engage the “to make a difference and not just world,” said Clough, who was given an report news and make money, although honorary Ivan Allen prize by Dean Sue I wanted it to do both of those things Rosser in salute of his service as his too, but why not take a position on the tenure as Tech’s president winds toward important issues and try to define what its June 30 end. the great problems facing humanity are Recognized with Ivan Allen Legacy … and see if they can change things and awards during the March program were help solve or be involved in the solving faculty winner Greg Nobles, a Tech of those problems?” professor of history, science and He saw the three biggest problems technology and director of the in the world as the Cold War, Institute’s honors program; alumnus overpopulation of the planet and threats Jackson Jarrell Pair, CmpE 97, IntA 97, to the environment. MS HCI 99, a founder of Internet music “It was clear to me that if the company myAWOL.com; and student human population keeps going there’s winner Amanda Meng, an not going to be enough room or undergraduate studying global resources for all,” Turner said in economics and modern languages. addressing the second problem on his Turner took to the stage in the list. “You can’t put an infinite number of Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference anything in a finite environment and Center during the first of three standing say, ‘Go to it, baby,’ and have as many ovations he received and spoke of his children as you want to. admiration for the late former mayor “When I was born in 1938, there Allen, Com 33, before saying, “I also were 2 billion people in the world. want to thank those at Georgia Tech on Today there are 6 and a half billion,” he “ Ted Turner once considered running for political office, but actress Jane Fonda, his wife at the time, wasn’t in favor of it. Turner says he heeded her wishes, but they divorced anyway. 20 “ said. “The number of elephants is down 90 percent, and the number of gorillas and just about all the other forms of life — except maybe rats and cockroaches, which live with us — have violently decreased while we increased.” Turner asserted that efforts to combat global warming will be for naught “if we don’t get serious about family planning and stabilize our population” and throughout the world mankind “should voluntarily have onechild families for 100 years.” “We’re heading for absolute disaster just like we’re having an economic disaster now because of … the financial institutions and the mess they’ve gotten into by acting stupid and doing stupid things, like lending people more money on a house than it’s worth. I mean, how dumb can you be? I mean, duh!” Turner also gets fired up about nuclear weapons. “The Cold War is over. We’ve got to get rid of the nuclear weapons,” he said. “The war in Iraq was mainly about nuclear proliferation. Really, I just figured this one out, I didn’t read that anywhere. We thought Saddam Hussein was working on nuclear weapons. We had bad information cause he wasn’t. You shouldn’t go to war on bad information. You ought to be absolutely sure. Before you shoot someone and kill ’em, you ought to be sure that they’ve done something wrong.” After his Founder’s Day acceptance speech, Turner answered questions from the audience posed orally by Dean Rosser. The first question asked how young people who don’t have the financial means that Turner does could contribute to make the world a better place. “I pick up trash when I walk around. Everybody can do that. You don’t have to be wealthy. The other thing you can do is be politically active and vote for smart people and not for dumb people,” he answered. Turner’s response was briefer when asked if greed has anything to do with some dumb decisions. “Sure,” he said, flashing an ornery grin at the audience. TECHTOPICS | SUMMER 2008 http://myAWOL.com
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