The Oakland University athletic department lost a great friend Friday, November 16 as former Athletic Director Hollie Lepley passed away in Englewood, Colorado. Lepley retired from Oakland in 1979 and has been living in Colorado for the past 22 years. He was 89 years old. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Hollie Lepley and our warmest thoughts go to his family," Mehl said. "Hollie was a warm and dedicated professional, an educator in every sense of the word and he will be missed by all he touched." Lepley served Oakland University from 1959 through 1979 and upon retirement, the Sports and Recreation Building was named in his honor. Lepley was tabbed the founding father of OU athletics after serving as athletic director from 1959-72. From 1972-79, Lepley assumed the duties of a professor of education. Under Lepley's guidance, extensive intramural recreation and club sport programs were set up at OU. Under his strong leadership the Oakland University athletic program was initiated in 1964 and the first sports were cross country, soccer, basketball and swimming. Lepley was instrumental in the formation of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference and he played a significant role in planning the Katke-Cousins Golf Course. He contributed to the design of the appropriately named Lepley Sports Center and he developed many of the outdoor facilities. He also began many educational programs including a minor in physical education. His love of athletics, his outstanding code of ethics, and his willingness to give generously of both his time and talent to the betterment of others set a standard of excellence for human service at Oakland University. Upon his retirement, Lepley with his wife Margaret, moved to Colorado to work with handicapped children. Lepley was inducted into the Oakland University Athletics Hall of Honor in 1984. Lepley was born April 12, 1912 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Shorewood High School. His college career included stints at Marquette University, Carroll College, University of Wisconsin, University of Colorado, University of Nebraska and Indiana University. His education concluded after he completed his doctoral dissertation, which was never presented. He began his teaching and coaching activity in Waukesha Public Schools and was an assistant football and basketball coach at Carroll College. He spent a year as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin, spent six years at Beloit College and 13 years at Nebraska before coming to Oakland University.