Mizzou is apparently considering using the $1.2 million donation they received from Enron chairman Ken Lay in 1999 to found a professorship in business ethics. It makes some sense – why not use the money to help correct the illegalities the late businessman was notorious for?

But one of the stipulations of Lay’s donation was that the endowment be in his name. Meaning – and I’m not making this shit up – that we would have an official professorship called “The Ken Lay Chair In Business Ethics.”

Keep in mind that this is, in reality, dirty money. The $1.2 million was donated in Enron stock (which the University immediately sold, as is common practice).

If you remember, we didn’t have much success filling “The Ken Lay Chair In International Economics” a few years ago, but I’m sure applicants will be lining up around the corner for this gig. I’m assuming someone with a shred of sanity will emerge to shoot this idea down, if they haven’t already.

Technically, we can use the money however we want. So – and I know this is radical stuff here – but how about we give it to the families affected by the Enron scandal, since it is, literally, their money?

In the meantime, we should probably get going on filling the vacant “Orinith James Simpson Chair In Criminal Justice.”