Anderegg Family Gift Benefits Rural Oregonians

New Endowed Scholarship

Don Anderegg has worked as a carpenter at Lewis & Clark for 20 years, building many friendships and a special appreciation for “this amazing place” and its students.

Now that relationship and his family’s remarkable generosity have joined together, linking the Andereggs and the college for the benefit of generations yet to come.

Don grew up as a farm kid, he says proudly, on land his grandfather purchased in the 1920s. The family property lies in the fast-growing area around Damascus in Oregon’s Clackamas County. It includes the site where, some 80 years ago, parents and teachers got together to build Carver School. After the school closed in 2014, the Andereggs decided to sell the building and surrounding land.

Don’s parents, Fred and Billie, along with Don and his wife, Sue, wanted to put the proceeds to good purpose. Their conclusion: What better way to preserve the school’s legacy and history than by helping students from the area go to college?

So, with a gift of $750,000, they established and endowed the Anderegg Family Scholarship to benefit deserving students who would not be able to attend Lewis & Clark without financial support. Their gift designates that scholarship recipients be from Carver School or one of a series of geographic areas stretching from Damascus to rural Oregon. Says Don, “We want kids from the region to get a great education.”

The gift also aligns with one of Lewis & Clark’s longstanding priorities: putting students first by supporting endowed scholarships. The amount of financial aid we can offer is a primary factor that students and parents consider when deciding to attend or remain at the college. A deep and ever-growing wellspring of endowed scholarships underscores our commitment to making education attainable to high-caliber students distinguished by intellect and drive.

“Investing in scholarships is the best way to ensure that Lewis & Clark and our students continue to succeed,” says Josh Walter, vice president for institutional advancement. “Our entire community is deeply moved by the action Don and his family have taken to share part of their heritage with us and benefit students from their region.”

Noting that the Carver School was designed to respond to each student’s individual talents and needs, he adds, “At Lewis & Clark, we share that same focus on providing a personal, powerful, and life-changing education. We’re confident that recipients of this scholarship will further enrich our community of diverse thinkers and leaders.”