Meet Our Donors

Lyttleton HarrisHusband makes $3 million bequest to support student scholarships in honor of CU alumna
The late Venita VanCaspel lived through the Great Depression, and scholarships were invaluable to getting her economics degree from CU Boulder. Last year, her husband, Lyttleton "Lyt" Harris, made a bequest to establish an endowed scholarship program in her honor. The estate gift will be split across four universities. More

 

Mike and Mikhy RitterCouple calls CU's music college 'an incredible gift' to the community
Mike and Mikhy Ritter chose to make a bequest in their will that will help increase the size of the classical guitar program endowment at CU Boulder. Endowments are gifts that last forever and generate reliable support for the university for generations to come. More

 

Chuck Morris and Naomi MinnerFirst married couple at the CU School of Medicine leaves legacy
Though they've both passed away, Chuck and Naomi Morris continue to inspire future physicians at CU thanks to their planned gift. More

 

Gage Chapel'Start small, start young': It's never too early to think about your legacy
After serving in the military, Gage Chapel found a new direction in CU Denver's MBA program. Now he's using his employer's matching gift benefit to support first-generation college students. More

 

Becky Roser and Ron StewartPhilanthropist wants to feel the joy of supporting CU faculty and students now
A longtime philanthropist to CU, Becky Roser wanted to see the impact of her planned gift in her lifetime. So, she decided to donate her home. More

 

Tom and Charlotte SaponasHome is where the heart is
Tom Saponas ('72) feels he owes his success to the education he received at the University of Colorado. Now, he and his wife are proud to donate their beloved home to support UCCS after their lifetime. More

 

Henry and Joan StraussPharmacy alum leaves planned gift that's quite a page-turner
Henry Strauss' donation of his collection of nonwestern medical books will open doors of discovery for CU pharmacy students interested in alternative medicine. More

 

Stefan HuddlestonLiving histories: Bequest makes student's dream possible
Stefan Huddleston is honored and humbled to receive a scholarship funded by the vision and generosity of someone he will never meet. More

 

Rick and Betty Ann GardnerRecruiting the best and brightest students is couple's legacy
Supporting CU students has always been important to Rick Gardner and his wife, Betty Ann. Through a planned gift, they're ensuring that value continues long after they're gone. More

 

Bob YetzA vision to support education and research
After being diagnosed with PCA, a rare form of Alzheimer's disease, Bob Yetz became a passionate advocate for the disease. He's using a planned gift to support research and care for PCA. More

 

Mike OldhamHelping veterans find a community on campus
Military service provided Mike Oldham with a pathway to earn a college degree. Now he's paying it forward by making sure military service members and veterans are supported at CU. More

 

Kevin and Jamie KrattCouple empowers UCCS students
With its array of retail and dining options, the University Village Colorado (UVC) is more than a good neighbor to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. More

 

Carol RumackScholarship for a diverse medical school.
Carol Rumack, MD, says she can relate to some of the struggles today's underrepresented students may face. More

 

Scenic photoRay ('49) and Dottie ('48) Joyce
Ray ('49) and Dottie ('48) Joyce parlayed their degrees from CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business into successful careers in the retail grocery industry, and they wanted to see their entrepreneurial values advanced at their alma mater. More

 

Traftons, Dr. Kennealey, Snyders Friends for life
It's no surprise that diehard fans Teri and Charlie Trafton and Char and Lee Snyder had outlined their estate plans to support CU Boulder Athletics. More

 

LaJeune AustinHonoring a family tradition of lifetime learning
LaJeune Austin was raised by parents who gave in any way they were able. With nine children, they didn't always have the means to give financially but continuously gave their most precious resource: time. More

 

Jeff Flygare"This good will happen and I am committed to it."
Jeff Flygare and a friend were having lunch when she announced to the bewildered English teacher that she secretly had signed him up to audition for Shakespeare's Richard III that weekend. More

 

Steve and Lori EslaryRole models of generosity
Steve and Lori Eslary grew up in families where money was tight. "The whole idea of planning to help someone else was new to us," Steve said. "When it comes to philanthropy, you automatically think you have to have a lot of money to do it, and that is not the case." More

 

Josephine BenavidezMaking education more accessible for first-generation college students
In a fortunate stroke of serendipity, Josephine Benavidez reconnected with a former student while looking for a nurse to care for her ailing husband, Fernando. While on the phone with a nurse to whom she had been referred, the nurse stopped to ask a simple question. More

 

Claiborne and Jo Ann BickhamTransformative gift funds cardiac rehab center
The comradery is contagious. When you walk through the lobby of the Cardiac and Vascular Center at University of Colorado Hospital, you sense friendship — lifelong connections forged during uncertain circumstances. More

 

Judge CarriganThe Judge Carrigan Legacy
Throughout his 84 years, the late Judge Jim Carrigan was a voice for the voiceless—whether it was defending women's rights in divorce cases, publicly calling out the racial inequalities of crack cocaine sentences, or working pro bono to help victims of the Columbine High School shooting. More

 

FlagPersonal journey, civic engagement make compelling cases for planned gift to CU
Travis Leiker's gift to CU is strategic, civically relevant, and emotionally fulfilling. And, as he puts it, "a smart investment." More

 

Richard StuckyA passion for bones and natural history evolves into support for future students
When Richard Stucky was 16, he picked up a National Geographic magazine and was immediately pulled into a story by Louis Leakey on the discovery of a new fossil and the story of human evolution. Even at an early age, he knew those topics would eventually become his life's work and develop into a future philanthropic investment in CU. More

 

Corrie WestThis is the power of planning
As an associate director of development at UCCS, Corrie West already knows how powerful philanthropy can be. But her own life experiences have inspired West personally: she has made a planned gift to support UCCS. More

 

Dr. Peter GottliebIRA rollover gift jump starts finding a cure for Type I diabetes
When Peter Gottlieb, MD, started his residency, he already knew he wanted to do Type I diabetes research. His mother had developed the disease at age 52, and today his two children live with Type I diabetes. At CU Anschutz, Gottlieb has made significant strides during the last 23 years. More

 

Doug Looney"It would be unconscionable not to."
I was born and raised in Boulder and started going to University of Colorado Boulder sporting events when I was three. Seldom was I outside Boulder's city limits. So it was never discussed around our house where I'd go to college—Boulder, by default, of course.   More

 

Al and Bobbie KnottRepaying the favor
At CU, Al ('55) and Bobbie Knott found a lifetime partnership, and a lifetime passion for engineering. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering in 1955 from CU Boulder and advanced degrees from Berkeley and Stanford, Al specialized in "the Sherlock Holmes work of engineering"—testing and failure analysis.   More

 

Grandparents of Jennifer HaneA gift that supports students and honors loved ones
Giving to UCCS can take many forms, from supporting your senior class gift to creating a scholarship fund, there is a variety of ways people who love UCCS show their support. Jennifer Hane, a UCCS alumnus, was inspired by her grandparents to make a gift that will provide sustained support for engineering students for years to come.   More

 

Helen ClementHelen Clement on supporting UCCS student scholarships: 'There are so many deserving young people'
Helen Clement discusses her experience supporting students who attend UCCS. When fully endowed, the Clement Family Foundation Scholarship will provide six to seven full-ride scholarships to students majoring in any degree program within the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences.   More

 

Jonathan Treisman and family'Paying it Forward' to ensure future students have the same opportunity
It'd be an understatement to say the motto for Jonathan Treisman's life is "paying it forward."Not only was he the Executive Producer of the acclaimed Warner Bros. film, Pay It Forward, he has also created a bequest that will support scholarships for CU Boulder students who would not otherwise have the same opportunities that were provided to him.   More

 

HildebrandPassion for education leads to $1.5 million to support students
Dona R. Harbison Hildebrand was born in 1927 on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Lame Deer, Montana. Dona and her four siblings – two sisters and twin brothers – were raised by hard working parents who believed in the lifelong benefits of higher education.  More

 

Schorr'Debt of gratitude' inspires commitment
Wag Schorr, MD '63, says he grew up as a "ranch-raised kid" on the Mexican border in Arizona in the 1940s. After finishing medical school at the University of Colorado, he figured he'd return to his roots in small-town Patagonia, Ariz., to serve as a family practice physician.  More        View Video

 

Wag and Analee Schorr'A Very Easy Thing To Do': IRA Giving Is Simple, Savvy
Wag and Annalee Schorr discovered a way to provide for the people they love along with the University of Colorado. By following their example, you too can make a significant impact on CU students and leave more for your heirs.  More

 

 

Contact the Office of Gift Planning at (303) 541-1229 or giftplanning@cu.edu to share your story to inspire others.