Meet Our Donors

New scholarship fund diversifies CU Law School
When Gary Jackson entered the University of Colorado Law School in 1967, all of the law professors were men and none were Black. Today, he and his wife, Regina, support diversity and racial inclusion at the law school through a scholarship they created using a current gift and one in their estate. More

Bequest supports couple's passion for CU business school
In 1970, CU gave Richard “Dick” Engebretson a chance to succeed as a student. Decades later, he and his wife, Jean, are giving back through longtime support for the business school and most recently, with a planned gift. More

Love that built a legacy
Kevin and Karen Padrick had just completed their estate plans before Kevin died in an accidental airplane crash. Planning ahead ensured that their generous hearts will one day benefit undergraduate students in CU’s College of Nursing. More

Professor emeritus and wife create scholarship for math students
William B. "Bill" Jones was a member of the Mathematics Department at the University of Colorado Boulder from fall 1963 until his retirement in December 1996. Promoted to full professor in 1974 and serving as department chair from 1987 to 1990, Bill taught both graduate and undergraduate students, serving as thesis advisor for 10 doctoral students. More

Strengthening family medicine at CU and in our communities
For Jeffrey Cain, MD, family medicine is all about relationships. Whether through his planned gift or students who have gone on to be talented family physician, he hopes his legacy makes a difference by removing barriers to healthcare for all. More

Endowment supports natural history museum collection in Colorado Springs
Jon Pigage left a legacy as an educator who inspired students interested in our natural world just as he was. His loved ones established an endowment in his honor. More

Husband 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

Couple 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

First 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

'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

Philanthropist 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

Home 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

Pharmacy 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

Living 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

Recruiting 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

A 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

Helping 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

Couple 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

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

Ray ('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

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

Honoring 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

"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

Role 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

Making 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

Transformative 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

The 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

A 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

This 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

IRA 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

"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

Repaying 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

A 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 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

'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

Passion 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

'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

'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