Amy Lee Arney Memorial Scholarship

Amy Lee Arney’s time as a CLC faculty member was relatively brief, but her legacy lives on because of the love expressed by her husband Clarence and other friends following her death. In addition to his monetary gifts to her memorial scholarship fund, Clarence gave Amy’s grand piano to the music department where it served its grand purpose for many years.

Amy Arney worked as an assistant professor of music at California Lutheran College from 1962 to 1964. Following her death in 1965, Clarence established a memorial fund in her name that became one of CLC’s earliest memorial funds. This was a time in the campus’ early history when funds became endowed when they reached $3,000. It was also a time when tuition was relatively low, and scholarship awards of $150 made a significant difference in students’ financial aid.

Because Amy’s special field was piano, her scholarship was designed for upper-division piano students. The first award was made in 1966. With good management and careful investment, the endowed fund had doubled in size by 2008. However, it never reached the higher level of $10,000 then required for full endowment. The Amy Lee Arney Memorial Scholarship has an impressive list of recipients whose lives have been enriched because of this award.