Christian John Belgum History Scholarship

The Belgum name is familiar to many Lutherans, and it is a name that is especially recognized at California Lutheran University. Dr. Gerhard Belgum was a highly regarded pastor, theologian, and professor of theology and church history who established the center for theological study at CLU. His wife Olga was executive secretary to CLU president Jerry Miller for several years. Together, Gerhard and Olga were the parents of five—Stephen, Lee, Mark, Jeanne and Christian.

Christian, or “Chris” as he was affectionately called, was the youngest child and in many ways his parents’ favorite. Growing up, he was interested in typical boy things—hunting for snakes, fishing and Little League baseball. He was also fascinated with stories about World War II. After graduating from Thousand Oaks High School, he took a few classes at CLU, but he was not ready to commit to earning his degree at that point. More than anything, he wanted to be in the U.S. Navy. And so, he enlisted.

At his graduation from basic training, Chris took great pride in being in the color guard. He was also proud to be assigned to the U.S.S. Midway, a part of the flag fleet that patrolled the coast of Iran. On July 29, 1980, Chris was performing his regular duties as petty officer third class when a freighter bound for China collided with the carrier. Chris and another crewman lost their lives in the tragic accident. Chris was 22.

To honor their son’s life, the Belgum family designated initial memorial gifts as well as their own resources to establish the Christian John Belgum History Scholarship. To be awarded this scholarship, a student must be a history major at the sophomore or above level. It was also important to the family that the student be of the Christian faith and preferably have an interest in church history. A listing of those who have received this scholarship contains the names of some of CLU’s finest history alumni.

The Belgum name continues to be honored through this scholarship. And the Belgum family takes great comfort in knowing that Chris was doing what he loved when he died.