Conrad and Hattie Engelstad Scholarship

This scholarship, which was established on June 17, 1959, deserves to be right at the top of any list of California Lutheran scholarships. That’s because it was one of the very first gifts ever to be received by CLC specifically for a scholarship, and it was given by Hattie Engelstad after her husband’s death.

As was true of so many of the earliest scholarship gifts, Mrs. Engelstad wanted the scholarship to be awarded to a student who was preparing “for service in the Holy Ministry of one of the Lutheran Church bodies.” The student was also to be the highest ranking junior going into his/her senior year as a religion major. The first award of the Conrad and Hattie Engelstad Scholarship was made in 1965, with little or no fanfare.

Another distinguishing feature of this scholarship is that it was allowed to become endowed at a time when the requirement for endowed status was a mere $1,000. By 2014 the level established for endowed funds was $50,000. Nonetheless, the University has honored the wishes of Mrs. Engelstad, and the fund has grown bit by bit from investments, some years more productive than others.