Dr. John Tomec Endowed Scholarship

Dr. John Tomec loved sports, and he loved being around students. His connection with CLC’s athletic program began in 1968 when he agreed to handle some of the sports injuries that the school physician, Dr. Akland, was not equipped to handle. Since Dr. Tomec was an orthopedic surgeon, his skills were very much in demand. When he was called upon to treat a student he accepted only what the student’s insurance would pay. When the college persuaded him to teach a class entitled Sports Medicine, Dr. Tomec’s name was placed on the payroll. The class was very popular with the students whether or not they were engaged in sports.

While Dr. Tomec loved serving as team physician for Cal Lutheran’s sports, he did not care about being paid for his teaching. The college insisted on paying him, however, so he asked that his monthly salary checks be placed in a separate restricted account “for further determination.” By 1991 a tidy sum had accumulated, with no plan for its use. As rumors of Tomec’s pending retirement circulated, the director of athletic training came up with a solid and suitable suggestion for the funds in the account.

Student scholarships have always been a high-priority need at CLC, especially in the campus’ early years. John and his wife Dottie both liked the idea of a scholarship for a student planning on a career in athletic training. And they wanted to student to also be strong academically. Fortunately, the amount of those unclaimed salary checks had built up so much that it was sufficient to endow a scholarship, and the decision was made to move forward with the plan.

The Dr. John Tomec Endowed Scholarship was ultimately designated for a senior student of high academic standing who is planning a career in athletic training. The scholarship today serves as a fitting tribute to a man who served CLC athletics so selflessly for many years.