Fred H. and Esther E. Nusz Graduate Fellowship

Some relationships flow from parent to child—others, from child to parent. This story is an example of the latter. Dr. Phyllis Jane Nusz, daughter of Fred and Esther Nusz, became acquainted with California Lutheran College while she was teaching at Bakersfield Community College. At that time, CLC was offering a program, the California Lutheran Intern Program (or CLIP) for future teachers. Several years later, following her father’s death, Phyllis suggested to her mother that she might establish a memorial for him at CLU through a scholarship.

Fred and Esther were married in 1939 when Esther was 19. She had been born in North Dakota and had come to Lodi at the age of four to live with her aunt and uncle, Adam and Regina Enzminger. She attended elementary and high school in Lodi. At the time of their marriage, Fred was co-owner of Wood Canning Company and founder of Valley Tomato Products in Stockton, where Esther worked as office manager for 18 years. Fred’s career was stimulated by two events—a new technology for processing tomatoes and America’s love affair with a relatively novel dish called pizza. They ultimately sold their business to Campbell Soup Company. When Fred passed away in 1980, Esther continued to live in Lodi.

Esther’s aunt and uncle were charter members of Emanuel Lutheran Church, and Esther was an active member for 76 years—as church organist, Sunday School teacher, member of several key committees, and faithful donor and steward. She was also actively involved with several other community organizations and boards.

It was in 1989, at the encouragement of her daughter Phyllis, that Esther seriously began thinking of a memorial to her husband at CLU. Since Phyllis had earned her doctorate in education as a mature adult, a somewhat unusual step, the focus of their lives had become higher education. So it was not surprising that Esther began thinking about a graduate fellowship rather than an undergraduate scholarship for her husband’s memorial. What was surprising and exciting was that the Fred H. and Esther E. Nusz Graduate Fellowship became CLU’s very first graduate fellowship.

Esther chose to designate the Nusz fellowship for CLU’s “most promising incoming graduate student.” Academic excellence, not financial need, was to be the criterion. Esther funded the award for 12 consecutive years with the help of matching gifts from Campbell Soup Company but also promised to endow the award through her trust. Esther passed away in June of 2001. A few months later, CLU received the estate gift, moving the Fred H. and Esther E. Nusz Graduate Fellowship into permanent endowment for future CLU graduate students.