Fredrickson-Overton Scholarship

The pathway to the signing of the agreement for the Fredrickson-Overton Scholarship was an interesting journey. The lives of the Fredricksons, the Overtons and CLU were interwoven from the University’s earliest days, and the campus holds many reminders of that relationship. Overton Hall is one shining example. The beautiful stained-glass windows in the Samuelson Chapel were given in memory of Naomi Overton’s parents, Fred and Veryl Fredrickson. The early childhood center dedicated in 2011 is yet another example of the family’s generous support for the project, and appropriately was named the Fredrickson Family Early Childhood Center in their honor. People who drive on Overton Court on CLU’s North Campus may not realize that it is so named in tribute to Paul Overton, who served 18 years as judge of the San Diego County Superior Court.

Paul Overton and his wife Naomi Fredrickson Overton had intended to establish a scholarship of their own at CLU for some time. As Paul admitted with a smile, it sometimes took them a while to reach consensus on how to carry out their intentions. It was the occasion of their 54th wedding anniversary that launched the effort. Paul, in his wisdom, thought if he made an anniversary gift to start the scholarship fund, the rest would follow. One of the significant decisions was the name to be attached to the scholarship. Initially, it was referred to as the Paul and Naomi Overton Scholarship. But Naomi also wanted to honor her own parents’ loyalty and devotion to CLU. And so, she chose to include both family names, with the name of Fredrickson placed before the name of Overton. Thus, it became the Fredrickson-Overton Scholarship.

While Paul and Naomi were always generous with their gifts to CLU, they also encouraged their children to attend CLU. And so it was that their daughters Tina Overton Brende ’70 and Rebecca Overton France ’72 became proud CLU alumnae. The Overtons’ daughter Mary and son Jim chose to go to college elsewhere, but even Jim was eventually linked with CLU when he became a member of the Board of Regents. All family members chose to support this family scholarship.

Determining the criteria for the endowed Fredrickson-Overton Scholarship was an easier task than naming it had been. It was designated for an upper-division student who shares her Christian faith through service and exhibits leadership skills. It may have taken considerable time for Paul and Naomi to define their intentions for this scholarship, but the end result was worth it. Those who are fortunate to receive the scholarship owe a big thank you to Paul and Naomi for their foresight.