Jacob and Vivian Jeppesen Memorial Scholarship

The giving patterns of individual donors can be very unpredictable. People who are generous by nature will often bestow their gifts in unexpected places. The Jeppesens are one example. They were faithful members of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Bakersfield, but they had absolutely no giving record or relationship with California Lutheran University—that is, until March 1991.

Jacob Jeppesen, better known as Jake, was a graduate of Northwestern University and was the hydroelectric plant maintenance superintendent in Bakersfield, California, where he worked on the California Aqueduct. Vivian was a homemaker and mother of two daughters and a son who had been killed in an accident with a drunken driver. Vivian was very proud of her Danish heritage.

After Jake passed away in 1990, Vivian realized that she needed to put her financial affairs in order. Fortunately, she had a trustworthy Lutheran Brotherhood insurance agent who helped her make good decisions. The bequest that came to California Lutheran University was matched by a similar bequest to Jake’s alma mater, Northwestern University.

Vivian’s bequest to CLU, the first-ever gift she had made to the University, endowed the Jacob and Vivian Jeppesen Memorial Scholarship. Vivian chose to have the scholarship awarded to Lutheran students at either the undergraduate or graduate level who are interested in pursuing science or mathematics. This scholarship helped strengthen both science and math departments at CLU by providing needed support to students majoring in those disciplines. The Jeppesen legacy continues to make a lasting difference for CLU students today.