Karl and Bette Johnson Scholarship

Vision and stewardship often go hand in hand in creating a scholarship. That was certainly the case for Karl and Bette Johnson of Tucson, Arizona.

The genesis of this scholarship was in 1987 when Karl Johnson agreed to serve as a Convocator for CLU representing the Grand Canyon Synod. At about that same time, he and his wife Bette enrolled their youngest daughter, Kristina, at CLU. Little did they know that they would also gain a son-in-law in the process. Kristi ’91 was an excellent student who gained valuable experience working in the University Relations office before going into a publishing career. She eventually married Robert Haar ’87, who became a social science teacher at Thousand Oaks High School.

The Johnson family shared an appreciation of quality higher education. Karl himself had received his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Arizona State University and served as the library director for the east campus of Pima Community College in Tucson. He was actively involved in state and national library and educational associations and also was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America. In addition to Kristi, the Johnson family included two other daughters and one son.

Long before they became involved with CLU, Karl and Bette were active Lutherans. In Tucson they were members of Streams in the Desert Lutheran Church where Karl served as both lay preacher and congregational representative to the Grand Canyon Synod Assembly. It was as a result of this service that Karl became a CLU Convocator and member of the board of regents.

The Johnsons began building their scholarship fund in 1993 through regular contributions. Two years later, in July of 1995, the fund reached the level required for endowment, but their contributions continued. Each December, like clockwork, they sent a gift to CLU to help in building that endowment.

The Karl and Bette Johnson Scholarship was first awarded on Honors Day 1996. The Johnsons chose simple criteria for their award—the recipient is to be a Lutheran student from the Grand Canyon Synod.