Sven Slattum Memorial Scholarship

“Everybody liked to hang around him because he was so fun and funny. But people liked him for the person he was inside.” That’s how one of Sven Slattum’s poker buddies described him several years after his death. A horrible traffic accident in 1984 claimed the lives of three young adults, all of whom were closely associated with Cal Lutheran. Sven Slattum was one of the three.

The very Swedish Slattum family was well known in the Conejo Valley. Dr. Jerald Slattum joined the CLC faculty in 1962 as an art professor, serving as chair of the art department. He was named professor of the year in 1984. He and his wife Betty Jean (BJ) lived in Newbury Park with their brood of six children, five of whom were boys. Sven was their second son. The entire family was actively involved in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Sven, who graduated from CLC in 1982, majored in geology and Dr. Jim Evensen, chair of the geology department, had been his mentor.

Following Sven’s death, a multitude of memorial gifts from friends, family, faculty members and students created the Sven Slattum Memorial Scholarship. Because of the nature of the accident, it took months for the campus to come to grips with the loss of the three lives.

But here’s where the story gets interesting. Because Sven was naturally outgoing like his dad, he was well-liked and had a host of friends. One particular group of friends—his poker buddies—proved to be faithful long after his death. Starting the second year after his death, this group of five guys, most of them friends since college days, has met annually for a weekend of poker in Sven’s honor. It is their way of keeping Sven’s spirit alive, and so far they have maintained their annual tribute for 25 years. Every penny and every quarter wagered goes into a coffee can that is delivered to CLU’s advancement office as a contribution to the scholarship. Over the years those “proceeds” have added over $6,000 to the fund.

In tribute to Sven’s life and unfulfilled dedication to the field of geology, the Sven Slattum Memorial Scholarship is designated for geology majors, with one exception: Any year that there is no qualified geology major, the scholarship may be awarded to a deserving art student. Thanks to the love of friends and family—and yes, those poker-playing guys—Sven’s spirit lives on. A Memorial Circle on campus also honors Sven and the two other students who were killed in the car accident.