Thomas and Sandra Torgerson Science Scholarship

The name of Dr. Tom Torgerson is among those that are part of the early history of CLU. He was one of CLC’s Founding Fellows and a faithful supporter from the college’s inception. And always at his side was his wife Sandra. They were married for 60 happy years.

Dr. Torgerson practiced internal medicine in Santa Rosa, California, for 40 years and was chief of staff of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital prior to his retirement in 1977. His gentle manner always endeared him to his patients. One of his main interests was the care of the elderly. He was one of the founders of Bethlehem Towers Retirement Residence, which opened in 1972.

In addition to a demanding practice, Dr. Torgerson worked hard on behalf of his faith. A graduate of St. Olaf College in Minnesota, he valued his own Lutheran education. As a consequence he lent strong support for California Lutheran College. He served on the CLC Board of Regents from 1968 to 1975, years that were some of the most challenging in the survival of the young institution. In the 1980s he was active on the Committee for New Dimensions, a dynamic group intent on securing the college’s financial stability. He was a staunch supporter of the college’s presidents, from Ray Olson to Luther Luedtke. They all knew that Tom Torgerson could be counted on for moral and financial support when needed. Dr. Torgerson was awarded an honorary doctorate by CLU in 1987.

The Torgersons were faithful members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Tom served as president of the congregation several times and was active in the building of two new churches for the congregation. The Torgersons were also parents of three children—a son and two daughters. The Torgerson daughters both attended CLC before going into nursing programs.

Even with all his professional and personal loyalties and demands, Tom Torgerson’s chief goal was to help the individual student in a direct way. In 1990 he began to focus his giving to CLU on the creation of a science scholarship. He named it the Thomas and Sandra Torgerson Science Scholarship and designated it for upper-division students majoring in either biology or chemistry. Recipients must also be students who openly profess their Christian faith. The scholarship soon became endowed and grew steadily through Tom’s giving. Because of his careful forethought, the endowment continued to grow through additional gifts from his estate. The first award from the scholarship fund was made in 1992.