Thomas and Sarah Hilleson Art Award

Long before there was an official agreement form for CLU’s endowed scholarships, a well crafted statement gave shape to Thomas and Sarah Hilleson Art Award. With an initial gift of $500, a member of the Hilleson family, Peter Oppedahl, challenged his entire family to contribute along with him in honor of Thomas and Sarah’s memory. And the family rose to the challenge. In the days before email, the message traveled quickly through the family grapevine. One by one, family members gave generously, and some of them gave many times. What began as a $500 gift eventually grew into a small but healthy endowment. One Hilleson descendant, Ruth, made memorial gifts to the fund each time she lost a friend from her congregation.

But why honor the Hillesons through an art award and how were they connected to CLU? The answer lies in the early years of the 20th century when Thomas Hilleson abandoned his art studies at the University of Illinois to assume responsibilities as the oldest son back on the family’s farm. The years passed, and Thomas remained a farmer all his life. But when he retired, he turned once again to art and produced a number of oil paintings and rosemaling pieces. Several pieces of Thomas’ work found a place in the Olson home.

Thomas and Sarah Hilleson were the parents of Helen Hilleson Olson, the wife of Raymond M. Olson and a former first lady of CLU. Dr. Olson was president of California Lutheran College from 1963 to 1971, and Helen served faithfully at his side during those early years. Their two children—Rolf ‘66 and Eloise ‘71—became early CLC alumni. Several pieces of Thomas’ art found a place in his daughter Helen’s home.

When this award was established in 1967 there were few annual awards and scholarships for CLC students. In honor of Thomas, the award was designated “to offer recognition and encouragement to a student in art who has demonstrated ability and achievement in that field of study.” It was the first and for many years the only award offered in the field of art.

The original agreement of 1967 was updated in 1994 with the help of Helen Hilleson Olson. The endowed Thomas and Sarah Hilleson Art Award is now awarded to an art major who is of the Christian faith for the senior year of study.