Walter W. Schultz and Maude S. Schultz Scholarship Fund

Many scholarships, like this one, began because the donors wanted to help students complete their education at a church-related institution. But beyond that fact, there was no one at the University at the time the Walter and Maude Schultz scholarship was established in 1972 who recorded any other details about their intentions.

Thus little is known about Walter and Maude Schultz except that they included California Lutheran College in their estate plan. Actually, they made that decision through a codicil to their wills several years after they had written their wills. Their estate gift, which established the scholarship, was part of an unfinished real estate loan that dated to 1951. To make it even more interesting, CLC was one of three parties to share the final estate gift. The other two were Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in Chicago and Masonic Homes of California.

One can surmise from the three charities they designated that the Schultzes were thoughtful and compassionate people. Perhaps they were college graduates. And because they chose a Lutheran college as one of those three beneficiaries, perhaps they were good Christians as well.

The only instruction given in their will was that their bequest be used to create an endowment fund bearing the name of Walter W. Schultz and Maude S. Schultz Scholarship Fund, “the income therefrom to be used to provide financial assistance for educational purposes to students in need thereof.” It was a simple, gracious way to specify their intentions—to help students in need.

Because of many good years of investment returns since its establishment in 1973, the Schultz endowment fund has grown to the point of being able to benefit several students each year.