Wilfred A. Rothschild Memorial Scholarship

Wilfred “Bill” Rothschild and his wife Janet were staunch Episcopalians, and in fact had made a gift of land on which St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church was built. But as leading pioneers in the Conejo Valley, they were also vitally interested in the establishment and success of California Lutheran College. They watched it grow “from farm buildings to a fine Christian institution” and were personally acquainted with the Pedersons who had donated the land for CLC. Bill and Janet had 36 happy years of marriage and one son, Frederick (Rick) as well as three grandchildren.

Before moving to the Conejo Valley, Bill had been a movie producer in Hollywood. He quickly became involved in helping to shape the growing community of Thousand Oaks. In 1974 he was named Don Triunfo by the Conejo Historical Society and in 1980 was awarded an honorary doctorate by CLC “for his contributions to the College and the community.” Bill belonged to many local organizations, among which was the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks which still offers the annual Rothschild Award to a person who has made “an extraordinary effort to support and promote youth activities in the community.”

Janet Rothchild was a pioneer in her own right in radio marketing and business. The first woman to run the Chicago office of Hooper Radio Advertising, she later founded a similar office in Los Angeles. She was known for her strength of character, her forthrightness and her philanthropy. She gave generously of her time to her church and to organizations like the Mad Attic thrift store. In 1987 she was awarded the Civitas Award by the Conejo Future Foundation

Shortly after Bill’s death in 1985, Janet met with representatives of CLC’s Advancement Office. She was very pleased with the scholarship that was to be established through her husband’s bequest, but she did not intend to become involved in its future. And yet, by the time of her death in 2007, the memorial scholarship fund endowment had quadrupled in size—entirely through her generous annual gifts.

First awarded in 1987, the Wilfred A. Rothschild Memorial Scholarship is an annually renewable award available to undergraduate, fifth-year and graduate students. Recipients must meet only one criterion, that of financial need. Many students, some of them international students, have had the good fortune to be selected as scholarship recipients. The good will and generosity of the Rothschilds lives on through this scholarship.