William H. Sandberg Scholarship

This is the story of two men, William Sandberg and Jesse Vanlandingham, whose friendship and mutual respect blossomed into a successful business venture in City of Industry, California. They named their company VanSan Corporation and their product was high-quality conference room furniture “made in America by American craftsmen.”

Both Sandberg and Vanlandingham were Christians. Sandberg had only become aware of California Lutheran College because Vandlandingham’s son Mark was a student there. But just prior to Sandberg’s death in May 1978, his partner Jesse (now the company’s president) proposed that a scholarship be created as a tribute to his friend and business partner. The scholarship bearing William Sandberg’s name was to be funded annually by the VanSan Corporation and awarded to an academically strong junior student actively pursuing a Christian vocation.

The end result was a scholarship that was true to the donor’s intent—to honor the life and faith of William Sandberg. The establishment of the scholarship also resulted in the development of a strong relationship between Jesse Vanlandingham and his son Mark, who succeeded his father as VanSan’s president in 2000.

The goals of both William Sandberg and Jesse Vanlandingham continue to be met through the scholarship and its endowment.