Dan Cooper ’79 spent 1980 through 1985 hiking the continental Divide from Mexico to the Bering Strait, becoming the first person known to have made that trek in modern history. The thousands of miles of the Divide have stayed with him, as has the culture of giving that supported his northward journey.
“The inspiration for any of my philanthropy comes from a moral code I learned from Native Americans and other people in the backcountry,” says Cooper. “From dried meat to a warm trapper cabin, the lesson was always the same: When you have it to share with those who need it—and we are all in that position at some time—then pass it along.”
Cooper will pass along his resources to Lewis & Clark students through a sizable planned gift to the Randy Massengale Scholarship, which will ensure the scholarship’s longevity. The Massengale scholarship assists a student of African American, Native American, Hispanic American, or Asian American descent during the student’s junior and senior years. Recipients must demonstrate a past commitment to community service.
Randy Massengale ’78 and his wife, Kit Campbell Massengale ’81, created the scholarship in 1999 as a reflection of their values and the College’s character. “For us, giving back is not an option, but an obligation,” said Randy. “No matter what your circumstances are, there is always a way you can give back.”
Cooper learned about the scholarship through the Lewis & Clark Chronicle, got acquainted with Randy (the pair have mutual friends from their college days but did not know each other while attending Lewis & Clark), and decided to make his planned gift. “I simply believe in what Randy is doing,” says Cooper.
