A former Fort Benton teacher and 1969 graduate of Northern Montana College, the predecessor of Montana State University-Northern, left a $682,000 bequest to Northern’s Alumni Foundation.
“This is a legacy gift in every way,” said MSU-Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel. “This endowment will allow MSU-Northern to help future teachers attain their degrees for generations to come.”
The gift from MSU-Northern alum Oliver Carnahan Sanborn and her husband Elmer Sanborn is one of the largest in Northern history.
“Northern is proud to support students who are passionate about teaching,” Kegel said in a statement. “Providing financial assistance removes barriers, reduces stress, and helps them achieve their goals.”
Olive Sanborn was born in Fort Benton in 1917 and moved to South Dakota at an early age. She graduated from Freeman Junior College and the University of South Dakota with education degrees. She taught in small rural schools in Turner County, South Dakota.
She and Elmer farmed in South Dakota until 1964 when they moved to Montana. As an adult student, she graduated from NMC in 1969.
She taught in Fort Benton while Elmer farmed near Loma.
She later returned to South Dakota where she taught art, history and government at her alma mater, Freeman Junior College.
Her husband died in 1994 and she passed away in 2016 at 98.
“Olive Sanborn saw the value of investing in rural education,” said Kegel. “Her gift makes it possible for Northern to continue fulfilling that mission well into the future.”
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