Vickery, Louise Undergraduate Scholarship

Louise Vickery was a resident and businessperson of the City of Colfax from the year 1929 until her death in 1970. Initially, Louise and her husband, and then Louise herself, owned and operated a grocery store and meat market in Colfax through approximately 1950. That enterprise was sold, and Louise then purchased an apartment house, which she owned and operated until her death in 1970.  Louise’s astute business skills resulted in her realizing enough of a profit in the 1940’s in order for her to acquire various pieces of farmland in the Colfax area. Her prudent management resulted in continued farming success and additional acquisitions so that her estate accumulated significantly by the time of her death. Her entire estate was bequeathed to her nephew, Marvin Olsen, who had resided with her from the year 1936 until her death. Marvin was 18 years old when he first began residing on a continuous basis with Ms. Vickery and worked continuously for the family business through and past the time of Louise’s death.  It was Marvin’s thought that since the major portion of the accumulated estate of Ms. Vickery was due to various farm operations in the Palouse, it would be appropriate to honor her, and that segment of the local economy which had made her so successful, by establishing this Endowment.

Award Requirements

The Louise Vickery Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment is established to provide financial support to students in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics at Washington State University. Specifically, the Endowment is to provide for the payment of tuition and fees for two students for four years of undergraduate study leading to a degree in Agriculture or a related field of study.

There shall be two scholarships awarded every four years, one for a male student and one for a female student, both of whom are to be graduates of high schools from the Eastern part of the State of Washington (east of the Cascade Mountains). The scholarships may be used to recruit high school students to attend WSU and are to be awarded on the basis of a combination of academic excellence and financial need. The recipients’ continued eligibility shall continue for four years so long as they are making timely academic progress towards completion of a degree and remain academically qualified to continue study at Washington State University.