McDougall, John and Maggie Memorial Fund

John McDougall came to Douglas county in 1866 and settled on a homestead near Farmer, Washington. At this time Washington was still a territory. John married Maggie Hurley whose parents were Oregon pioneers. Their two daughters Edith and Mae grew up in Douglas County. In 1914, when John McDougall died, the girls, ages ten and seven, and their mother, Maggie, struggled financially and lived off the income from the farm for ten more years until Mae graduated from high school. The family sold the farm in 1926 and moved to Corvallis, Oregon in order for Edith and Mae to attend college at Oregon State University. Edith graduated in 1930 majoring in Business Education. In the early 1930’s the people who had agreed to purchase the family farm had not paid taxes, therefore Edith was able to pay the back taxes and reclaim the family farm. This endowment was established by Edith McDougall to honor her parents and to benefit students in agriculture.

Award Requirements

The interest from this endowment shall be split into two expendable accounts. Fifty percent of the income will fund undergraduate scholarships in agriculture for students planning to return to farming as a career. This scholarship shall be awarded to students studying agriculture, who are juniors or above, who are of average ability, and demonstrate financial need. The second fifty percent of the endowment earnings will be used to support a graduate fellowship for students affiliated with the Institute of Biological Chemistry.