PSU Magazine Winter 2001

We got involved with PSUin the mid- '8os,just after we came to Portland and started our Nautilus Plus business (now part of the nationwide Bally Total Fitness Company). Our introduction to the Univer– sity was a tailgate event, where we met Randy ord lof, Roy Love, Pokey Allen, and others active with athletics at that time. The quality of the peo– ple and their values were a perfect match for us-like shoes and socks going together. Both of us feel strongly about higher education and understand how difficult it can be to find the opportunity to earn a college degree. Jack grew up in a working family in Akron, Ohio--clefinitely not part of the "country club set." He cou ldn't have gone to college without an athletic scholarship (football, basketball, baseball and track). In fact, he was the first and only college graduate in his family until his daughter graduated many years later. We know first-hand what promise athletic holds for young people. When we first got acquainted with PSU we discovered a tremendous need for ath letic facilities and staff. There was no faculty weight trainer, o our Nautilus club trainer filled the gap. Right away we brought the Vikings into ou r statewide speed, agility, and quickness training program, and we gave the University its first line of weight training equipment and have kept that program growing. Our relationship with the University reaches into every area of our lives. Many of our friendship started here. Hundreds of tudent ath letes have used the Nautilus clubs, as have alumni and raff. Portland State is absolutely essential to the vitality of the city and the state of Oregon. Everyone who live and work here should be investing in PSU. One reason we encourage other to get involved with PSU athletics is that sports can be a great way to open the door to the re t of the University-it's a broad-ba ed way to reach a lot of the community. In fact, we don't believe any university can succes fully engage its com– munity without a strong athletics program. We try to help the community and Portland State as much as we can. With our giving we are helping student athletes directly through scholarships. Our most recent gift is an endowment that will perma– nently assure scholarships far into the future-this is a key issue for us-and the nest egg hould be there forever. jack and 'Deane (jarrison