St. Olaf College is fortunate to have five endowment funds dedicated to Classics. They are listed here in chronological order:
The Scarseth Endowment supports an annual scholarship for a student majoring in Classics, Latin, or Greek; the criteria are good citizenship, financial need, and scholastic ability. This endowment was established by the late Margaret Scarseth, a 1928 graduate of St. Olaf who taught Latin in Austin, Minnesota. The Scarseth Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 1997-98.
The Loomis Endowment supports monetary prizes for achievement in Latin, monetary awards for Classics-related summer projects, and a scholarship for Classical Studies in Greece or Classical Studies in Italy during January term. Prize winners are determined by performance on a Latin translation examination each spring, award winners by the quality of their summer project proposals, and scholarship winners by a combination of financial need and merit. This endowment was established by Kenneth and Kathleen Loomis of Louisville, Kentucky, and their son Stephen Loomis ’97. Prizes were first offered in the spring of 2001; awards for summer projects were first made in 2006; students first received Groomis (= Groton + Loomis) scholarships for Classics study abroad in January, 2025. (Between 2012 and 2023, the Loomises funded non-endowed Loomis scholarships for Classics study abroad during January.)
The Groton Endowment supports monetary prizes for achievement in Greek, monetary awards for Classics-related summer projects, and a scholarship for Classical Studies in Greece or Classical Studies in Italy during January term. Prize winners are determined by performance on an ancient Greek translation examination each spring, award winners by the quality of their summer project proposals, and scholarship winners by a combination of financial need and merit. This endowment was established by Anne Groton, Professor of Classics at St. Olaf. Prizes were first offered in the spring of 2002; awards for summer projects were first made in 2006; students first received Groomis (= Groton + Loomis) scholarships for Classics study abroad in January, 2025. (Between 2020 and 2024, Gregory W. Randall ’96 and his wife Toni Wilkes funded non-endowed Randall-Wilkes scholarships for Classics study abroad during January.)
The Grimsrud Endowment supports an annual scholarship for a student majoring in Latin or in Classics with a Latin emphasis; criteria are financial need and scholastic achievement. This endowment was established by Karen Silness Grimsrud, a 1971 graduate of St. Olaf, and her husband George. Karen, now retired, taught Latin and French at The Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. The Grimsrud Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2004-05.
The endowment for the James M. May Lecture in Classics supports an annual lecture by a prominent Classics scholar. The fund was established to honor Jim May, Professor of Classics, on the occasion of his retirement after 40 years of distinguished service at St. Olaf. The first lecture in the series was delivered in the spring of 2017. Earnings from this endowment may be used in other ways that help “to ensure that the study of Greek, Latin, and the classical world continues to thrive at St. Olaf.”
Many thanks to our generous donors!