Carol and Scott Schaeffer are both fifth generation Oregonians with many family ties to OSU. They met on a blind date set up by Scott’s fraternity brother. After graduating from Oregon State in 1971 – Carol in education, Scott in business – they returned to Gresham, where Scott became a partner in Schaeffer’s Nursery, the business founded by his father, Glen Schaeffer ’43. Carol worked in the David Douglas School District in Portland for nearly 30 years. She passed away in January 2024.

Seeking to make a permanent investment in cutting-edge research that benefits humanity, the Schaeffers made plans in their estate to create multiple endowed faculty positions at OSU, beginning with the School of Nuclear Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering.