Allen and Kathleen Lund honor family, faith and formation with a new gift to the University | University of Portland

Allen and Kathleen Lund honor family, faith and formation with a new gift to the University

Residence Life

Development

May 6, 2016

University of Portland President Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C. announced at the May Board of Regents meeting that Allen and Kathleen Lund of Pasadena, Calif., have made a very significant gift in support of the University of Portland. This gift brings the Lund family commitment to the University of Portland to over $10 million dollars to date, and it symbolizes and characterizes the ongoing relationship between the University and the Lunds. To honor this new commitment and their past charitable contributions, the new residence hall scheduled to open this August will be named Lund Family Hall.

“Kathie and I believe that residence life is essential to a Holy Cross education,” said Allen Lund. “Living in community in a residence hall provides a sense of place and a connection to others for our students that will last their entire lives.” 

“We are so grateful to Allen, Kathie and the Lund family for this new gift and for all they have given over the years to the University of Portland,” said Fr. Mark Poorman, C.S.C. “They are building a legacy for their children and grandchildren, one which will be generously shared with future generations of students to come.”

The Lunds count their daughter and son-in-law, along with two grandchildren, among the University’s alumni. Two other grandchildren, so far, attend the University.

Family, faith and formation were at the core of the Lund’s gift.

“The University of Portland is where our heart is,” said Kathleen Lund. “To be able to make this gift in support of a place we love so much and a mission we deeply believe in is gratifying to our entire family.”

The Lunds are longtime supporters of the University of Portland and Catholic education. Allen is the president and CEO of the Allen Lund Company, a transportation and logistics brokerage, which he established in 1976. He is chairman of the University of Portland’s Board of Regents and has been a member of the board since 2001.

The Lunds recently received the University’s highest honor, the Christus Magister medal, at the 2016 Commencement ceremonies, in recognition of their dedication to the mission of the University, which has visibly changed the campus in myriad ways. Their support made possible the University’s Bell Tower, which has quickly become an iconic campus landmark since its dedication in 2009. Other crucial endeavors they have supported include the establishment of an endowed scholarship for students, the building of the new Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center, and a rare Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible, which is on permanent display in the Clark Library.

Beyond The Bluff, Allen and Kathleen are deeply committed to Catholic education. They received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton award from the National Catholic Education Association in 2009 for their significant support of Catholic education, and in 2011 Kathleen was named a Cardinal Honoree by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Kathleen has been a longtime advocate for pro-life causes and is a board member and past president of the Right to Life League of Southern California. She is also a board member for Holy Cross Family Ministries, serves on the advisory board for Sacred Heart Elementary School in downtown Los Angeles, and is committed to many endeavors benefiting education for inner-city children. Allen serves on the board of directors of St. Francis High School where he was board president for 16 years and St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Calif.; on the finance council for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; as trustee for the Catholic Education Foundation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; and as Chairman of the Board of the Magis Institute.  Allen and Kathleen also served for 12 years as the co-chairs for the Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast.