Commentary: The Gruver Farm Scholarship Foundation

Over the years that I’ve been doing Texas commentaries, I’ve often highlighted the extraordinary philanthropic gifts that have made Texas an exceptional state; from large foundations like the Houston Endowment, to individual gifts like the $1.2 million that William McDonald left for UT to buy a telescope, which resulted in the McDonald Observatory.

This is about an immigrant’s gift from long ago that has resulted in transformative effects for a small Texas town. 

Karl Nielsen immigrated to Texas in 1901 and settled way up in the Panhandle in Gruver, 20 miles south of the Oklahoma line. He was somewhat representative of what Garrison Keillor used to call a “Norwegian Bachelor Farmer,” except that he was from Denmark.

Nielsen never married and lived with his sister for many years. She died well before he did. He lived to be 105. When he died, in 1984, out of gratitude for the great life he had had there in Gruver, he willed a section of land to the Gruver School district – in total, 640 acres or one square mile. No slouch of a gift. 

For years, the school district leased the land for about $25,000 a year, which bought books and science beakers and that was about all.

Wade Callaway, the current superintendent of Gruver ISD, told me that sometime around 2012, former superintendent, David Teal, and a local farmer named Chad Logsdon, had an interesting conversation in a pickup truck. Mr. Callaway pointed out that is where many visionary conversations are held in the Panhandle. By the way, this took place in a pickup at a football game. You can’t get more Texas than that. 

Mr. Teal told Mr. Logsdon that that acreage was an underperforming asset. He said they could farm that section of land themselves and get up to $400,000 a year for college and trade school tuition for their students. They could make the dream of college a reality for all the Gruver kids who wanted the opportunity. Quite a beautiful thing for a community of 1,200 people.

Mr. Logsdon loved the idea. So the Gruver Farm Scholarship Foundation was formed that year.

The plan was that every year, a lead farmer would be chosen to organize volunteer farmers to plant, harvest, and take the corn to market. They would donate their tractors, tractor time, and diesel. Ag corporations would donate seed and fertilizer, and individuals in the community would donate money for bags of seeds and fertilizer to help out as best they could.

That is exactly how it played out. The entire community rose to the occasion, including banks, insurance companies and feed lots. It was a perfect storm of generosity. I even looked at the foundation’s salaries for their officers and board members. Added all together, it came to zero. That’s highly unusual. 

It took four years to get a running start before they could fund the first graduating class. At the end of those first four years, they had a balance of nearly a million dollars in the fund.

The first class to receive funds was the 2016 class. That year, $350,000 was awarded for college and trade school tuition. The students went to schools all over. Many went to West Texas A&M and some to Texas Tech and some to WyoTech way up in Laramie, Wy., to get a degree in Diesel Mechanics.  

How did they qualify for the scholarships? There was a point system which gave out points for academic achievement (like your GPA), for extracurricular activity – you could get points for sports or cheerleading or band – all at the same rate. You could also get points for UIL participation in theater arts or debate. Finally, you could get points for community engagement, for 25 hours of community service a year, which included mowing lawns for the elderly or setting up tables over at the Baptist church for their annual picnic.

Superintendent Callaway said, “we are growing graduates and we are growing good neighbors.” Additionally, if a student graduates college in 4 years, they can get funding for a Master’s degree. 

These days, even teachers can tap into the fund. If a teacher in the Gruver ISD wants a Master’s degree, they can get support from the foundation, too. Very smart. The rising tide is lifting all boats.

From 2016 to 2020, the foundation saw 59 of their scholars graduate from college. 23 were first-generation college students. That is a statistic that is itself philanthropic because it will lead to greater educational success for their children. 

To date, the fund has awarded $2.5 million to 277 students. 230 bushels per acre over six years converts to 218 graduates.

That’s a beautiful yield – a bountiful harvest. 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect an earlier miscalculation in how many square miles were donated. The correct amount is one square mile.

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