Doug and Jan Dewar know a lot about the value of a smart investment, whether it’s in real estate or in the lives of student-athletes. Put your money into something that can grow, stay in it for the distance, and build a good life with your returns.
That wise strategy has not only paid off for the Dewars but for distance runner Sophie O’Sullivan, who benefits from an endowed scholarship funded by the couple.
“When you invest in an endowment, Husky Athletics matches you with the students who receive the scholarships,” explains Doug. “Supporting specific athletes gives you a lot more buy-in. It gives us someone to root for. And it’s nice to see your money going to something worthwhile while we’re promoting the next generation.”
Sophie, a world-class Track & Field/Cross Country runner, appreciates her frequent email exchanges with Doug and Jan. While the Dewars live in Arizona when she’s competing, they always follow Sophie’s successes on TV or online. They’ve also met up with Sophie at other sporting and donor events.
“The Dewars are lovely. It really means a lot that they reach out to me and want to support me,” says Sophie, a senior journalism major who has been matched with the Dewars since her freshman year.
The Dewars grew up as Washington fans and met at the University in 1967, the first in their families to graduate from college. The couple bought Football season tickets two years after they married, raised sons Mark and Scott, began investing in real estate, and soon started giving back to their alma mater.
They began by improving their seats at Husky Stadium and directing their seat-related gift to Track & Field/Cross Country since Mark had run track at Western Washington. When they moved up to the Don James Center, their gift increased accordingly. But it still wasn’t enough.
“At that point in time, we could afford to do more,” says Jan. “I believe a college education is very important, and we both agreed that philanthropy is always good. So, we started talking about an endowment.”
“An endowment is like buying real estate and having a building that lasts,” Doug adds. “It’s fun to see it grow — it’s already worth much more than we put into it — and it’s good to know that it will fund scholarships forever.”
Today, the family endows two scholarships, including one supporting a Football student-athlete.
Sophie, who holds dual Australian and Irish citizenship and will compete for Ireland in this summer’s Olympic Games, says she’s grateful: “My scholarship makes everything possible.”
