Provide Income for Loved Ones, Leave a Legacy

Nellie Tholen

“I remember Nellie Tholen and the kind effect she had on students and the whole Lewis & Clark community. My son, Theo, himself a musician, influenced my decision to dedicate these funds to the Nellie Tholen Scholarship.”
—Betty Burke BA ’82

To provide for a loved one, Betty Burke established a charitable gift annuity at Lewis & Clark. In addition to an immediate charitable deduction, Betty will receive guaranteed income that she can share with her family during her lifetime. When she passes away, the remainder of the gift annuity will be added to the Nellie Tholen Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of students will be enriched through music education.

Nellie Tholen Scholarship

Considered the "doyenne of Portland piano teachers," Nellie Tholen made music performance and appreciation more accessible to a greater number of people. From 1957 to 1974 she served as assistant professor of piano at Lewis & Clark and trained many accomplished pianists. Nellie passed away in 1998, but her legacy lives on through the Nellie Tholen Scholarship.