B D & Sue Wright Owens
Dr. B.D. '59 and Sue Wright '57 Owens met while attending Northwest, so the phrase "coming home" always held a special meaning for the couple when B.C. became Northwest's eighth president from 1977 to 1984. Owens is the only Northwest alumnus claiming this honor. Thanks to Owens' tireless efforts following the devastating Administration Building fire of 1979, the University was able to obtain $13.8 million of emergency state funding to restore the University's signature building. Additionally, funds were secured to build a new performing arts center and a library, which is named for Owens. An avid environmentalist, B.D. also took the first steps toward developing an alternative fuels program, which has saved the University millions of dollars in energy costs. Sue's belief in educating tomorrow's future leaders also was demonstrated throughout her music teaching career in public schools.
The couple established the B.D. and Sue Wright Owens Scholarship at Northwest as a permanent endowment in 2003 to provide critical financial assistance for the University's incoming freshmen.
Scholarships associated with B D & Sue Wright Owens