The estate of a northeast Iowa native has provided Luther College with a gift of $2.2 million.
Mary Duvall, vice president for advancement, says the generosity of the late Judith (Lueder) Torson ’62 and Doug Torson, has a far-reaching impact because it was made without any restrictions.
Duvall says, “This gift is truly going to serve as a catalyst. The Torsons’ gift was not only financial but also strategic, in so far as we can use it for the most impact right now.”
The Luther College Board of Regents has approved the Torson gift to provide Gerdin Fieldhouse challenge funding, enrollment marketing funding, leadership development initiatives, and support for the Luther Fund.
A native of West Union, Judy Torson majored in elementary education at Luther. Upon graduating in 1962, she launched a 30-year teaching career at Cleveland and Pierce Elementary Schools in Cedar Rapids. She married Douglas Archie Torson in 1967, a Coe College graduate who pursued a career at Collins Radio, the Cedar Rapids School District, Metropolitan School Supply, and as a business owner. They were members of First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids.
Doug Torson died on Nov. 5, 2020, followed by Judy on Aug. 29, 2024.
Luther President Brad Chamberlain said, “I am grateful for the many partners that enable Luther to enact its mission to inspire and equip students to courageously serve the common good, and to realize its vision to catalyze the creation of a more sustainable and just society, one graduate at a time. This unrestricted gift from the Torsons is truly a blessing, and it leaves a legacy that will catalyze the belief, pride, and hope in Luther College that I see building on and off campus.”
