Alumni investing in the next generation of Oregon innovators

Nancy Smith, BS ’68, MS ’70, and Don Smith, BS ’67, grew up about fifty miles from each other in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it would take traveling more than 500 miles north for them to find one another. Now, they give back to the institution they credit with helping shape so much of their personal and professional lives. 

“We’ve been married for over 58 years,” Nancy said. “Our time early in our relationship was all thanks to the University of Oregon.” 

Nancy’s brother, Bob Berry, class of 1964, was an All-American quarterback for the UO football team, so Nancy got to travel to Eugene during her high school years to watch him play. She fell in love with the area, and chose to become a Duck as well, studying physical education. 

Meanwhile, Don arrived at the UO on a swimming scholarship, becoming All-American during his four years on the team while majoring in general science and later earning a teaching certification. 

“I was competing, and we had a swimming program where we had to be timed every day for every series,” Don remembered. “The coach and his wife decided that Nancy and I should be a couple, and so they put her in my lane to be my timer. Every time I’d finish, I’d look up and there’d be these big blue eyes staring at me. Finally, I asked her to go to the swim team banquet, and we’ve been together pretty much ever since.”

The couple worked in the Eugene area for a couple of years after graduation before returning to the Bay Area where they had both gotten jobs at schools. However, it didn’t take long for them to miss Oregon, so they made a pact: they’d move back as soon as one of them got a job offer—and to a less rainy area than Eugene. Soon enough, Nancy took a role in Bend, and the duo headed north again. 

It was during this chapter that Don launched his entrepreneurial career, building a successful insulation company grounded in the discipline and dedication he developed as a UO student-athlete. That same spirit carries on in their family: their son has forged his own path in entrepreneurship, while their daughter has built a successful career with an international environmental company, where she leads consulting efforts across the Americas.

When the couple began considering impactful areas to give back to the UO, their interest was piqued when they learned about the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship.

“I said, you know, I’d be interested in helping out in some way, trying to teach people that you can do it on your own,” Don said.

The two decided to gift their house through a charitable remainder trust (CRT) to support the program. This philanthropic tool allowed them to contribute meaningfully while enjoying financial benefits, including tax savings. But more than that, it allows them to witness student success firsthand. Nancy and Don have enjoyed attending events for the Oregon Innovation Challenge, where students bring their best entrepreneurial ideas forward and learn to take a business service or product from an initial idea to development and sales. 

“At the end of the year, the students present their finished project, and that’s fun to see,” Nancy said. “Then, they’re trying to develop the market. I remember one young lady started a healthy jalapeño mayonnaise. She was showing her product and selling it at this open house. So, she made a little money, and we all loved her product.”

Through their CRT, Don and Nancy support students motivated to forge their own paths, supporting the next generation of Oregon innovators.

Don reflected on the broad value of higher education, especially the undergraduate years: “I look at college as a growing up experience,” he said. “Four years away from your parents, generally, teaches you to take care of yourself and gain independence.” 

Their time at the UO indeed shaped their careers and fueled a lifelong commitment to Oregon, student success, and giving back. Even in retirement, Don and Nancy remain deeply engaged with the UO community through sports, alumni events, and philanthropy. In addition, they stay active with a variety of other nonprofit causes in Bend.

“We’re pretty middle-class people who happened to make more money than anticipated,” Nancy reflected. “So, it’s fun to start giving to other people who need help, whether it’s in school or in life.”

They hope their story inspires other Ducks to find creative ways to give back, whether through a CRT, annual gift, or hands-on engagement.

“I don’t want to be a guy that dies with a bunch of money and somebody else decides what to do with it,” Don said. “So, we’ve set up a goal for what we want to give away per year.”

From their first meeting at the pool to decades of entrepreneurial success and philanthropic support, Don and Nancy’s journey illustrates how alumni can nurture innovation, support student success, and strengthen the community that shaped them.

Join Nancy and Don in paying it forward to the UO today by exploring planned giving options or by making a donation.