$24 million new challenge commitment to state athletics, led by Tamara A. Valley raises her family’s overall philanthropy over the billion-dollar mark

The Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation has made an extraordinary $24 million commitment to Oregon State University, marking a bold new chapter for Beavers athletics.

This generous three-year investment is a challenge grant—the Valley Challenge for Student-Athletes—designed to inspire matching contributions and create a total infusion of $48 million into revenue sharing for OSU’s student-athletes.

Tamara A. Valley, the daughter of Wayne and Gladys Valley, is the key family member involved as Chair and President of the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation.

Under her dedicated leadership, the foundation continues to honor and extend her parents’ profound commitment to Oregon State, ensuring their values of excellence, service, and community endure for new generations of Beavers.

The gift reflects far more than financial support; it embodies a deep, multi-generational bond between the Valley family and the university they have long cherished as their own.

Wayne Valley, who competed for the Beavers in football and track during the 1930s, carried the spirit of Oregon State into a distinguished career as a pioneering real estate developer.

His wife, Gladys Valley, served as the first secretary of OSU’s College of Science and later became a trusted trustee of the OSU Foundation, bringing wisdom, dedication, and quiet strength to every endeavor. Their son Patrick continued the family tradition, proudly wearing orange and black as a member of both the football and rugby teams in the 1960s.

This latest act of generosity builds upon a remarkable record of philanthropic leadership that has touched nearly every corner of Oregon State.

The Valley name already graces one of the university’s most important athletic landmarks, thanks to its pivotal support for the $42 million renovation of the football complex that was completed in 2017. Their vision has extended well beyond athletics, fueling transformative advancements in ocean and marine sciences, campus-wide facilities, and academic innovation.

Most recently, the family made a landmark $50 million commitment to the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex, further cementing their role as catalysts for excellence across the university.

Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy expressed profound gratitude, noting that the Valley Foundation’s belief in the university continues to inspire the entire Beaver community.

“Beavers and Cougars built the new Pac-12, and Beavers absolutely intend to win,” she said. “This significant investment ensures our student-athletes and our coaches will have the resources they need to do so.” Athletics Director Scott Barnes and OSU Foundation President and CEO Shawn Scoville echoed that sentiment, highlighting how the Valley family’s longstanding partnership has helped shape Oregon State into the institution it is today.

In line with the family’s ethos of partnership and shared ambition, the $24 million commitment is a 1:1 challenge.

To fully realize the foundation’s $8 million annual contributions, Oregon State will raise an additional $8 million from other donors, creating a $48 million investment that will directly empower student-athletes as college athletics evolves.

This forward-thinking approach aligns perfectly with the university’s reimagined Pac-12 conference and its commitment to leading, not following, in the era of revenue sharing.

As Coach JaMarcus Shephard powerfully articulated in the announcement video, the question facing the Beaver Nation is the same one he asks his players: Are you interested, or are you committed? The Valley family has answered with resounding commitment for nearly a century. Their legacy is not merely written in buildings and gifts, but in the lives of young athletes who will now have greater opportunity to thrive, compete, and succeed.

With this magnificent challenge grant, Oregon State stands poised to build one of the most competitive and well-resourced athletic programs in the new Pac-12.

The Valley Foundation’s generosity, guided by Tamara A. Valley’s steadfast leadership, reminds us all that true leadership in higher education and athletics flows from hearts deeply rooted in tradition yet boldly oriented toward the future.

For generations of Beavers — past, present, and future — this is a moment to celebrate, to rally, and to match the extraordinary commitment shown by one of Oregon State’s most beloved and steadfast families.