$30 million endowment for wildlife habitat scholarships from Kathy Crawford

Kathy Crawford and her husband, Thomas H. “Tim” Crawford, both credited early exposure to the natural world for firing their passion to protect wildlife and the vital habitat it needs.

Over the years they have always tried to ignite the power of caring in younger generations.

Kathy and Montana State University are announcing a $30 million gift from the couple, the largest scholarship endowment in university history.

The fund will help students from multiple disciplines advance innovative thinking about wildlife habitat protection.

The endowment, which will support the Crawford Wildlife Habitat Scholarships, is expected to generate $1.2 million annually in scholarship funds and will aid both undergraduate and graduate students.

Entrepreneur Thomas “Tim” Crawford and wife Kathy Hansen Crawford, a former professor in the Earth Sciences Department at MSU passion was protecting the natural character of southwest Montana and inspiring young people to do the same.

“Tim and I shared a deep love for Montana. He cherished its natural heritage, the legacy of public wildlife, and he had a special place in his heart for rural people and stewardship that can take many forms,” Kathy Crawford said. “He was always grateful for the sense of purpose outdoor experiences gave him in his life. For both of us, we saw hope for the future expressed in the desire of young people wanting to make a positive difference in protecting natural lands.”

Under the guidelines of the Crawfords’ gift, students from any and all of the university’s colleges or departments are invited to apply for a scholarship, be they pursuing degrees in arts, sciences or humanities.

“This is a transformative gift for MSU students in this field. It will have a lasting impact on generations to come,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “I am deeply moved by the Crawfords’ generosity, and it is bittersweet that Tim will not be here to meet the students whose lives will be changed thanks to this endowment.”

President Cruzado and Crawford, who earlier, as Dr. Kathy Hansen, served as a professor in the MSU Earth Sciences Department, said the scholarships will help bolster the university’s existing depth of faculty, research, teaching, creative activities, policy and outreach to support broader thinking about better conserving Montana’s wildlife and its habitat.

“A transformational characteristic of the Crawfords’ gift is that it will create and bring together students from traditional wildlife and land resources disciplines, as well as new and unexpected areas, such as engineering, nursing, business, education, art, architecture, and history. It will fuel an interdisciplinary dialogue and a cross-pollination of ideas that will inspire fresh, innovative solutions,” said Robert Mokwa, MSU provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs.

MSU students who are engaged or interested in conducting research and educational or creative activities that focus on conserving wildlife habitat are encouraged to apply. During his life, Tim Crawford conserved wildlife habitat as a business entrepreneur, hunter, angler, farmer, nature photographer, writer, and former city commissioner in Ketchum, Idaho.

“The Crawford Wildlife Habitat Scholarships will serve as life-changing gifts for student scholarship recipients,” said Fran Albrecht, president, and CEO of the MSU Alumni Foundation. “Tim and Kathy Crawford’s passion for wildlife habitat protection will bring a legacy of impact to students’ lives, our state, and the world.”

Central to the Crawfords’ ethos is the belief that scholarships can give students a crucial added boost during their impressionable time in academia, and it is the intent that their gift foster thinking can be applied to real-world challenges.

“Bozeman has long had a ‘town-to-gown’ relationship with MSU, and I hope the scholarships will create opportunities for students and their advisers to share insights they divine with the larger community. This is part of the spirit of living in a great university town,” Crawford said. In the future, one desired outcome, she noted, is that each year’s scholarship recipients make free public presentations of their work at the Tim Crawford Theater in the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture, in Bozeman.

Photo: Kathy Hansen Crawford and Robert Mokwa, MSU’s Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, stand on the steps of Montana Hall after discussing details of the new Crawford Wildlife Habitat Scholarships. They were created with a $30 million endowment established by Hansen Crawford and on behalf of her late husband, Thomas “Tim” Crawford. It is the largest scholarship endowment in the history of the university. The scholarships will be available each year to both graduate and undergraduate students interested in studying and advancing the conservation of Montana wildlife and its habitat. (Photo by Todd Wilkinson)