b"Love for TheatreAND Community Lead SOUF ANNUAL REPORT 2024to New ScholarshipSharedpassionisoftenonevaluethatholdsacoupletogetherandLinda Hammer-Brown and David Brown are no exception to this truism. Their collective passionfortheartsandastrongdevotiontoservicehavetranslatedinto aphilanthropiccommitmenttoSOUstheatreprogram.Thecoupleestablished a scholarship to support students from historically underrepresented communities or those students who face signi\x1ecant challenges in attending college. Linda and David \x1erst met at Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park. Their \x1erstWhat I really appreciate about this university is its datewastoseeaperformanceofOklahomainBigFork,MT.Theyinstantlyinclusive attitude. Theres a sense of community, and connected, and dated long distance for a whilewriting letters to each other andits small enough that people connect, and it extends sending mix tapes through the mail. They were married in the summer of 1972. beyond the campus, said David.Linda grew up in Kansas City and graduated from the University of Kansas with aIt was their love of theatre that led David and Linda to degree in education. Her \x1erst teaching job was at Kalispell Junior High in Montana.focus on theatre, an art form they believe should be David grew up attending church and earned an undergraduate degree from Castletonnurtured. I hope this scholarship will help students State College in Vermont. After seminary in the Boston area, David became a directorwho are passionate about theatre but cannot a\x1ford of Christian education and youth ministry. While living in Sheridan, WY, Linda wascollege tuition. We both would like to see the theatre inspired by a nonverbal student in her kindergarten class and pursued a master'sprogram thrive at SOU, said Linda.degree in education of the deaf and taught deaf children for 25 years. She eventually created a theatre program for them. There are all these students out there, and we can't help them all, but maybe we can help one and if we David and Linda started acting after they got married; their \x1erst play was Once Upongive a little, maybe someone else will give a little, said a Mattress. Their tradition of seeing 12 new plays each year led them to becomeDavid.Thehopeisthatotherswillgivemoretoo, mainstays in the Merced Shakespeare Festival. After retiring, the couple relocated toand we can build on it, creating a larger impact.Southern Oregon in part because of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.17 It was at a Raiders football game where they \x1erst established their connection to SOU."