University of Puget Sound announcement.
Tacoma, Wash. – The Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation affirmed its longstanding support of University of Puget Sound’s athletics programs with a new commitment of $10 million to bolster the college’s endowment for athletics programming, helping to elevate Logger athletics to new heights.
The generous contribution includes $8 million to establish the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation Endowed Fund for Athletics Programming, supporting in perpetuity the Puget Sound Performance Success (PS2) Program, and $2 million to enhance the Tom and Meg Names Family Endowed Fund for Athletics, which was originally established in 2009 from a grant received from the Names Family Foundation* in honor of Logger alumni Tom ’59 and Meg ’56 Names in 2017.
“A gift of this magnitude not only has an immediate impact on our student-athletes, coaches, and athletics staff, but enables us to build on current momentum, creating a championship athletics culture on our campus that will benefit generations of Loggers to come,” says Puget Sound President Isiaah Crawford. “While many of our teams have had great success over the years, we aspire to participate consistently in—and win—championships in all of our varsity sports at the conference and national levels. Additionally, this gift honors the legacy of Tom and Meg Names, two proud Logger alumni who remained stalwart supporters of Puget Sound throughout their lives.”
The foundation’s $10 million commitment is the largest single gift in Puget Sound history and represents a strategic investment in athletics as a valuable component of the campus experience, fostering hands-on learning opportunities that promote leadership, teamwork, and personal development.
“We are very grateful for the generosity of the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation. Their transformational commitment to University of Puget Sound will support the athletic, personal, and professional growth of current and future Loggers,” says Robert Pohlad P’07, chair of Puget Sound’s board of trustees. “This gift is a testament to the long and proud history of Logger athletics as we set our sights on establishing a presence on the national stage.”
“My family has long believed in the value of team sports and the opportunities for growth and personal development afforded to young people through participation in organized athletics,” says Monica Names-King, who serves on the board of the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation. “We’re excited to see how Puget Sound student-athletes and members of the campus community take advantage of new programs and services our support makes available.”
Positioned at the intersection of Logger athletics and experiential learning, the Puget Sound Performance Success (PS2) Program supports student-athletes through enhanced opportunities and services related to physical readiness, wellness, and personal and professional development. This holistic approach creates high-impact engagement that leads to deep learning and lays the groundwork for more informed and efficient training, a healthy mind/body balance, and increased preparedness for academic and personal postgraduate pursuits.
“Student-athletes gain experience in collaboration, leadership, creative problem-solving, and the pursuit of excellence through hard work and dedication,” says Erin Shagren ’88, P’17, who serves on the boards for both Puget Sound and the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation. “By establishing the endowed fund for athletics programming, we seek to support the whole student-athlete, empowering Loggers to excel in their sports, in their studies and cocurricular activities, and in their lives after Puget Sound, so that they may become leaders, influencers, and inspirations within their communities.”
For more than a decade, the Tom and Meg Names Endowed Fund for Athletics has provided crucial annual support for Logger athletics programs. The most recent $2 million commitment will help secure a critical revenue stream that allows Puget Sound’s coaches to identify and meet the greatest needs of their teams and student-athletes.
“We are deeply grateful for this meaningful investment in the Logger athletics program,” says Amy Hackett, Puget Sound athletics director. “The support from the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation accelerates our ability to be recognized as a premier NCAA Division III program and ensures that deserving student-athletes will compete at a high level on and off the field for years to come.”
The Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation was established in 2015 in honor of Tom ’59 and Anna “Meg” ’56 Names. The couple met at Puget Sound and remained proud Logger alumni and supporters throughout their lives. The foundation is dedicated to work in collaboration with various health, wellness, and athletic nonprofit organizations to make a brighter future for the youth of the Puget Sound region. Tom Names passed away at age 80 in February 2015, and Meg, at age 81, in February 2016.
The Names Family Foundation was established in 1996 by Scott and Evelyn (Sis) Names, who shared a passion for philanthropy and a deep interest in health and fitness. The couple grew up in Pierce County and raised three children. Scott Names passed away in 2004 at age 91, and Sis Names in 2014, at age 97.
