Our History

History of the USD 416 Endowment Association

Siblings Gene Murray and Maxine Kirkpatrick grew up and attended 12 years of school in the Louisburg school district.  They always appreciated the education they received and wanted to do something to give back.  In the early 1980s, they decided to begin the USD 416 Endowment Association to acknowledge the quality of their education, the value of their experiences as graduates of Louisburg High School (LHS) and to provide financial assistance for current students.  They worked relentlessly to grow the Endowment Association and began soliciting donations from LHS alumni.  By early 2000, they had reached a corpus of nearly $80,000.

In 2004, the board was expanded to include many of the members still serving today.  The addition of these board members brought in additional donations, as well as memorial funds that led to a significant increase in contributions.  Many others who have been on the board throughout the life of the Endowment Association have contributed in many ways to the growth we’ve seen.

The Endowment Association has a principal balance of nearly $2 million.  An astounding growth of 24 times over the last 18 years.  This has created perpetual gifts totaling over $1 million in the last decade alone and nearly $2 million since inception.

None of this would exist today without the drive and determination of Gene and Maxine, the efforts of all the board members, and the generous donations from the donors.