The Noel Cover Foundation, created through the vision of a pioneering Nebraska farmer and rancher, has concluded 50 years of philanthropic support for higher education with final gifts totaling $943,250 to Central College in 2025. This brings the foundation’s total support for Central to more than $2.4 million.
Established in 1975, the foundation fulfilled the belief in education shared by its namesake, Noel Cover, and his wife, Nellie. Born in a sod house near Cozad, Nebraska, in 1884, Noel was the eldest of nine children. His father, a pioneer who arrived in Cozad from Illinois by covered wagon, passed away when Cover was young. Cover went on to purchase the family homestead and became a visionary in livestock feeding and farming. His innovative techniques led to the development of what was, at one time, the largest sheep feeding facility in the world.
A widower with no children, Cover carefully planned for his legacy. On March 31, 1958, he signed his Last Will and Testament directing the creation of the Noel Cover Foundation to fund scholarships for “needy, deserving and promising young men” from Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado and Wyoming, pursuing studies in science, scientific research, mechanical research or social service at Protestant institutions in the United States.
Cover died in November 1970. His long-time secretary, Pearl Robertson, and E. Eugene LaBaron, accountant, fought to uphold his wishes. Following legal proceedings and delays, the Noel Cover Foundation was incorporated on April 29, 1975, by Robertson, Herbert J. Duis, a Nebraska State Senator and close friend, and Dale Landercasper, a local farmer. Later that year, the foundation was structured as a “supporting organization” under IRS code, with four Protestant institutions selected to receive funding: Central; Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska; St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota; and the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado.
Current trustees include Jerry Macken, Dick Krushenisky and Ed Boos, along with representatives from each of the four colleges and attorney Chuck Addy.
“It has been our distinct honor to carry out the final wishes of Noel Cover as established in his will,” says Jerry Macken, board chair. “To see his vision come to full fruition, impacting hundreds of students across the Midwest for nearly five decades, is a remarkable legacy. This final distribution completes a mission that began with a local farmer’s strong belief in education.”
Robertson’s own commitment to education inspired her to create the Pearl L. Robertson Endowed Scholarship at Central, further extending Cover’s legacy of educational support. She was a sister-in-law to Noel and Nellie Cover. After a divorce from Nellie’s brother, she moved in with the Covers and cared for Nellie and Noel.
For five decades, the Noel Cover Foundation has awarded more than $9 million in scholarships, enabling hundreds of students from Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado and Wyoming to pursue studies in science, engineering, medicine and social sciences.
“The Noel Cover Foundation’s generosity powerfully impacted generations of Central students,” says Sunny Gonzales Eighmy, Central’s vice president for advancement and a 1999 Central alumna. “These scholarships opened many doors and empowered students to do a world of good. We are incredibly grateful for the foundation’s partnership and the transformative legacy it leaves behind.”
The foundation was designed to operate for 50 years and with this final distribution, the Noel Cover Foundation concludes its philanthropic mission, fulfilling the vision of a man who believed in the power of education to transform lives.
Photo identification: Front row from left: Enid Macken, Megan Nelson of St. Olaf, Sunny Eighmy of Central, Bev Krushenisky. Back row, from left: Jerry Macken, Chelsea LeMar of Hastings, Dick Krushenisky, Ed Boos, Barbara Boos, Chuck Addy and Madeline Gregg of Denver.
