Honoring the Challenge

In the spring of 1956, the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra played Mendelssohn’s Cornelius Festival March as graduates processed into the Inlow Hall Theatre for commencement at Eastern Oregon College of Education. Among them was Evelyn Duddridge Huston, a determined young woman who had just earned her Bachelor of Science in Education.

Nearly 70 years later, Evelyn, now 91, is giving back to the place where it all began.

She and her late husband, Richard “Dick” Huston, established an endowed fund to support students studying education at EOU. The scholarship honors their legacy as first-generation college graduates and longtime educators. “The reason why I gave was I remember getting myself through college,” Evelyn said.

I worked three jobs. When I started, I had enough money for two semesters. This is my reason for giving. I remember the challenge.”

For Evelyn, giving back is deeply personal. She received no financial support from her family, and often found herself scraping by. As a skilled typist, she asked the dean for help and was hired to work on campus, which allowed her to continue her studies.

“I know there are people who need help financially,” she said. “I hope what we did will be helpful to someone. I hope it can make a difference in a student’s life.”

Evelyn taught for 30 years across eastern Oregon, including Hermiston and Pendleton. She eventually became a child development specialist, a role that later evolved into what is now known as a school counselor. Her husband Richard earned his degree in 1955. He taught in Imbler before being drafted in 1956, the same year they married.

Their gift to EOU is more than a scholarship—it is a tribute to grit, determination, and a shared love of education.

“I remember wanting to be at the head of the class,” Evelyn said. “I had such a desire to learn.”

The Hustons’ scholarship supports students who, like them, face financial hardships and have a passion for teaching.

Although she retired in 1991, Evelyn still recalls her college days with fondness, especially her time living in Dorian Hall, where she slept on the top bunk.

“I hope what we did helps someone get through college just a little bit easier than we did,” she said