Andersen Fountain Back in Action

The Andersen Fountain is back in action.

The Andersen fountain was dry this spring and during the early weeks of the hot, summer weather. But, it’s working again, thanks to Clark’s facilities and grounds crew. There was an electrical outage repaired and water valves and relays replaced in July.

Prior to having a fountain that rhythmically shoots vertical water, the south facing area of Gaiser Hall used to be lawn surrounded by heather and petunias. Then in the late 1990s, in celebration of Roy and Virginia Andersen for their historic $28 million gift to Clark College—the largest single donation in the college’s history—a fountain was built.

Roy Andersen was a civil engineer. He made his mark in Southwest Washington when he managed the raising of the Bridge of the Gods to accommodate river travel, following the rising water levels created by Bonneville Dam in 1938.

In 1996, the Andersens’ endorsed their beliefs and invested in a promise of unassailable vocational education at Clark College by contributing millions of dollars for career-technical programs and facilities. To this day, the Roy Andersen Endowment helps students take The Next Step in ways not possible without the couple’s generosity.