Robert Thompson (Animal Husbandry, ‘64) included Cal Poly in his living trust and honored his parents, Ruth and Thomas Thompson, by naming an embryology lab in the Animal Sciences Department in their memory.

“Giving back through an endowment and a gift in my living trust was an opportunity to honor my parents and ensure that future generations have the same opportunities at Cal Poly that I did,” he said.

Legacy gifts, those which name Cal Poly in an estate plan, are a unique and powerful way to leave a lasting mark. These planned gifts provide the university with vital resources for maintaining its Learn by Doing tradition of excellence and help to ensure that Cal Poly’s distinctive, hands-on educational experience will be available to students for generations to come. All or a portion of an estate can be designated easily by working with an attorney to include language which names Cal Poly as a beneficiary in a will/living trust, retirement plan or life insurance policy.

Thompson came to Cal Poly as a transfer student from SUNY Agricultural and Technical Institute in 1962. He graduated with honors from Cal Poly and got his master's in Dairy Science and a PhD in Animal Physiology from Clemson University. He served as an Assistant Professor at USC Medical Center and then as an Assistant Research Anatomist at UC Davis. Switching fields, he eventually started a second career in the U.S. Navy in the field of Radiation Safety where he served for 24 years on active duty before retiring in 2002.

Thompson felt that Cal Poly was a key part of his career success and wanted to pay it forward so that other Mustangs could someday follow in his footsteps. Specifically with this gift, he wanted “to further support the ‘Learn by Doing’ mantra of Cal Poly by helping to bring the latest technology in embryology to support the development of the next generation of Animal Science majors.”

For more information on how a gift to Cal Poly can help you achieve your financial goals while supporting Learn by Doing education, or to discuss how you may direct your gift to a specific college, department or program, contact the university’s Office of Gift Planning.