Estate Gift by WSC Alum Mel Hamre Supports Library Student Employment, Collections

By Trevor Bond

The WSU Libraries recently received a remarkable gift of $231,000 from the estate of Melvin “Mel” Hamre, adding to the Hamre Endowment to support students and to enhance library collections.

Hamre’s story is one of hard work, curiosity, and lifelong dedication to education. Born in 1932 in Edgewood, Washington, north of Puyallup, he grew up on a family farm where his father worked as a logger and his mother managed the household. This upbringing instilled in Hamre the values of self-sufficiency and perseverance.

In the fall of 1950, Hamre enrolled at Washington State College. To help pay for his education, he worked in the audiovisual center in the new Holland Library basement as a projectionist and film inspector. Trusted with keys to Holland Library and Todd Hall, Hamre spent weekends showing films for students. His diligence earned him the role of chief projectionist and assistant chief technician—along with one of the highest student wages at the time: $1 per hour. He often recalled how proud he felt of the responsibility entrusted to him and how much he enjoyed his time in the library.

Members of Washington State College’s chapter of Alpha Tau Alpha, a professional honorary agricultural education organization, pose for the camera in February 1954. Mel Hamre is on the far right, second row. Photo by Robert Bullis, courtesy of WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.

Hamre graduated with a bachelor of science in 1954 and later earned a master of education in 1961. He taught eighth-grade math and science for three years before serving two years in the U.S. Army, where he seized the opportunity to tour Europe. His academic journey continued at Purdue University, where he earned a master of science (1963) and a doctorate (1965).

From 1965 until his retirement in 1995, Hamre taught at the University of Minnesota, specializing in poultry production, processing, and marketing in the Department of Animal Science and Extension Service. Even after retirement, his passion for history and productivity led him to volunteer for 25 years at the Washington State History Museum and to serve as a member of the Tacoma Historical Society.

Hamre’s connection to WSU remained strong throughout his life. In 2023, he shared with the WSU Foundation’s Liz Ryan that he had visited at least two-thirds of the nation’s land-grant universities. When asked why he chose WSU for such a generous gift, his answer was simple: “I’m a Coug.”

I had the good fortune to visit Hamre a few years ago with former WSU Libraries’ development director Lipi Turner-Rahman and to see his festive nutcracker collection. He had a generous nature and a ready smile. Hamre did not use email, but he did promptly answer his landline the times I called him, most recently to share the news of my appointment as interim dean in May 2024.

His philanthropy extended across WSU, supporting the libraries, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, and the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences. For his lifetime giving of more than $1 million, Hamre was honored as a WSU Laureate.

The Hamre Endowment will provide permanent support to WSU Libraries by:

  • Funding student employment opportunities that help defray educational expenses while offering professional experience.
  • Expanding library collections through the purchase of books, journals, and other materials.

Hamre believed deeply in the WSU Libraries’ role as both an educational resource and an employer. Through his gift, he hoped to help students graduate free of debt and to ensure the continuation of innovative library services for generations to come.