Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
Creighton student-athletes are high-character people and outstanding competitors who represent the university and the men's program with integrity.
Longtime Creighton University supporters Larry and Linda Pearson have established the Larry V. and Linda J. Pearson Family Starting Guard Endowed Scholarship.
The Pearsons' investment in the Creighton Men's Basketball program will provide perpetual annual scholarship support for a student-athlete who plays one of the guard positions for the Bluejays. The endowment will allow head coach Greg McDermott to recruit and retain prospective student-athletes who exemplify the integrity of the Pearson family and excel on the basketball floor.
"Creighton is committed to providing our men's basketball student-athletes with the highest level of support, and we're able to do so because of people like Larry and Linda," said head coach Greg McDermott. "Endowed scholarship support helps us recruit, develop and graduate student-athletes who are successful on and off the court. I can't thank them enough for their belief in our program."
Larry Pearson, who earned his MBA from Creighton in 1981, retired in 2008 after serving as Executive Vice President of Tenaska, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Operations Group of Tenaska and chairman of the management committee of Tenaska Marketing Ventures.
In 2012, Larry and Linda established the Pearson Endowment Fund to provide scholarships to MBA students in the Heider College of Business.
More recently, the Pearsons have invested in Creighton Athletics through the Champions Circle, which was created in 2018 to provide additional funding for men's basketball scholarships, travel, facilities, and student-athlete development.
"Creighton student-athletes are high-character people and outstanding competitors who represent the university and the men's program with integrity," Larry Pearson said. "Linda and I are incredibly proud to provide scholarship support for them."
This year's recipient of the Larry V. and Linda J. Pearson Family Guard Endowed Scholarship is Alex O'Connell, a senior sociology major from Roswell, Georgia. After transferring to Creighton following three seasons at Duke University, O'Connell was a key reserve for the Bluejays last year. Now a fifth-year senior, the 6-foot-6 starting guard provides leadership and valuable experience to a team with eight newcomers.
The Pearson Family Scholarship is the second position-specific endowment for the men's basketball program. The first, the Janie and Harry Hoch, Jr. Family Point Guard Endowed Scholarship, was announced in December 2019.
"We are grateful for and humbled by Larry and Linda's generous support," said Marcus Blossom, McCormick Endowed Athletic Director. "Their gift will help the men's basketball program both strengthen its standing as a winning program in the Big East Conference and provide student-athletes a well-balanced experience rooted in our Jesuit traditions."
The Pearsons' gift aligns with a key priority of Forward Blue, Creighton University's fundraising campaign. Announced publicly in October, the comprehensive campaign emphasizes scholarships and support for student programs, services, and spaces across the University's campuses in Omaha and Phoenix.
Larry and Linda will be recognized on Tuesday, February 8 when the Bluejays take on the Butler Bulldogs at CHI Health Center Omaha.
