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Community invited to celebrate teachers and the Barr legacy at Fort Lewis College
In early 2016, the Fort Lewis College (FLC) Foundation announced a contribution of $1.4 million to the FLC Teacher Education program. The gift came from the Robert M. Barr & Roberta Armstrong Barr Foundation, named for two remarkable supporters of education, Fort Lewis College, and the Durango community.
On Wednesday, September 14, Fort Lewis College will hold the Robert & Roberta Barr Celebration Honoring Hardworking Teachers. The event will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. The celebration is free and everyone is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. To RSVP, contact JC Perteet at Perteet_J@fortlewis.edu.
Through their dedication, hard work and generosity, the Barrs made it possible for many FLC students to earn degrees in teaching. Even before this latest gift, the Barr Foundation gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to scholarships for students studying education at FLC. The legacy started by the Barrs lives on in the lives of every student who is taught by a graduate of the FLC Teacher Education program.
Both Robert and Roberta spent most of their lives in southwestern Colorado. Roberta attended Fort Lewis back when the campus was located in Hesperus, CO. She would go on to a distinguished career in education, beginning as a teacher on the Florida Mesa. She eventually moved to administration as principal of the Park and Mason elementary schools.
As Roberta worked to shape young people through education, Robert worked the land. He was a longtime rancher, farmer and beekeeper. Together the Barrs established their foundation to help support causes that would help their community.
For more information on the FLC Teacher Education program visit www.fortlewis.edu/teacher-education.