Bethany College receives $500,000 from the Dean Coughenour Trust

LINDSBORG, KS., AUG. 22, 2022 – The Dean Coughenour Trust committee designated this generous gift to Bethany College to fund the west end campus revitalization project and other infrastructure initiatives as identified by the 2022-2027 campus master plan. 

Dean Coughenour owned and operated AgPress Inc. in Manhattan, KS from 1958-1986. He was a practical man -- generous to his family, employees, and community. A direct communicator who, according to his daughter, Susan Coughenour Lundstrom ‘78, “he was not flashy, but saw value in the necessary and would have been drawn to a project like this.” The west end campus revitalization project will include paving the gravel parking lot, providing proper drainage and landscaping to the west end of the Bethany College campus. 

Dean began his philanthropic gifts to Bethany College in the early 1980s shortly after Susan’s graduation and continued giving annually until his passing in 2012. He had developed a relationship with the Advancement Team of Stan Talbott and Kenny Sjogren who embodied the Bethany College core value of community.   

Dean’s original motivation to give to Bethany College was in appreciation of the education that Susan, and her “Swedeheart”, Greg Lundstom ’77 received. The Dean Coughenour Trust Committee is pleased to continue this relationship with Bethany College. 

Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop, and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead lives of faith, learning, and service. At Bethany, students join a community of dedicated educators and caring mentors who walk alongside them as they discover, explore, and navigate the path to their purpose. Bethany College can be found online at bethanylb.edu and is located in Lindsborg, Kansas, the fine arts and crafts capital of the state.