The Names family establishes a loving legacy for generations of support for the Huskies.
A passion for helping others that traces its roots back to the Great Depression has evolved into a family-centered philosophy of philanthropy that is now benefiting generations of Husky student-athletes.
Puget Sound-area natives Scott and Sis Names married in 1933 and struggled through the Depression before starting a successful sporting goods store in Tacoma in 1957, raising kids Tom, Clint and Paula along the way. As early investors in a start-up athletic shoe company in Oregon, they saw their good fortune flourish as that small operation grew into a behemoth called Nike.
Curtis Names recalls his grandparents telling stories of helping less fortunate neighbors in the ’30s as the family’s passion for health, wellness and community took hold.
“Giving back to others is how they lived their lives. It’s an honor for us to carry on that legacy,” says Curtis, part of the third generation of family members who support charitable causes through the Names Family Foundation.
The family’s connection to Husky Athletics began with Curtis’ father, Clint, who lettered in both basketball and golf for Washington from 1957 to 1961. Curtis remembers attending games with his dad and joining in the camaraderie with fans and former student-athletes — “It felt like a family, and it still does,” he says.
The Foundation honored Clint Names by funding a new Husky Golf Center that provides student-athletes with a state-of-the-art practice facility within the athletics campus, “bringing them closer to the Husky family,” explains Erin Names Shagren — Curtis’ cousin and the daughter of Tom Names.
The family later established a scholarship endowment for basketball, supported the campaign to remodel Husky Stadium and recently made a generous gift to The Competitive Edge Fund.
“We’re beginning to see the fourth generation get more engaged now,” Erin says. “They are seeing how the donations impact the community. It’s their legacy, too.”
