High Desert Blooms

Fall 2004

The Tatum Foundation and the Citizens Volunteer Corps, a Tatum family charity based in Victorville, have donated $100,000 to support High Desert students attending Cal State San Bernardino. The contribution is going toward the President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship program.

The Tatum family, well known for its philanthropic work in the High Desert, strongly believes in supporting the education of young people. “By providing scholarship support for these students we are helping create the future leaders of our communities,” said Madeline Tatum of American Housing Group, one of the Tatum family companies.

“The Tatum family’s gift will help us recruit the top students from the High Desert, and since graduates frequently settle close to where they went to college, the gift also will help us retain these high achievers in the High Desert and broader region,” said CSUSB President Albert Karnig.

The Tatum family has been building homes in the High Desert for 30 years. It was Clyde Tatum who built 3,000 homes in what later became George Air Force Base, and went on to build 7,000 homes in the Victor Valley. In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, his construction company subdivided and developed what is now Victorville. Today, the American Housing Group — led by Jim Tatum, Clyde’s son; Jim’s wife, Madeline; and their son, Todd — has seen tremendous growth in the High Desert.

The President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship program, now in its third year, has attracted (as of fall 2004) almost 50 of the top one-percent of high school graduates from San Bernardino County. Twenty percent of these best and brightest have come from High Desert area high schools.

“The residents and businesses of the High Desert have been very supportive of their outstanding students,” said Rob Carlson, dean of CSUSB’s College
of Natural Sciences. “By working together to encourage these students to attend college in this area, CSUSB is able to partner with the High Desert in preparing tomorrow’s leaders.”

In cooperation with two recognition programs that identify the top graduating seniors, CSUSB established the President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship — a four-year renewable scholarship that awards $5,000 annually to cover fees, books and tuition for those choosing to attend CSUSB and who maintain a 3.5 grade point average. The uniqueness of the scholarship program is CSUSB’s commitment to match every dollar received from generous contributors.

Representing the High Desert and receiving the President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship are Malaina Johnson, an art major from Victorville; Isabel Carvajal, a pre-nursing student also from Victorville; Amber Schooley, a biology major from Yucca Valley; Georgia Pallas, a math major from Phelan; Audra Wise, a pre-med biology student from Hesperia; Megan Robinson, a biology major from Hesperia; Stephen Pappas, a finance major from Hesperia; Tanya Zeferjahn, an administration major from Hesperia; and Sarah Courtney, an undeclared major from Lucerne Valley.

The Tatum family’s $100,000 gift follows the course set by Jim’s father. With a heart for community service, Jim and Madeline dedicated parks and sponsored sports teams in areas in which they built during the 1980s and 1990s. Madeline has served on many philanthropic boards, and San Bernardino County named her Woman of the Year for three straight years. She also has been recognized by the State of California as an Outstanding Citizen.

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