Al Hornung, ’61, grew up in eastern Colorado in a farming and ranching family. While serving as his high school’s student body president, Al attended leadership conferences at universities around the state. One thing quickly became clear: Colorado State University was the right place for him. “I was a farm boy who wanted to study mechanical engineering,” Al says. “I loved the school.”

He made lifelong friends through the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and thrived in his classes. After graduating, a job in engineering sales took him to Illinois, Kansas, New York, and Wisconsin, but Colorado eventually called him home. Being closer to CSU was a big bonus. In fact, Al’s wife, Carla, jokes that he’s worn out several cars going back and forth to Fort Collins.

Ever loyal to CSU, Al found meaningful ways to honor his college experience. “I wanted to give back, so first I did that with my time and then later with money,” Al says. He has served on the alumni board, supported capital campaigns, and holds football season tickets.

More recently, Al made a gift of land retaining a life estate interest. “This provides benefits from a tax standpoint and also helps the University,” he says. Al was impressed with how seamless CSU made the process, and he encourages fellow alumni to explore the many options available to support CSU.

“If Colorado State had an impact on you and your success, it’s important to show that,” he says. “We need to support our land-grant University any way we can.”

Honor Your CSU Experience

As Al discovered over the years, there are many ways to strengthen CSU. Please reach out today to learn more about making a gift in your estate plan or providing a gift of land or real estate, life insurance, or securities. You can even use your IRA beneficiary designations to make an impact. Contact the Office of Gift Planning at (970) 491-4254 or giftplanning@colostate.edu to get started.