Our Crimson 50 series honors Cougs who have been making gifts to Washington State University for 50 years. Their enduring generosity has created lasting opportunities for students, faculty, and communities across Washington and beyond. Each Crimson 50 profile shares their journey—from first gift to most recent—and their reflections on philanthropy, WSU, and the indomitable Cougar spirit.
Their Story
When Lorraine Almy ’60, who lived in Kappa Delta House, learned that a young man with the same last name lived in Ferry Hall, an all-male dorm, she thought it would be nice to meet him. They soon met at a Ferry Hall social, but it wasn’t until a year later that Don Almy ’62, who was overseeing the Harvest Ball, realized he needed a date, “and because I rather liked Lorraine,” he recalled, “I asked her out.” So began their romance—Don proposed while both were still at WSU.
Don, a high-school salutatorian and a scholarship student, switched his major from dairy agriculture—he didn’t really like milking cows—to business administration (finance) his sophomore year. After graduation, he became a certified public accountant, landing a job at the IRS as a revenue agent at the Seattle office. Eventually, he started his own accounting firm, D.L. Almy and Associates. He also served in the National Guard.
Lorraine, who loves reading and enjoyed her student job at the WSU Library—though she was often admonished for reading the books instead of returning them to their shelves—earned her degree in bacteriology and public health. After graduating, she worked as a registered medical technologist at Swedish Hospital in Seattle and then at Memorial Hospital in Pullman until Don finished his degree.
Avid Coug fans, they have been football season ticket holders for more than five decades. Through the years they have been generous to Coug Athletics, the WSU Libraries, and Voiland College. The Almys’ two daughters also attended WSU.
First Gift: $10 in 1966 to C. Clement & Helen B. French Scholarships
Five Questions
We love WSU, and because we’re grateful for our educations and because Don received a scholarship, we enjoy giving to WSU. We believe in giving back. We’re also season ticket football holders, which means we also give to student-athlete scholarships.
There hasn’t really been one particular moment. We’re very proud of WSU and its mission to educate so many people in our state and its growing reputation in the country.
Few values are greater than WSU’s mission of educating future generations.
When we were at WSU, nothing was ever really going on in Pullman, but there was always something happening on campus and there was always such a strong sense of community at WSU that the students and faculty have created over the years. We hope that WSU always maintains that close sense of community.
We enjoy giving to student-athlete scholarships because we’re big supporters of Cougar Athletics. We also give to a memorial fund we established in honor of Lorraine’s father, who taught civil engineering at WSU, and to Carson College of Business, and also to WSU Libraries, because it’s so important that young people continue to read.