Lute and Christine Olson

Leadership On The Court Sets A Philanthropic Example


by Barbara R. Levy, ACRFE

Their lives are filled with presidential appointments, travel, glittering social engagements, recognition, the adulation of their fans and that breath-catching moment when the ball skims the ring and slips through the net. Their achievements are legendary. One might say they have “arrived.” Yet few are aware that in giving of themselves, Lute and Christine Olson have raised the philanthropic bar.

Now in his fourth decade as head coach of The University of Arizona basketball team, Lute has earned a coveted place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He also holds places of honor in the Augsburg (Minnesota) Hall of Fame, the Pima County (Arizona) Hall of Fame and the Two Harbors, Minnesota, Sports Hall of Fame. It’s no wonder that Tucson, his hometown today, claims him with tremendous pride. With hardly a moment to call his own, Lute’s day is packed to the hilt with speeches, lunches (sometimes two in one day), dinners and media interviews. He has never lost sight of his responsibility of shaping his team to achieve what he believes it is capable of. Lute’s on-the-court record is outstanding. He has the highest winning percentage (.770) and number of victories (549) in the history of The University of Arizona and is one of only four coaches in NCAA history to record 27 or more 20-win seasons. His streak of 18 consecutive years coaching one team is the longest active streak in the nation.

Christine has pioneered her own career as chairman and CEO of the S.W. Jack Drilling Company, the largest privately held land-based drilling company in the United States. Her success in this male-dominated industry has deepened her commitment to training, education and empowerment of women. For Christine, her life in two cities increases her volunteer reach. Her service includes a deep commitment to the Republican Party. She has served as a political appointee on the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and as Governor Mark Schweiker’s representative on the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission. She currently chairs the campaign for the Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania and is chair of Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, where she oversees the operation and vision of the museum and works to find significant new funding sources.

President George W. Bush has appointed her to represent his administration to the Rural Telephone Bank and to the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s advisory board.

In Tucson, she quietly stepped in to exceed the capital campaign goal at her sons’ school. Among her many awards, Christine was honored in 2000 with The Eberly Medal for Philanthropy and Volunteerism.

When Coach Olson isn’t on the court with his team, he is traveling across the country recruiting and attending fundraising breakfasts, lunches, dinners and tributes. When
auction bidders are vying for dinner with the Olsons, the bids can command as much as $10,000! Few are aware of Lute’s background. After his father’s death when Lute was five, he and his three siblings were raised on a North Dakota farm by his mother, a remarkable woman who instilled in her family the values of hard work and giving. Throughout his youth, Lute was focused on helpinghis family and polishing his athletic skills. Although he never perceived it as philanthropy, no matter how limited the budget, tithing for church was a priority.

Lute and his first wife, Bobbi, were married for 47 years before ovarian cancer claimed her life. They have five wonderful children: daughters Vicki, Jody, and Christi, and sons Greg and Steve. Collectively, the children have provided Lute with 13 grandchildren. Bobbi was a great philanthropic role model for her family. When she chaired the American Cancer Society, the organization raised the largest amount they had ever raised.

Just over two years later, Lute would bring Christine Toretti and her three sons, Joe, Max, and Matthew, into the Olson clan. Now that his children are grown, he is enjoying the difference his personal philanthropy can make.

Together, Lute and Christine are carrying out Lute’s promise to Bobbi to raise awareness and dollars to match their own substantial gifts to find a cure for ovarian cancer. In a recent campaign, the Olsons raised $2 million to endow the Bobbi Olson Chair, now occupied by the head of the Women’s Cancer Center at the acclaimed University of Arizona Cancer Center. Their philanthropy supports many charities across the country, but this one has special meaning for Tucson, which also lost a special champion in Bobbi Olson.

Today’s winning team of Lute and Christine is setting new standards for nonprofit involvement and the resulting increase of philanthropic dollars. From Pennsylvania to
Arizona, they devote precious time, energy and dollars to make a difference for others.