Bill Youngs’ Gift Supports Students and National Parks

For Giving Joy Day 2025, Eastern Washington University Professor Bill Youngs has made a gift that will support applied learning and career development for students who are passionate about America’s national parks.

The Youngs Endowment for National Park Studies is just the latest generous gift from the noted EWU faculty historian, who has long been an enthusiastic supporter of public lands. A pioneer of technology in the classroom, Youngs is well known for teaching a national parks history course from inside the very parks he’s highlighting.

“I’ve been to 40 of the parks – with 23 to go,” Youngs said. “Forty is pretty good, but there are people who’ve been to all of them.”

Youngs, who has taught at Eastern for nearly 53 years, has traversed the nation by RV, exploring national parks via ATV, motorcycle, bicycle and by foot. During these visits he has captured videos, photos and details documenting hidden aspects of their histories. (He’s also visited national parks in foreign countries.)

Those images, film clips and texts have been embedded in about 100 specialized history lectures he calls “Fireside Talks.”

“I care about the National Parks because they are beautiful in their own right and because their founding is the result of some of the best instincts in American public life,” Youngs explains. “It may sound corny, but when I think of the parks, I think of the reverential tone of America the Beautiful – ‘crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.’”

The endowment will take Youngs’ passion for national parks and experiential learning a step further, opening doors for students of all backgrounds to gain knowledge that can build and advance their careers while helping to care for this precious public resource.

“Dr. Youngs has spent his entire career investing in our students, and this endowment is an incredible extension of that commitment,” says EWU President Shari McMahan. “Thanks to his generosity, more students will have the chance to learn by doing, whether in our national parks or other real-world settings.

Philanthropy like this is essential to helping our students grow, explore career paths, and succeed, says McMahan. “We’re so grateful for all he’s has done, and continues to do, for EWU.”

Bill Youngs is pictured receiving a plaque presented by President Shari McMahan and Kaarin Appel, senior director of philanthropy. They are celebrating with sparkling cider. — Bill Youngs is pictured receiving a plaque presented by President Shari McMahan and Kaarin Appel, senior director of philanthropy.

Young’s endowed fund will help students cover expenses for park-related books, uniforms and licenses for securing internships and jobs. Also included will be travel funding for students doing research inside the parks, expenses related to bringing guest experts to campus and prize awards for outstanding student works.

A published author, editor and an frequent conference speaker, Youngs has also designated funds to support publishing costs for park-related books written by students, faculty and staff.

Although the endowment is geared toward students studying national parks, the fund’s John Muir Award will recognize outstanding works of students and faculty demonstrating the values of Muir, the renowned conservationist and naturalist.

“Youngs’ gift provides a powerful invitation to others to give back to Eastern and, through its support of our national parks, helps to ensure that our nation’s natural resources will continue to thrive,” says Linda Safford, senior director of annual giving. Safford says the gift is “truly priceless” for its capacity to connect students with their passion.

Over the years, Youngs generosity has bolstered 40 different funds, offering support across the colleges, university and athletics. This is his second endowment. The first, the Bill Youngs Environmental Studies Endowment, was started in his honor by Michael Clawson and Alicia Kinne-Clawson, an alumni couple he mentored as students. The fund provides research stipends that have benefitted about 20 students, including alumna Erin Toulou, pictured below, over the past several years.

Chad Pritchard is pictured with Erin Toulou and Bill Youngs, professor of history, in fall of 2022. Toulou received the first Clawson-Youngs Environmental Studies Award from the Bill Youngs Environmental Studies Endowment. — Professor Bill Youngs is pictured with Professor Chad Pritchard and Erin Toulou in fall 2022. Toulou received the first Clawson-Youngs Environmental Studies Award from the Bill Youngs Environmental Studies Endowment.

Named EWU Philanthropist of the Year at the university’s 1882 Awards Gala, in 2023, Youngs’ gifts reflect a longstanding commitment to students and the university. “I am very fond of our students at Eastern. I admire their curiosity, drive, and their personalities,” Youngs says. “I like doing what I can for them in the classroom. And now that I am in the likely final decade of my career, with a little extra money, I like helping them beyond the classroom with contributions to the Foundation.”