Lower Columbia College (LCC) and the Lower Columbia College Foundation (LCCF) are pleased to announce receipt of a million-dollar gift from John and Cathy Natt. The gift, given in honor of Longview’s centennial and the LCCF’s “Opportunity Can’t Wait” capital campaign, will go toward the John and Cathy Natt Endowment and unrestricted funds.
“The LCC Foundation will name the outdoor plaza, to be located in front of the new Center for Vocational & Transitional Studies once complete, the ‘John and Cathy Natt Plaza’ in recognition of the Natts and their continued philanthropic support of LCC,” said Kendra Sprague, LCC Vice President of Foundation, HR, & Legal Affairs.
John Natt and his family established the Theodore McClelland Natt Endowed Scholarship in 1999 in memory of John’s brother, Ted, who passed away in a helicopter crash the same year. In addition, John’s extended family established the Natt Library Endowment in 1989. In 2012, the couple established the John and Cathy Natt Endowed Fund supporting the greatest needs of the college. “LCC is fortunate to have supporters like John and Cathy whose gifts will continue to benefit students and this community for years to come,” said Steve Fuller, Chair of the LCC Foundation Board.
Because their father was an Air Force colonel, John and his brother Ted led a nomadic life in their early years. “Because we moved around so much, we always viewed Longview as our home town. It was both where my mother’s family lived (grandmother and grandfather, Ruth and John McClelland; great aunt and uncle, Kate and Mark Morris; aunt and uncle, Burdette and John McClelland Jr.) and, later, my mother, Martha Sue McClelland Natt, and my brother and sister-in-law, Ted and Diane Natt,” said John. In 1970, John married Cathy Monroe, whose parents, Peggy and Harper Monroe, also lived in Longview. The couple met at The Daily News where Cathy was working as a summer intern for John’s brother Ted. Cathy went to St. Rose School and is a graduate of R.A Long High School.
Although John and Cathy have lived in California for nearly 50 years, their ties to Longview run deep. Their gift stems from their reflection on their local roots, the important role LCC fills in the community, and the impact the college has on quality of life in the area. After years of giving generously to universities close to John and Cathy’s heart, “the more we learned about LCC, the more we came to realize that LCC was doing a terrific job. Our gifts to LCC would certainly have a greater impact than those to our other universities and would, at the same time, help our hometown,” said John.
“In the spirit of gratitude, it is with great honor that we plan to dedicate the John and Cathy Natt Plaza,” said LCC President, Chris Bailey.
The LCCF “Opportunity Can’t Wait” capital campaign was launched in 2023 with a goal of raising over $10 million dollars for the college’s planned Center for Vocational & Transitional Studies, athletic facility improvements, and supporting students and college programs. For more information about how to contribute to the LCC Foundation, please visit lowercolumbia.edu/foundation.