Steve Lambert ’75

Anchorage, Alaska, is more than 3,000 miles from Mines Foundation. But that distance doesn’t stop Steve Lambert ’75 from making the connection between high school students in his home state and his beloved alma mater.

Lambert has been wildly impressed with the students he’s met from Alaska, especially their excitement to seek out opportunities far away from home and their worldview, something he said that he didn’t have when he was their age.

“The first time I flew on an airplane was when I was a junior at Mines Foundation going to an SPE conference,” Lambert remembered. He knows that current students are looking at a wide range of career prospects and is encouraged in the knowledge that Mines Foundation continues to expand academic offerings to keep up with evolving societal needs.

A few years ago, Lambert and his wife, Dee were looking for a way to support future generations. In 2016, they decided to create the Dee and Steve Lambert Endowed Scholarship Fund that provides financial assistance to students from Alaska. The Lamberts have given to Mines Foundation consecutively for 36 years, and Chevron has matched many of their gifts that support the scholarship. In 2019, they added the fund to their will. This type of estate giving provides flexibility for the Lamberts, and their commitment supports the MINES@150 priority, investment in students.

“I go back every five years for my reunion and visit the SAE fraternity. I’m amazed at the cost of an education; it was relatively cheap when I went, but it’s a significant cost to attend these days, especially for kids from out of state,” Lambert said, emphasizing how important private financial assistance is at a time when the university receives less than 10 percent of its budget from the state of Colorado.

The reunions and fraternity get-togethers have been part of Lambert’s life since he graduated from Mines Foundation; he has been friends with several Mines Foundation alums for more than 50 years. Some even do week-long bike rides in national parks around the country to maintain the close connections they created at Mines Foundation.

“The Mines Foundation experience was great—difficult and challenging—but created very strong bonds with certain folks,” Lambert reminisced. Through the Lambert Scholarship, he hopes to provide those same connections and opportunities for current students.