Minnesota couple donates $20 million to Bethel University for health sciences

A Minnesota couple has donated $20 million to Bethel University to support the current college's health programs and create a new health services college named in their honor.

Barbara and Rollie Anderson, long-time supporters of the Baptist Christian university in Arden Hills, donated the eight-figure sum to invest in Bethel’s nursing and healthcare programs.

It's the latest philanthropic donation by the Andersons. who own St. Cloud-based logistics company Anderson Trucking Service, which was founded by Rollie's father in 1955. In 2021, they donated $1 million to the Great River Children's Museum, and in 2015 Bethel's Pine Tree Center was renamed The Anderson Center in their honor.

“There are a number of colleges that can provide a good education, but you also want a school with a bright mission, vision, and values," Rollie Anderson said. "When a Bethel student goes off to practice in healthcare, they carry those values with them.”

Rollie was a former member of the Bethel Board of Trustees and has multiple family members who graduated from the university and later pursued careers in the health field. These include daughter Julie, who received a Bachelor’s in Nursing in 1993 and a Master's in 2022, and son Brent, who received a Bachelor’s in Business in 1998.

“We have a lot of family members in the healthcare field. The work that's done in healthcare is a natural fit for expressing care," Barbara Anderson said. "I see this as a place where our family can extend that kind of care. It’s a great opportunity for us to make a difference in the future for patients who are in a very vulnerable situation in their lives.”

The donation will also help launch the first of four colleges that Bethel is restructuring, including the Anderson Family College of Health Sciences, which the university says will give students the hands-on experience they need to become exceptional healthcare workers.

Related: 13 Minnesota colleges ranked among best in the U.S.

The new college will combine Bethel’s healthcare-related courses and departments from the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Adult & Professional Studies, and the Graduate School.

"This tells the healthcare industry in our area that we are focused and excellent at training professionals,” Bethel University Provost Robin Rylaarsdam said. "This allows us to have synergy between different professional programs as we collaborate with healthcare systems to provide clinical training spaces.

"And it increases our ability to do inter-professional training, preparing our graduates better for their careers—they’ll practice in groups with different types of healthcare workers, all cooperating for the patient's benefit."

The university hosted a ceremony on Wednesday in the Brushaber Commons Atrium at 7 p.m. to honor the Andersons and launch the Anderson Family College of Health Sciences launch.

Related: Bethel University to lower tuition by $18,000 for undergraduate students