Although born a U.S. citizen, Mr. Ivanhoe, was raised in Brazil and attended schools in Rio de Janeiro. He returned to the United States during the Great Depression and worked his way through school at the South Dakota School of Mines.  His first job as a mining engineer was in the remote mountains of Ecuador, followed by jobs in Venezuela.  In 1948 he returned to the US to study petroleum geology at Stanford. His understanding of foreign cultures and multiple languages lead to his position as an international expert in petroleum exploration.

Having been a foreign "starving student" he understood the extra hardship foreign students can have when under financial stress and far from home.  Wanting to duplicate the kindness shown to him during his time SDSM+T, Mr. Ivanhoe set up the Ivanhoe Foundation to provide financial aid to selected foreign students studying in U.S. universities. Mr. Ivanhoe spent most of his working years in developing countries and observed first hand the plight of water - deprived localities He felt the most pressing need globally will be practical water-related degrees at the Masters level.

Awards are to be made without regard to race, color, creed, or sex.

More information regarding our founder can be found at the L.F. "Buz" Ivanhoe Collection (#11414) in the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.