As a kid playing touch football behind the endzones of Laird Stadium while the Knights charged down the field or wandering around the school’s bookstore, Steve Obaid ’73 felt like Carleton’s campus was an extension of his own backyard.
His parents and his maternal grandparents had all graduated from Carleton. His father, Professor Antonio Obaid ’41, grew up in Chile but won a scholarship to spend his senior year of college either in London or Northfield—and with England at war, he chose the peaceful town of cows, colleges, and contentment.
“He fell in love with campus right away, and he knew from the very beginning that if there were any chance, he wanted to stay here,” Steve said.
And he did, eventually joining the faculty and teaching Spanish and Russian. He married Dorothy Peterson Obaid ’42, who worked as a secretary to presidents Laurence McKinley Gould, John Nason ’26, Howard Swearer, and the Board of Trustees, before editing the Carleton College Voice for several years. Together, Steve’s parents had a combined 48 years of service to Carleton.
With all that history, initially, Steve thought he’d be better off starting fresh somewhere else and began his college career in Wisconsin. But the campus that had enticed his father drew him back as well, and Steve started his sophomore year as a Carl, eventually declaring a biology major.
“When I look back, I think about what a wonderful preparation Carleton’s liberal arts education was,” Steve said. “Science is important to medicine, but being human as a physician has an importance that became more and more evident as I went along in my career.”
Steve’s connection to Northfield deepened a few years later when he married Camilla Madson, a fellow “townie” and second-generation St. Olaf College graduate. The two raised their family in the Twin Cities, but Northfield and its colleges stayed dear to their hearts. It was only right, Steve says, that early on he began a habit of contributing to the Alumni Annual Fund. And as his milestone reunion approached, he began thinking of doing something more substantial.
“Steve’s decision to support Carleton is emotional—he believes in Carleton,” Camilla said. “I participate more ‘cerebrally,’ I suppose—I’m aware that not one of us who has attended college has paid full freight. Every year there are students who need scholarships. I don’t have the same history with Carleton as Steve does, but I think people can make these decisions with a combination of emotion and reason. And students are the beneficiaries.”
Because financial aid felt important to Steve and Camilla, they decided to document a will provision that would fund more than they would have been able to give outright. They allocated a portion of their gift to the Class of 1973 Endowed Scholarship and a portion to the class’s Stay the Course Fund, and left a portion unrestricted, which will eventually be put toward the college’s top priorities.
Steve and Camilla also dedicated a large portion of their planned gift to increase the Antonio H. & Dorothy Peterson Obaid Endowment Fund for Campus Beautification, a fund started by Steve’s parents in 1985. These resources help preserve Carleton’s beauty and charm, welcoming generations of students and sparking that special connection Steve and his father each felt many years ago.
“I’ve always felt like Carleton does things the right way,” Steve said. “My hope with this gift is that Carleton can continue what it’s been doing for years.”