John and Adrienne Deblon

The Deblons, of Bloomington, Minn., wanted to help young people who couldn't afford to attend college. Now, their gift of more than $513,000 to the NSU Foundation will help make college a possibility for many students. The money will be used for need-based scholarships, athletic scholarships and program enhancements for the men's basketball program. John Deblon is a Watertown native and former Wolves basketball player who graduated from Northern in 1964. Adrienne Deblon is a Leola native who attended Northern for two years starting in fall 1961. The couple met on campus and have been married 45 years.

"I loved all aspects of my college experience at Northern State, from campus events to academics. When John and I were students, we didn't have a lot of money, and we know that today's students are in the same boat. We just want to help people who want to go but don't have the resources. We hope that our gift inspires other donors with similar means to donate to Northern as we have. It is the right thing to do, and it just feels good giving back."

— John and Adrienne Deblon

John H. Deblon
President
Yale Mechanical, Minneapolis
Class of 1964, Business Major

Adrienne Deblon
Class of 1963, Secretarial Science