Donor Spotlight: Butch (’66) and Patti Goodall ‘Pass It On’

Butch Goodall’s (’66) decision to attend Dickinson State University (DSU), then named Dickinson State Teachers College, was something of an impulsive move. After graduating from high school in 1958, Goodall worked hauling cows to the sale barn in Dickinson. While waiting for his check, Goodall stopped at a café across the street from the college and encountered some high school friends. After lunch together, they invited them to a party celebrating the fall quarter break. At 2 am that morning, he left the party, determined to enroll. In 1966, Butch Goodall graduated from Dickinson State Teachers College with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, majoring in biology and double minoring in social studies and physical education.

Now, Goodall and his wife of 64 years, Patti, are doing their part to make it easier for future generations of Blue Hawks to earn their degrees. “I worked my way through college, and it took me a long time. I had to quit a couple of times to get new work. And I was married at the time, with two kids. So, I stopped college to go make some more money and then started back in,” recalled Goodall. Afterward, he traveled to Texas and became a chemical engineer in the oil industry. Goodall travelled the country in various positions in Texas, Alaska, and Denver. The support of his wife and children was indispensable during this time, so when the Goodalls reached a position in life with the resources, it was an easy decision to make good of the motto “it is better to give than to receive.”

Ty Orton, Executive Director of the DSU Heritage Foundation (DSU HF) knows that "DSU and the DSU HF could not have asked for a more dedicated pair than Butch and Patti Goodall. They put in the hard work to create a wonderful life together, and we are grateful that they have chosen to lift the generations of DSU students who followed in their path through their scholarships." The Goodalls’ patronage is genuinely aimed at lifting up DSU students and giving them the best chance to excel, hoping that later in life they will continue to “pass it on,” but they admit they get a good feeling whenever a letter arrives from a scholarship recipient expressing their appreciation.

One of six original members of the Touchdown Club, Butch Goodall is almost finished with aiding in the push to secure the final funding for the new rodeo arena at DSU. No, he plans to soak in the last of the warm weather with his wife before winter makes its appearance.

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Written by Sarah Griffis – DSU HF Content Writer