Mechanical Engineering

Newsletter Archives; Winter 2001

Karsten and Louise Solheim

Solheim Gift Totals One Million

This past Fall the Department of Mechanical Engineering was the beneficiary of a $1 million gift from Louise Solheim and the estate of her late husband, Karsten Solheim.

Karsten Solheim was born in Norway in 1911. His family came to the United States in 1913 and settled in Seattle. His father taught Mr. Solheim the shoemaking trade, but Karsten's dream was to become a mechanical engineer. He attended the University of Washington for one year (1933-34), intending to major in engineering. His studies, however, were interrupted by the Depression and a lack of money. In 1936 he married Louise Crozier, and for years supported his family as a shoe repairman.

World War II came, and with it a need for workers in the defense industry. Mr. Solheim resumed his engineering studies through a University of California extension course, then moved to San Diego where he worked for Ryan Aeronautical. After the war he worked as a salesman, but returned to engineering with positions at Convair (1951) and General Electric (1953).

In 1954 Mr. Solheim took up golf, and immediately became an avid golfer. In 1959 he invented a new type of golf putter which he called "Ping" for the distinctive sound the putter made when it struck the golf ball. In 1967 he left General Electric and founded Karsten Manufacturing to make Ping putters and golf clubs. The golf products he developed are universally acknowledged to have revolutionized the game of golf.

The Solheim gift consists of two parts. The first part, a $180,000 bequest from Louise Solheim and the estate of Karsten Solheim, will endow the Karsten and Louise Solheim Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship will fund undergraduate scholarships, with selection based on demonstrated financial need. Preference will be given to students who have a special interest in manufacturing processes. The first scholarships will be awarded in 2001.

The second part of the gift, totaling $820,000, is a bequest from the estate of Mr. Solheim to the department. This gift will be used to create the Karsten and Louise Solheim Manufacturing Laboratory. This will involve renovation of space and the purchase of equipment for manufacturing teaching and research. A major thrust of the new laboratory is expected to be rapid prototyping technology. Planning for the construction phase is underway.