Jim and Mary Gorman
Jim and Mary Gorman are longtime San Fernando Valley residents and loyal friends and volunteers of CSUN. It was Matador volleyball that first brought the Gormans into the CSUN community during the 1990s. The university's athletics program had just entered NCAA Division I and the Gormans were curious about the teams. A retired engineer with Hughes Aircraft, reported, "We fell in love, and have been following the teams ever since."
The Gormans started with volleyball, but their interest in Matadors sports spread to tennis a couple years later when Jim retired and took up the sport himself. Eventually, their passion for Matador sports encompassed all the teams. Their commitment to CSUN athletics led Jim Gorman to take on formal leadership positions as president of the Matador Athletic Association and as a member of the President's Athletic Advisory and NCAA compliance committees.
On his own initiative, Jim Gorman created the first Matador fan e-mail list-serve to promote attendance at games, and Mary Gorman was instrumental in creating informal recycling awareness efforts at Matador athletic events.
Though neither Jim nor Mary Gorman attended CSUN, both are members of the university' Alumni Association. Jim has even served on the association's board. Jim explained, "Cal State Northridge is the university of the San Fernando Valley. We live in the San Fernando Valley and we believe in and support the university."
In 2005 the Gormans decided to make a permanent impact on CSUN athletics by establishing the Jim and Mary Gorman Athletic Scholarship Endowment. The Gorman's endowment provides scholarship assistance to a student athlete who meets certain rigorous academic standards.
Then also starting in 2005, they created two planned gifts – deferred charitable gift annuities totaling $200,000 – to assure that their endowment will be well-funded in perpetuity. The gifts will also provide an income to Jim and Mary for their lifetimes, starting at a date they selected.
CSUN Athletics Director, Rick Mazzuto, stated: "We are grateful for the generosity of Jim and Mary Gorman regarding the provision of scholarship monies for our student athletes. Jim and Mary's commitment to Cal State Northridge athletics has been exemplary. They are true friends of the university and its students."
In 2009, Mary and Jim Gorman were recognized with the Dorothea “Granny” Heitz Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership, honoring alumni or friends of the university who serve CSUN as outstanding volunteer role models.