Sue and Hal Brand

Thomas Jefferson once said: “A nation’s best defense is an educated citizenry.” Hal and Sue Brand have spent their successful life modeling Jefferson’s premise, thus their desire to make this unselfish contribution to NIU’ s prestigious College of Education. Sue received a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from NIU in 1957 and thereafter dedicated 25 years to the field of secondary education, retiring in 1990. Her husband, Hal, is a successful entrepreneur who has achieved significant financial success in the field of real estate. Hal and Sue continue to manage and monitor their real-estate holdings. They have three children and two grandchildren.Residing in Orange County California, the Brands were reconnected to NIU in the early 2000s through Deborah Fransen, development director for the College of Education, and Chris Sorenson, the dean of the college. The Brands’ gift to the college is to honor their friendship with Deborah and Chris and to thank them for re-engaging them with NIU. Since that time, Hal and Sue have hosted faculty and staff traveling to southern California, attended NIU events in the area and sponsored physical education students traveling abroad. In making this contribution, the Brands hope to give future NIU students the opportunity to continue their education, free from the financial constraints that detract from their educational objectives.