Pacific University to Name Forest Grove Campus Library After Tim Tran '74 & Cathy Tran '74

Pacific University is proud to announce the naming of the Tim & Cathy Tran Library on the Forest Grove Campus. 

Please join the Pacific community for a Celebration of Libraries at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, during Homecoming, where we will honor alumni Khiem "Tim" '74 and Thuy "Cathy" Tran '74. 

The Trans have a powerful connection with Pacific University and have turned their gratitude into leadership in support of the university's mission. 

Originally from South Vietnam, the Trans came to Pacific University on scholarships to study in the United States. Tim went on to earn a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance from the University of California, Berkeley, and Cathy completed her bachelor's in finance at the University of Oregon -- but their connections to Pacific never ended. 

Due to the requirements of the scholarships that brought them to the U.S., the Trans had to return to South Vietnam after their graduation to launch their careers. When the country was overrun by communist forces in 1975, though, they found themselves at risk due to their U.S. educations and connections. After many failed attempts, they managed to escape on an overloaded boat, surviving pirate attacks and other hardships, before landing in a refugee camp in Malaysia. 

With the support of friends back at Pacific, they were eventually accepted into the United States as political refugees and began new lives, becoming naturalized citizens in 1986. 

Both found success in their careers. Tim worked for Johnstone Supply for 23 years, retiring in 2003 as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance, while Cathy spent 18 years with U.S. Bank and 15 years at Standard Insurance Company, retiring in 2015 as Tax Manager. 

Throughout their lives, they have been dedicated to education. Tim taught mathematics to Upward Bound students in the summers while studying at Pacific University. and taught accounting in Saigon before 1975. In the States, he earned his MBA in 1988 and continued to teach undergraduate and graduate business courses after his retirement. Cathy attended evening classes at Portland State University to prepare for the CPA exams while working at U.S. Bank; she passed all the CPA exams in 1986 and became a CPA in 1993. Continuing professional education has been her interest. 

Their commitment to education and their gratitude to the opportunity and friendship they found at Pacific also has inspired them to be generous supporters of the university. Pacific is pleased to honor that generosity with the naming of the Forest Grove Campus library. 

Built in 2005, the library on the Forest Grove Campus was Pacific's first LEED-certified building, constructed with sustainable design practices. The three-floor facility is home to an extensive book and media collection, as well as study centers, computer labs, conference spaces and an impressive art collection. It also is home to the emerging Pacific University Press. 

Serving students and faculty in Forest Grove, as well as the larger community, the Tim & Cathy Tran Library will continue to be a place of inspiration, fostering inquiry, collaborative learning and discovery in support of the mission that the Trans found so meaningfully at Pacific.