Donor Spotlight
Nancy & Gary Mattson
We have been blessed beyond our dreams, and one of our goals is to help others discover and achieve their goals. MSU gives us the opportunity to make that vision a reality.
Generations of the Mattson family have attended MSU football games. In fact, the 2025 season will mark the 80th consecutive year the family has cheered on the green and white, all from the same seats in Spartan Stadium. From seasonal wins to Big Ten titles and bowl games, including the Rose Bowl, Gary and Nancy Mattson's family have kept up the tradition.
“We both have a unique connection to MSU,” Gary said. “I was in the Lakewood High School Band and attended band camp at MSU and also participated in MSU Band Day, where we would march with the Spartan Marching Band onto the football field for the halftime show.”
Nancy said “My family owned a small centennial farm, and I grew up in the egg and poultry business. I raised sheep and showed them in 4-H and at Michigan State in the stadium. Each year during show week, we stayed in the dorms on campus, which presented us with its own special memories. I worked processing eggs in the family poultry business after school and processed poultry on the weekends with my dad. My grandfather was a consultant in the start-up of the poultry division at MSU, when
it was still the Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C.). He was an MSU football season ticket holder for 29 years, and my Aunt Laurel continued bringing the family to games after he passed in 1974.”
It may sound a bit cliché, but we truly love being part of the Spartan Family. We feel deeply connected to a remarkable institution that has stood proudly throughout generations of Spartans.
The Dairy Store, Breslin Center, and of course, Spartan Stadium, are all favorite places of the Mattsons. “MSU is ingrained into our lifestyle, and there are different attractions that appeal to us every year,” Nancy said. “We enjoy attending productions at the Wharton Center and having dinner at the State Room or University Club. Our eldest daughter graduated from Michigan State and held her wedding at the MSU Chapel. All of these memories are deeply etched in our hearts, forming a cherished part of our Spartan family heritage.”
Gary and Nancy became Spartan Fund donors in 2019 with their first gift to the Spartan Marching Band. “When the marching band enters the stadium, we still feel a tingle down our spines, and are filled with pride knowing we once stood where they now perform,” Gary said. “We want the band to continue to thrive, to witness them grow and expand their performances, and keep that amazing energy alive for Spartans now and into the future.”
When asked what they hope to accomplish with their philanthropy, the Mattsons replied they want their gifts to have an immediate impact for MSU students, faculty and facilities. “I am the founder of an investment advisory firm,” said Gary, “and we assist families in seeing beyond gifting to their immediate family, showing them ways they can give back to their communities by gifting to the desired entities they are passionate about. We hope the immediate impact of our giving shows students they are now part of the MSU Family, a bond that will accompany them throughout their life's journey.
At MSU, it's more than just a community — it's a family that grows with them, offering support they can count on, now and forever. “In the long term, we aim to ensure that the foundations of Michigan State are sustained, making the world a better place, one student at a time. Our hope is that after their time at MSU, they will be in a position to pay it forward — whether through their efforts, philanthropy, or both. “We believe it's essential to take responsibility for our own lives.
As we continue to plan for our future, we hope to encourage our family, especially our grandchildren, to embrace the same mindset. While you can't control how others perceive you, you can choose how to respond to their views and shape your own path forward.”