Council Oak Society
The Council Oak Society recognizes those who have confirmed planned or deferred gifts to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. Planned or deferred gifts include bequests in wills, insurance arrangements, charitable gift annuities or deferred annuities, many trust arrangements, pooled income funds, gifts of appreciated securities or real property, as well as other arrangements.
The Council Oak Society is named after the Council Oak Tree, which stood on the site of the UW-Eau Claire campus for nearly 300 years. The large tree served as a shelter, marker and gathering place for generations of Native Americans who lived in the area and, finally, for generations of university students. The original tree was blown down in a wind storm in 1987 and replaced with a new tree in 1990. The oak tree remains a prominent historical symbol on campus, and its image is a part of the university seal.