A former University custodian had few experiences with students and workers around him in his 19 years on the night shift, but it was for that reason that a friend decided to set up a scholarship in the man’s name.
George Weyrens worked as a custodian at the University from 1968 to 1987. His attorney and friend, Marc Perrin, recently donated $22,000 from Weyrens’ estate, as well as $3,000 of his own money, to establish the George Weyrens Scholarship Fund at the University.
Perrin said he was probably “about the only family George had” after Weyrens’ brother died in the 1990s. He described Weyrens as developmentally disabled and “painfully shy,” but said he always did the right thing.
“In spite of the barriers George faced in his life, he worked hard, he saved his money, he paid his taxes and he never hurt a soul,” said Perrin, who met Weyrens in 1982 when he began helping him with his tax returns. “He’s sort of an American success story on the small scale, so it’s important for us to remember people like George.”
Weyrens lived a quiet life, Perrin said, with few to no friends. He had one plate, one spoon, a coffee cup, a couple of pots and no television, according to a University press release.
Newspapers and the radio provided his only sources of entertainment, the release stated.
When Weyrens died of a stroke in 2001, he left money to Meals on Wheels, St. Mary’s Catholic Church and $22,000 to his attorney to handle as he saw fit.
University custodian Rodney Jensen worked with Weyrens for a few years, but said Weyrens mostly kept to himself.
“Nobody really knew him that well, to be perfectly honest with you. But it’s wonderful someone can do this, especially a custodian,” Jensen said.
The $25,000 will accumulate value for an unknown number of years, Perrin said, and he plans to add money annually. He hopes the principle will grow to $100,000 so it can provide funds to students, especially those who are children of University Facilities Services employees or those with special needs.
The scholarship endowment is an important example of how one person can impact the lives of others, University President Dave Frohnmayer said in a press release.
“How wonderful that a man who never went to college and who, in fact, was developmentally disabled, was able to establish a legacy that will help students obtain a university education,” Frohnmayer said.

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