The Andrews Endowment for American Renewal
Honoring Colorado Statesman John Andrews
The Centennial Institute is championing the creation of the Andrews
Endowment for American Renewal in honor of John Andrews who, along with
former U.S. Senator and CCU President Bill Armstrong, founded the Centennial Institute in 2009, to enhance public understanding of the most important issues relating to faith, family, and freedom.
John established a strong foundation and community for the
Centennial Institute, modeled leadership in fidelity to biblical and
conservative principles, and mentored many conservative leaders, including current Centennial Institute Director Greg Schaller. John is well respected as a follower of Christ, husband, father, grandfather, Colorado Senate president, think-tank founder, and friend to all.
Our goal is to raise $1 million for this endowment to support
ongoing programming in the Centennial Institute and reach a naming opportunity for a space in the Armstrong Center on the campus of Colorado Christian University — such a fitting legacy for his service alongside Bill Armstrong and the work to which John has devoted his life.
About John Andrews
John Andrews, after decades as an influential voice in Colorado politics, is today one of his state’s Christian conservative elder statesmen. His mission, John says, is to “rally Americans for the good fight of defending liberty and reviving responsibility in a nation under God.”
He does it with books that range from Downstream and the Senator Leland stories to Backbone Colorado USA and Responsibility Reborn; a citizens group called Americans for America; his media and consulting activities; and this website.
Andrews has led five think tanks, most recently the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, and was the originator of the Western Conservative Summit, Backbone Radio, and the Head On TV debates.
He was previously President of the Colorado Senate, chairman of the State Policy Network, and director of TCI Cable News. He was a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon; an education appointee under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush; founder of the Independence Institute and co-founder of State Policy Network; and Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado in 1990.
John was a state senator from 1998 to 2005, leaving on a term limit. As Minority Leader he led the GOP back to majority control. As Senate President he helped pass bills establishing education vouchers, extending tort reform, curbing union power, expanding charter schools, requiring parental notification for a minor’s abortion, and restoring the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms.
Senator Andrews’ legislative achievements also included bills cutting the capital gains tax, providing toll lanes to reduce traffic congestion, and drawing permanent congressional districts. He was honored as national legislator of the year by the American Legislative Exchange Council, and as family legislator of the year by the Rocky Mountain Family Council. The Colorado Union of Taxpayers saluted him as a defender of TABOR, the state’s tax limit.
John was born in Michigan and grew up in the Colorado mountains. He served as a US Navy submarine officer after graduating from Principia College in 1966. He has been married since 1967 to the former Donna D’Evelyn of Bakersfield, California. They have three grown children and a grandson, all living in the Denver area.
“I’m committed to defending the permanent things,” says the Presbyterian elder. “We must reassert the timeless political principles of the American founding, together with the moral and spiritual truths of our Judeo-Christian heritage.”
Why an Endowment?
Great institutions require more than just good ideas; they require the resources to sustain them across generations. The Andrews Endowment for American Renewal is an investment in Centennial Institute’s ability to carry on its mission not just today, but for decades to come.
John Andrews poured himself into Centennial Institute since its founding in 2009, helping to build it into one of the Rocky Mountain region’s premier conservative think tanks. He originated the Western Conservative Summit and shaped the intellectual culture that defines the Institute. His influence is woven into everything Centennial does. The endowment bearing his name will ensure that the work he helped build does not depend on the uncertainties of any single year’s fundraising but is instead anchored by a permanent foundation of support.
With a goal of $1 million, the Andrews Endowment for American Renewal will provide Centennial Institute with the sustained capacity to host events, produce research, develop the next generation of conservative leaders, and engage the culture with the timeless principles John has championed throughout his life and career. It is a gift to the future; a declaration that the work of defending liberty and reviving responsibility in America is too important to leave to chance.
Why the Parlor?
The naming of the Armstrong Center Parlor in honor of John Andrews is a tribute that carries deep personal meaning. John and Bill Armstrong were more than colleagues in Colorado’s conservative movement; they were kindred spirits, bound by a shared faith, a love of country, and an unwavering commitment to the principles that make America exceptional. To name a room in the Armstrong Center after John is to honor a friendship that embodied the very best of what Centennial Institute stands for.
But the Parlor is not merely a symbolic space. It is where Centennial Institute comes alive. This is the room where ideas are exchanged and Colorado’s conservative community gathers to do the hard work of renewing the culture. Month after month, the Centennial Circle Breakfast brings together donors, thinkers, and civic leaders to be informed and inspired. The Center Right Coalition convenes here monthly to strengthen the bonds of a broader movement. Often speakers, panels, and conversations of consequence fill this room with purpose.
It is fitting that this place—so central to Centennial’s mission—should bear John Andrews’ name. For decades, John has been a convener, an encourager, and a standard-bearer for the ideas these gatherings champion. Every event held in the John Andrews Parlor will be a living tribute to a man who has spent his life rallying others to the good fight for Faith, Family, Freedom, and Future.
Give Now
Gifts of any size are needed and welcomed. If you would like to discuss an estate gift/planned gift or other complex gift transaction (stock, non-cash assets, real estate, business interests, etc.), don’t hesitate to contact Daniel LaBry, Vice President of University Advancement, at dlabry@ccu.edu or 303-963-3093.