David and Aileen Clough are recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding volunteer service for the benefit of the University or played vital roles as volunteer fundraisers on behalf of the NDSU Foundation.

David and Aileen Clough BS '68 Agricultural Mechanization (David)BS '69 Home Economics (Aileen)

David ’68 and Aileen ’69 (Askegard) Clough are passionate ambassadors of NDSU who celebrate the education and opportunities they received as students and the relationships and Bison pride that continue to flourish well beyond graduation. Over the years, their involvement and philanthropy have helped advance agriculture, education, and fellowship on behalf of the University.

David and Aileen reconnected with NDSU when David was elected to the North Dakota Wheat Commission in 2006. In 2015, Aileen became a member of NDSU’s College of Human Sciences and Education Board of Visitors, and in 2018 she became an NDSU Foundation Trustee, where she currently serves on the Outreach and State and Local Relations committees.

After retiring from farming, David and Aileen established a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) using proceeds from their farm equipment sale, which will fund six endowed undergraduate student scholarships. Together, they have also contributed major gifts to numerous capital projects on campus, including the Nodak Insurance Company Football Performance Complex, Peltier Complex, Jack Dalrymple Agricultural Research Complex, and renovations, technology, and equipment for the College of Human Sciences and Education’s food production laboratory and dining room.

For many years, David and Aileen have hosted dinners and NDSU football watch parties at their farmstead, inviting guests from NDSU and the Northern Crops Institute (NCI), friends, and neighbors — as well as visitors from around the world — to join in fellowship and enjoy their Bison-themed den, which includes yellow and green lights, a Lego recreation of the Fargodome, and a whimsical collection of NDSU memorabilia that continues to grow.