LOS ANGELES – Terrence Tallen, a California based retail real estate investor and former Indiana University football standout has gifted IU with a named athletic football scholarship.
“We want to thank Terry for his extremely generous gift,” Coach Bill Lynch said. “It is always special when a former player gives back to his university. Terry embodies the qualities we look for in a Hoosier student-athlete – leadership, dignity and class. We are grateful to Terry and appreciate his continued support of Indiana football.”
The Terry Tallen Football Leadership Scholarship was established by Mary Anne Keshen and Terrence Tallen and will be awarded annually to one of the football team captains, with a preference to a student-athlete enrolled in Indiana’s prestigious Kelley School of Business. Tallen graduated from the IU School of Business in 1982 with a double major in marketing and management and a minor in finance.
Tallen shared that he was inspired to fund the scholarship based on the valuable experiences IU afforded him as a student-athlete. “I am deeply honored to be able to give something back to Indiana University and its football program. IU is by far one of the finest universities in the world and the sum of my varied college experiences as a student-athlete laid a solid foundation for my business career. I have been fortunate to have developed life-long friendships from the classroom, the football field and the administration.”
Tallen co-captained the 1979 Hoosier football team to victory in the second annual Holiday Bowl and a national ranking of 16th in the nation. He was a three-year letterman and a dominating and versatile defensive player, starting Big Ten football games at three different positions; middle linebacker, defensive tackle and middle guard. Tallen led the Hoosiers in tackles for losses in 1979 and was named UPI’s Mid-Western Defensive Player of the Week in the Hoosiers’ Homecoming shut out victory of Wisconsin in 1980.
He was also re-elected team captain for the 1980 season and was one of a handful of college football players to be twice elected major college football team captains. Tallen added that “through his committed and inspired leadership, Coach Lee Corso taught us that what we did on the field of play, in the local community as well as in the classroom would prepare us for the Boardroom and we took heed to his message.”
Tallen is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Tallen and Keshen Holdings (TKH), a retail and mixed use real estate investment and development organization with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Prior to co-founding TKH, he enjoyed a successful corporate career with some of the largest public and private corporations in the world including; Pepsi Cola Company, Esmark Holdings/Beatrice Foods, Coldwell Banker Commercial, Burnham Pacific Properties, The Sembler Company, Watt Commercial Properties and others. “The leadership skills, work ethic and resiliency that I developed at IU as a student- athlete have been the foundation of my success as an entrepreneur and corporate executive.”
To ensure IU student-athletes have the resources necessary to compete academically and athletically, the Indiana University Department of Athletics has embarked on its first ever comprehensive campaign – For the Glory of Old IU – to raise $80 million in private support for capital projects and scholarships. Tallen serves on the campaign steering committee and is actively assisting in efforts to raise critical support to benefit Indiana Football for scholarships and the new North Endzone Facility at Memorial Stadium. He chooses to lead by example, hoping that the establishment of the scholarship will be a strong catalyst to motivate other grateful alumni, individuals and corporate leaders to invest in the future of Indiana University and its athletic program.
Tallen and Mary Anne Keshen are leaders in a number of charitable activities and they serve as Co-Chairs of the Cedars Sinai Hospital Center for Excellence in Los Angeles. He is a sustaining member of the American Cinematheque (the world’s largest film charity). Ms. Keshen is also the Vice President of the Cinematheque’s Board of Directors and former Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Museo ItaloAmericano in San Francisco. In addition, Tallen and former IU offensive guard, Jeff Goldin served as the Co-Chairman of the 1999 Holiday Bowl Scholarship Fund which successfully raised $100,000 for an IU football scholarship.
Tallen resides in Malibu and Mill Valley, California and will be returning to IU to present the scholarship at an IU home game this fall.