Valle Scholarship and Exchange Program
Historical Background

Henrik Valle was born in Os, Norway in 1896. He received his education at Norges Tekniske Høgskole (NTH) in Trondheim, where he graduated in civil engineering and military science. Valle emigrated to the United States in 1925 and joined a local construction company. In 1936,Valle assumed ownership and renamed it the Henrik Valle Company.

He was active in the construction of landmark building projects throughout the greater Seattle area and in Alaska. Projects on the University of Washington campus include the Student Union Building, Suzzalo Library addition, and Johnson and Physics Halls. In their wills, Henrik and Ellen Stray Valle bequeathed funds to underwrite the Valle Program.

Since the inception of the program in 1980, over 500 students have received support. The average number of scholars funded each year is 20. The graduate scholars and exchange students to Scandinavia are funded for stays varying in length from 3 to 12 months. Funding for the Program comes from the trusts of Henrik and Ellen Stray Valle.