ICCSD Foundation receives largest ever gift to support world language learning
Edited release
05/21/26
The Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District has received the largest gift in its history: a bequest of more than $2 million from the Estate of Dean Eberly to support world language learning and student travel opportunities in the district for years to come.
The gift expands the “Madame Eberly en Voyage Fund,” established in honor of longtime City High French teacher Carolyn Eberly, whose influence shaped generations of students.
For 33 years, Carolyn Eberly taught French at City High School, where she was known simply as “Madame Eberly.” In 1973, she organized the school’s first trip to France — a tradition that continued for decades. She frequently traveled alongside her husband Dean, a historian and lover of jazz, classical music, and tennis. When students could not afford the experience, the Eberlys often stepped in to help make the trip possible.
After Carolyn’s death in 1999, Dean established the Madame Eberly en Voyage Endowment at the ICCSD Foundation with memorial gifts made in her honor. For years, the modest scholarship fund quietly helped students participate in the French trip who otherwise could not afford the opportunity. When Dean passed away in 2025, the Foundation learned the scale of his bequest was far beyond what anyone had anticipated.
The bequest from the Estate of Dean Eberly supports world language learning across the Iowa City Community School District while continuing to provide scholarships for students with financial need who participate in the French trip.