Otto A. Soell and Louise Simone Soell Endowed Scholarship

The Soell Family have been a part of the La Crosse Community since 1881 when Louise Simon Soell opened the first “Hair Bazaar” (beauty shop) at 327 Main Street. Louise, a widow at age 25, worked to provide for herself and her one year old son, Otto. Louise saved and eventually sent her son Otto to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Otto graduated in 1902 from the School of Pharmacy. He worked in various cities in Wisconsin until he returned to La Crosse and opened a drugstore at 509 Main Street in the early 1920’s. It is the wishes of the fourth generation Soell Family to establish a scholarship fund to assist young adults in the Human Services health related programs at Western Technical College.