Donald Pearson served as a Northgate school director from 1973 to 1983, serving for part of this time as school board president.
In 1990, Pearson established the Donald and Rachel Pearson Fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation to award a scholarship annually to a Northgate High School student who has shown special distinction in public speaking.
A 1994 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette obituary quoted Pearson, stating, “I have always placed a great deal of emphasis on [public speaking skills]. That’s an attribute needed if you’re going to succeed in any business.”