Issue 1 n Volume 7 n Fall 2007

Overall campaign progress: $2,943,979,590* as of September 30, 2007

SEEKING SOLUTIONS $853.9 M $1.4 B RAISED GOAL

EDUCATING LEADERS $582.9 M $1.175 B RAISED GOAL

SUSTAINING A FOUNDATION OF EXCELLENCE

$855.7 M $1.725 B RAISED GOAL

* This total includes $758.5 M in campaign gifts yet to be designated for a specific purpose.

The Halperin Family Wing of the Cantor Arts Center was dedicated on May 1. It was named in recognition of a $10 million pledge from Robert and Ruth Halperin, ’47. Photo: Steve Castillo $10 Million Pledge Galvanizes Arts Initiative

Ruth Halperin, ’47, doesn’t strike one as a rabble-rouser. Warm and Spike Award, Stanford’s highest annual honor for volunteer service. thoughtful, she seems more likely to lead a book discussion than a See the related story on p. 8.] charge against the barricades. Most recently this has included a $10 million pledge to Stanford’s But when the subject is art—look out! museum, the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts. In recognition of this generosity, the university has named the modern Consider a going-away speech she gave in 1996 at a gathering that wing of the museum, added in 1999, in honor of the Halperins. A marked the end of her second and final term on Stanford’s Board of ceremony to dedicate the Halperin Family Wing was held on May 1. Trustees. She hadn’t planned what she was going to say, and she was surprised by what came out of her mouth. “This magnificent gift from Ruth and Bob Halperin will enable us to take our artistic program to new heights, most immediately by adding impor- “My last words were, with my fist upraised, ‘Man does not live by tant works of art to Stanford’s collection,” says Thomas K. Seligman, ’65, engineering alone!’” she recalls with a laugh. the John and Jill Freidenrich Director of the Cantor Arts Center. Having delivered this cri de coeur in a room filled with eminent sci- The Arts Initiative gift is the centerpiece of the Halperins’ total Stan- entists, business leaders, and, yes, engineers, she half-expected to be ford Challenge pledge of $13 million, which also includes $1 million greeted with stunned silence. Instead, the room erupted in applause. each to the medical center, the School of Education, and the Inter- Ruth Halperin, shown at home with “Bill Hewlett was right in front of me at the central table there, and national Initiative. The Halperins have broad philanthropic interests, her husband, Bob, and (below) he got up and cheered,” she says. though Ruth has a particular affection for the arts at Stanford. speaking at the dedication of the That the cofounder of Hewlett-Packard, a fellow alum, understood “Ruth’s special relationship with the museum goes back some twenty- that a grounding in the arts is crucial to a good education is the kind five years, during which time she has been a true ambassador for the Halperin Family Wing, is an avid art of thing that makes Halperin so devoted to her alma mater. (Loyalty arts at Stanford,” says Seligman. “She has come to our aid time and collector and advocate. to Stanford “runs in the blood,” she says; this fall a grandson became time again in so many ways—through her enthusiasm and genuine the eighth member of her family to enroll at the university.) love of the museum, and through her wonderful generosity. I also ap- PHOTOS: Steve Gladfelter and Steve Castillo preciate how supportive Bob has been to Ruth’s interests in the arts, Halperin is adamant that a fine university can never be a great uni- and I have enjoyed seeing him become engaged with projects they versity until its arts programs are as strong as its science programs, have made possible.” and as central to the university’s mission as its professional schools. Sixteen years ago, for instance, they established a curatorship in mod- She says she sees a serious commitment to that ideal at Stanford to- ern and contemporary art. At the 1995 groundbreaking ceremony to day, from President John L. Hennessy on down, as well as rebuild the museum, damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, from donors. She cites as one prominent example last “This magnificent gift from Bob surprised Ruth with the announcement he had made a gift to year’s gift from Helen and Peter Bing, ’55, to build name the museum’s photography gallery in her honor. Ruth and Bob Halperin will a concert hall that will be the centerpiece of a new enable us to take our artistic performing arts center at Stanford. The Halperins have also established funds at the museum for exhibi- tions and discretionary use and given it several works of art. program to new heights, “People like that, they’re the ones who make a tremendous difference,” Halperin says. “I These include “Stone River,” a flowing, 320-foot-long sculp- most immediately by adding make some difference, but obviously not on ture by Andy Goldsworthy, completed on important works of art to that scale.” the grounds of the Cantor Arts Center in 2004. Made of sandstone salvaged from A word one often hears associated with Ruth Stanford’s collection.” university buildings destroyed in the 1906 Halperin is “self-effacing”: She and her hus- and 1989 earthquakes, “Stone River” is the band, Bob, have actually been extraordi- —Thomas K. Seligman, ’65, largest work of outdoor art at Stanford, narily generous to Stanford over the years, the John and Jill Freidenrich both with their gifts and their time. [Ruth Director of the Cantor Arts Center Halperin is a recipient of this year’s Gold CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu Seeking Solutions:

A cornerstone of The Stanford Challenge is the effort to find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Scholars and researchers throughout the campus are forming collaborative teams to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by three major initiatives—the Initiative on Human Health, the Initiative on the Environment and Sustainability, and the International Initiative. These are areas where Stanford has great strengths and the potential to make significant con- tributions. Work on all three initiatives is driven by the conviction that Stanford has both the ability and the moral responsibility to make a difference in the world beyond the university campus. An inspiring example of this commitment is the Rural Education Action Project (REAP), through which a handful of Stanford academics and their supporters aim to make a major impact on education in China and beyond. (See the story on the facing page.) Even initiatives as far ranging as the three mentioned above cannot encompass all the interdisciplinary work of The Stanford Challenge. Multidisciplinary Research Across the University is a component of the campaign designed to support collaborative work in many other areas. As is explained below, these efforts have recently been furthered by an anonymous $25 million gift for the Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowships Program, which will support multidisciplinary research as well as the three key initiatives, and a $1.9 million gift from the Elfenworks Foundation for a visiting scholar position and a lectureship at the Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality.

Graduate fellowships are typically awarded by discipline, putting interdisciplinary students at a disadvantage. A $25 million pledge aims to change that at Stanford. PHOTO: Anne Knudsen

Anonymous Donor Gives a $25 Million Boost to Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies As the 2006–07 school year came to an end, Stanford got an early graduation present: An School of Humanities and Sciences Dean Richard Saller welcomed the audience to “A Concert for Hope,” a celebration of the launch of the Center for the Study of Poverty anonymous donor pledged $25 million to jump- and Inequality held in Stanford’s Memorial Church on September 6. Performances of music commissioned for the event were a highlight of the evening. PHOTOS: Steve Castillo start fundraising efforts for a new $100 million graduate fellowship program. The fund will sup- port graduate students doing interdisciplinary Elfenworks Gift Helps Fund Center for the Study of research at the university. Recent uncertainties in federal funding have Poverty and Inequality heightened concern about funding for graduate studies, and students engaged in interdisciplin- From struggles over land and ethnicity in Darfur, to violence in The foundation’s gifts of time, organizational assistance, and funds the Middle East, to income disparities in Asia, people on every helped get the new center off the ground last year. Elfenworks gave ary research often have trouble winning fellow- continent suffer as a result of poverty and inequality. Even in the an endowment to support a visiting scholar and a lectureship at CPI. ships awarded by individual departments or United States, the number of people living in poverty is larger than In addition, Elfenworks staff members developed the center-based outside agencies in any case. The Stanford Inter- the whole population of Canada. Many of the world’s most urgent Web site www.inequality.com, which is poised to become a clear- disciplinary Graduate Fellowships (SIGF) Program problems stem from economic or social inequities that threaten inghouse of information about poverty and inequality. Grusky has will help meet the need for new sources of re- both governments and individuals. recruited 400 prominent scholars to contribute articles and is assem- search funding. bling trend data as a resource for academics, students, and media. These topics call out for more research and policy work—a need The university will accept nominations in January that Stanford is addressing with its recently launched Center for Elfenworks’ support is also enabling Grusky to launch a magazine, for fellowships starting in fall 2008. Modeled on the Study of Poverty and Inequality (CPI), based in the School Poverty, Inequality, and Policy, with contributions from leading schol- the highly successful Stanford Graduate Fellow- of Humanities and Sciences’ Institute for Research in the Social ars, policy makers, and journalists. And for students, CPI is advanc- ships in Science and Engineering Program, the Sciences (IRiSS). ing undergraduates’ knowledge with its Controversies about Inequality course—which includes community debates by visiting professors— new SIGF fellowships will be available to PhD The story behind CPI begins with sociology professor David and a new graduate program for public policy students. students pursuing interdisciplinary research Grusky, who has focused on poverty and inequality for 18 years. both through existing university centers and pro- Grusky believed that with recent advances in social science, the To inaugurate the center, Elfenworks commissioned music by Stan- grams and through individually crafted research time had come to bring Stanford’s resources to bear on combating ford composer and professor Giancarlo Aquilanti for “A Concert for programs that involve departments throughout privation. “We can now combine our good intentions with good Hope.” The September event featured performances by the Elfen- the university. The fellowships will be awarded science to fight a smart war on poverty,” he says. works Festival String Ensemble and soloists. on a competitive basis to doctoral students in all When his efforts to launch a new multidisciplinary center were high- The center is based in IRiSS, which was recently established to ad- seven schools. lighted by the San Francisco Chronicle last year, Dr. Lauren Speeth, vance multidisciplinary research in the social sciences. The institute brings together scholars of sociology, psychology, political science, Patricia Gumport, MA ’82, MA ’86, PhD ’87, vice founding CEO of Burlingame, California–based Elfenworks Foun- dation, became interested in his work. economics, and many other fields to conduct socially relevant work. provost for graduate education, will oversee the Because IRiSS is a high priority for the School of Humanities and new program. The foundation’s mission fit well with Grusky’s approach, Speeth Sciences, the center was able to gain matching funds through the explains. “We have sought out organizations Hewlett Challenge, a matching program established in 2001 with a “It’s expected that most of the fellowships will whose goals are to eradicate poverty, bol- $300 million gift from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation be awarded to continuing doctoral students, as ster education, equalize opportunities, to encourage giving to the school. those who will pursue interdisciplinary research and alleviate human suffering, primarily are not necessarily known at the outset of their with a domestic focus. That’s what led Richard Saller, the Vernon R. and Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of graduate careers,” she says. “Incoming students us to Professor Grusky the School of Humanities and Sciences, recognizes CPI’s importance. will not, however, be excluded from nomination and the center,” says “Stanford is committed to ensuring that the center is positioned to or an award.” Speeth. lead the way in training science-based leaders in poverty and inequal- ity analysis and disseminating research on these fields,” he says.

Gifts from the Elfenworks Foundation helped launch the Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality. Professor David Grusky directs the new center; Dr. Lauren Speeth is Elfenworks’ founding CEO. PHOTO: Steve Castillo

2 seeking solutions thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu Seeking Solutions:

SEEKING SOLUTIONS—CAMPAIGN PROGRESS As of September 30, 2007

INITIATIVE ON HUMAN HEALTH

$267.9 M $500 M RAISED GOAL

INITIATIVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

$171.9 M $250 M RAISED GOAL

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE

$131.4 M $250 M RAISED GOAL

MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY

$219.0 M $400 M RAISED GOAL

HALPERIN ARTS INITIATIVE PLEDGE Continued from page 1 and one of the most important works in the museum’s collection. The Halperins com- (Left to right) A REAP team member interviews a rural high school student; a poor rural family; a village class. PHOTOS: Brian Sharbono missioned the sculpture in honor of for- mer Stanford President Gerhard Casper. Ruth Halperin likes to know the artists who made the works in her collection, REAP Aims to Sow Seeds of Hope for Rural Scholars which is extensive. She counts Goldswor- thy as a friend and knew him well before When an economy skyrockets, what happens to those tied to the The researchers will study the students for several years as they make he became internationally famous. She land? All too often, they get left behind. their way through a university. A group of students not participat- says she enjoys discovering artists no one ing in the scholarship program will also be surveyed, as a control. has ever heard of. It makes it that much That’s the case for China’s poor rural students. Despite the govern- more exciting when she comes across ment’s new commitment to improve rural education, urban-rural Private foundations recently committed $305,000 in seed money someone who shares the same enthusiasm differences remain large. Rural families are often too poor to afford for the project. REAP ultimately hopes to raise $5 million. for an obscure artist. more than the nine years of schooling required by law. Reliable re- Besides making a difference in the lives of the scholarship students, “You get so excited to find another person cords are not available, but it’s believed that fewer than 20 percent the researchers hope these studies will provide valuable information who responds the way you do,” she says. of rural children attend secondary school. about how aid and other efforts can affect students’ ability to pursue “It’s like finding a sister you didn’t know The gap is even greater in higher education, where Chinese uni- education, and the difference it makes in the lives of their families. existed. We usually hug and carry on.” versities are undergoing a dramatic transformation, with more The total cost of a year at a university is modest by U.S. standards: Halperin says she knows she’s lucky to educational opportunities and more funding for its students. But have the time and resources to collect and the equivalent of $2,000 or less. But the sum is so great for ru- these reforms do not necessarily reach young people in the coun- study art, meet artists, and travel widely ral families that they often must gamble their entire future on the tryside, where fewer than 2 percent make it to college. to broaden her knowledge. She has been success of a single university-bound child, who may be their one everywhere from Tunisia (to study mosa- “It’s unbelievably expensive from a poor student’s point of view,” chance to escape poverty. ics) to Peru (to see the treasures of Lima). says Jennifer Adams, an assistant professor at Stanford’s School of “If a student does well and gets into university, the younger children Her latest adventure is a trip to explore Education. “The cost of a university education can be 20 times a the smaller museums of Libya. in the family will drop out and get some kind of job” to help pay rural family’s income. It’s really mind-boggling.” the fees, says Adams. “Some families end up borrowing from But she adds that everyone can have a Adams directs Stanford’s Rural Education Action Project (REAP) everyone they know, so much they can’t look anyone in their personal relationship to art, and it would with her colleague Scott Rozelle, the Helen F. Farnsworth Senior village in the eye.” make a big difference in their lives if they did. Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Some families never recover from the financial burden, and the It’s one of the reasons she supports the REAP is a brand-new program with two goals. The first is to pressure on students is enormous. Scholarships could thus have an Arts Initiative, a key component of The improve the education of promising rural Chinese students who impact far beyond the immediate benefit of a funded education. Stanford Challenge. One of the goals of might not otherwise be able to secure an education. It aims to do The REAP researchers did an initial survey of 1,000 rural students the initiative is to integrate the arts into so through interventions such as awarding scholarships and loans this spring and hope to launch the study in the summer of 2008. the lives of every Stanford undergraduate, and providing access to information. This holds the potential to not just through the curriculum but also transform their lives and those of their families. Because so little is known about Chinese rural students and the through such innovative means as bring- choices they’re forced to make, REAP’s data promise to help gov- ing art into the dormitories. The second is to learn what interventions and policies might do ernment reformers learn what kind of aid will do the most good, the most good in the long run, pointing the way to structural “I hope Stanford students, who are some and when interventions should be made. changes that can extend the promise of Chinese education reform of the finest in the country, will avail themselves of some of the opportunities to the rural poor. The research should also have implications for REAP’s second phase will include experimenting with student loans and extending scholarships to high school students. The researchers we give them,” Halperin says. “They’re so education reforms in other countries. busy with themselves, I understand that hope the project will continue to grow from there. The program embodies the International Initiative’s commitment … but another part of the human spirit to conduct research that can make a difference beyond the “Stanford should be reaching out to the world, and it should must be taken care of.” n Stanford campus, and to find practical ways to make sure certainly be trying to have a presence in China,” says Adams. that it does. “You definitely see that in President Hennessy’s support for the different initiatives [of The Stanford Challenge]— Adams, Rozelle, and their colleagues have designed that the modern scholar’s approach should be figuring REAP to pursue both its goals at once. Depending on out problems and sharing what we learn. We have the how much money they manage to raise, the researchers capacity to take on big world problems that affect lots of will award hundreds of scholarships to poor but aca- people, and I think we should do that.” n demically qualified students selected randomly from a number of rural high schools. Jennifer Adams, a faculty member at the School of Education, co-directs the Rural Education Action Project. seeking solutions thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu 3 Educating Leaders:

The Stanford Challenge also aims to educate leaders for an increasingly complex world. New initiatives promise to transform the Stanford experience. These will integrate arts and creativity more fully into the curriculum and student life, reinvent gradu- ate education, and extend the renaissance in undergraduate education, building on the success of The Campaign for Under- graduate Education. Another effort looks far beyond the campus to find ways to improve K–12 education. Two recent gifts, detailed below and on the facing page, exemplify just how wide-ranging these initiatives are. A $4 million gift from Paul and Millie Berg will help build the Stanford School of Medicine’s Learning and Knowledge Center. A $4.5 million gift from the Palo Alto Foundation for Global Community will establish a fund to explore what it means to lead a meaningful life. Though these projects address issues concerning quality of life from very different perspectives, both are equally part of the Educating Leaders component of The Stanford Challenge.

Paul Berg won a Nobel Prize in 1980 for his work in recombinant DNA. He has been at Stanford for nearly 50 years. PHOTO: L. A. Cicero/Stanford News Service

An artist’s rendering of Stanford’s Learning and Knowledge Center. It is expected to cost $90.2 million to complete and should open in the spring of 2010. RENDERING: Courtesy of NBBJ Architects, San Francisco The Bergs Help Build the Med Center’s Future—Again

Paul Berg and his wife, Millie, will contribute to the renewal of the the future of medical science would have to rely on a deeper under- School of Medicine with a $4 million gift to help build the Learn- standing of molecules and genes, so in the early 1980s he began a ing and Knowledge Center, the focal point for the school’s future campaign to build the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic educational activities. The gift is one of the largest to the university Medicine. He succeeded in raising more than $50 million for the from a current faculty member. new facility, which opened in 1989. “This is a project I believe in strongly, because it will pave the way Berg became the first director of the center, stepping down from for a rebirth and new excitement in the training of medical stu- the post when he became an emeritus professor in 2000. Most days dents and medical scientists,” says Berg, the Robert W. and Vivian he can still be found in his basement office in the Beckman Center, K. Cahill Professor of Cancer Research, emeritus. writing books, lobbying for stem cell research, and, most recently, helping chart the medical school’s future. Berg, who came to Stanford nearly 50 years ago, says the collab- orative climate here made it possible to do the innovative work in He says he views the Learning and Knowledge Center as the start of recombinant DNA that earned him a Nobel Prize in 1980. He says a new era for the school, which intends to rejuvenate its campus with he believes the Learning and Knowledge Center (LKC) can create several new research, clinical, and educational facilities. an equally nurturing environment for the next generation of young “I believe we are special among medical schools in how we train physician-scientists who come through its doors. our students,” Berg says. “We aim to develop outstanding physi- The new building will rise on the site of Fairchild Auditorium and cians, but we also expect that they will be first and foremost medical Paul and Millie Berg are giving provide state-of-the-art facilities, including a new Center for Im- scientists—some, hopefully, being among the next generation of dis- $4 million to help build the Learning mersive and Simulation-Based Learning that will be unmatched in coverers. The mind-set achieved by doing investigation is important, the country. Such centers allow clinicians to practice surgical and and I think this facility is going to help us to prepare students for and Knowledge Center. other procedures in a highly realistic environment before perform- that role better than we were able to do it before.” ing them on patients. PHOTO: Steve Gladfelter Two of the large lecture halls in the new building will be named in The Bergs’ support for the building extends beyond their gener- honor of the Bergs. ous gift: Paul Berg also co-chairs the fundraising effort for the “I enjoy teaching,” Berg says. “As my son says, I’m a ham actor. Be- new building with Akiko Yamazaki, ’90. Yamazaki and her hus- ing an actor himself, he once noted that what he and I do is not that band, Yahoo! cofounder Jerry Yang, ’90, MS ’90, recently an- much different. It’s essentially communication. To me, teaching is nounced they would contribute $5 million to the building. the means by which we impart knowledge and, more importantly, The estimated cost of the new center is $90.2 million. our values to the next generation.” School officials hope to open it in the spring of 2010. Berg says he hopes his financial commitment to the new center will Philip Pizzo, the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of encourage others, particularly faculty, to follow in his path in what- the School of Medicine, says he was “deeply touched ever way they can. by Millie and Paul’s gift on so many different levels. Thanks to their generosity, we are now one step closer “This is our home,” he says. “This is where many of us have spent to bringing the LKC to fruition,” he says. “But this most of our waking hours, and now we have an opportunity to make gift also represents an affirmation by two wonderful it even better. We should be aiming to make our teaching programs members of our Stanford community of the value they match the amazing science for which we are so widely admired. By place in our vision for the future—which the LKC will contributing to this expansion and development, Stanford’s medical symbolize and embrace.” school is taking the lead as it has so often in the past.” n Early in his career, Berg developed a reputation for his pioneer- ing work in recombinant DNA. That work convinced him that A version of this story originally appeared in Stanford Report.

4 educating leaders thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu Educating Leaders:

EDUCATING LEADERS—CAMPAIGN PROGRESS As of September 30, 2007

IMPROVING K–12 EDUCATION

$67.0 M $125 M RAISED GOAL

ENGAGING THE ARTS AND CREATIVITY

$128.6 M $250 M RAISED GOAL

REINVENTING GRADUATE EDUCATION

$259.2 M $500 M RAISED GOAL

EXTENDING THE RENAISSANCE IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

$119.7 M $300 M RAISED GOAL

In February 1931, Harry Rathbun, ’16, ENG ’20, JD ’29, met Emilia Juana Lindeman. He married her on August 17, 1931, in the Stanford Chapel. PHOTO: Courtesy of the Rathbun family

“Harry’s Last Lecture” Lives on Thanks to $4.5 Million Gift

A poignant letter in the Stanford Daily sparked the tradition. discuss ethics, psychology, and religion. Among the students who participated was retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, ’50, LLB ’52, Harry Rathbun, a Stanford Law School professor from the 1930s who credited Rathbun with influencing her decision to go to law through the 1950s, was reading the paper one day and was struck by school and helping to shape the course of her life. a letter from a graduating student. He wrote that he feared going out into a world he didn’t understand, Rathbun later recalled. Fittingly, O’Connor has been selected as the inaugural Rathbun Fel- low. The program will bring her to campus from April 20 to 22, “I had to tell those kids that the meaning of life was up to them, that 2008, and she will give her own “Last Lecture” on April 22. no teacher and no school and nobody else could hand it to them like a diploma,” he said. Rathbun, who was born in 1894, earned mechanical and electrical engineering degrees from Stanford before working in industry and He decided to devote the last lecture of his business law class to then returning for a law degree. After he retired, he continued to a discussion of the meaning of life. The lecture became an annual teach in the law school as well as in the business school’s executive tradition, and over the years “Harry’s Last Lecture” grew so popular development and Sloan programs, where he lectured in business it had to be held in Memorial Auditorium to handle the crowds that law and business ethics. He and Emilia cofounded the Sequoia turned up to hear it. Seminar, which in the 1960s became the Creative Initiative, later Rathbun retired in 1959 and died in 1987. But the tradition he start- Beyond War, and is now the Foundation for Global Community. ed will live on, thanks to a $4.5 million gift to the Of- The endowment will establish the Rathbun fice for Religious Life. The gift will endow a new Visiting Fellow Program for five or more years. fund, the Harry and Emilia Rathbun Fund It will also support other new programs, for Exploring What Leads to a Meaning- like weekly gatherings of the deans for ful Life, named in honor of the late religious life with student Fellows for professor and his late wife. The en- Religious Encounter. It will also sup- dowment is a gift of the Foundation port activities currently sponsored for Global Community, which is by the Office for Religious Life, headed by the Rathbuns’ son including the “What Matters to Richard, who graduated from Me and Why” series, the Heyns Stanford in 1966. Lecture series, and the Baccalau- The fund will support activities reate celebration. n that encourage self-reflection and moral inquiry, including a new visiting fellows program, which will include “Harry’s Last Lecture Harry Rathbun, a law school on a Meaningful Life.” The program professor for more than three will invite major figures to come to campus in the weeks leading up to Com- decades, and his wife, Emilia, mencement to talk to students about personal hosted discussions with students values, beliefs, and motivations. at their Palo Alto home. Rathbun and his wife, Emilia, who died in 2004, would undoubt- PHOTO: Courtesy of the Rathbun family edly have been pleased with the plan. They regularly hosted Sunday night gatherings at their Palo Alto home, where students came to

A version of this story originally appeared in Stanford Report. educating leaders thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu 5 Sustaining a Foundation of Excellence:

Even as Stanford branches out in exciting new directions, it is vital for it to maintain the foundation of excellence it built over its first century. The Stanford Challenge recognizes this need and has made sure that funding for professorships and fellowships, program support funds, and the priorities of individual schools are very much a part of the campaign. The Stanford Challenge also aims to increase annual giving from alumni, students, and friends throughout the university. The stories below and on the facing page present two very different examples of ways in which alumni are working to sustain the foundation of excellence at Stanford.

Jon Erickson, ’65, supports Stanford in many ways, ranging from a gift to build basketball courts in the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation (above) to hands-on work installing webcams at Stanford Stadium (below). PHOTOS: David Gonzales Retired Stanford Staffer is Untiring Stanford Booster

People have many retirement dreams. But going right back to Erickson chose to honor his family this way not only to ac- the office isn’t generally one of them. knowledge that family assets made the gift possible but also be- Yet Jon Erickson, ’65, did just that when he retired in 2002, cause his parents were themselves strong Stanford supporters. more than three decades after he began work at Stanford. That’s Erickson was born and raised in San Jose, and attending Stan- how fond he is of his alma mater. ford was always the ultimate educational goal. An only child, “My philosophy for all things is, if you don’t enjoy what you’re he still remembers spotting his parents in the crowd at Frost doing, then don’t do it,” he says. “The things I get involved in Amphitheater when he graduated in 1965, and how proud they I enjoy doing. If it ever comes to a point when I don’t enjoy it, were. One other memory sticks out. adios. But I don’t foresee that. Stanford has so much to offer in “I got my diploma from [Stanford President] Wally Sterling and got so many areas.” to shake that man’s enormous hand—it just enveloped my hand.” Erickson spent 18 years as Stanford’s bursar, but his postretire- Erickson has the distinction of being Stanford’s last bursar. A rather ment work has centered on the athletics program. He started by “olde worlde” term that dates from monastic times, a bursar is a helping out here and there, but then things “kind of kind of college treasurer. At Stanford, the bursar was re- just mushroomed.” sponsible for making sure student tuition got paid. He was named manager of special projects for The bursar’s job functions remain, but the title Stanford Athletics and found himself work- was retired along with Erickson. ing nearly full time on the renovation of the Erickson has always been deeply involved Maples Pavilion basketball arena, and then with Stanford. While bursar, he volun- overtime on the new Stanford Stadium, teered as a freshman advisor, an usher at which was completed last year. the Sunday Flicks, and the master of fire- A self-confessed techie, Erickson installed works at special events such as Big Game. and maintained five webcams that ringed He is still advisor to the Axe Committee, a the top of the stadium so the curious could post he has held since 1982. follow construction progress through their The committee is responsible for guarding the computers. The cams proved so popular, drawing Stanford Axe, which serves as the trophy for Big millions of hits a month, that the servers were repeat- Game, the storied football match between Stanford and edly overwhelmed and Erickson had to climb up and fix them. the University of California at Berkeley. The committee’s other Even with glitches like these, Erickson finds his postretirement responsibility is to get the axe back if it falls into Cal hands. Stanford career to be “just one hell of a lot of fun.” And it’s only Attempts to steal the axe before the game can be even more one part of his continuing commitment to the university, and in memorable than the games themselves, and Erickson sometimes particular to the athletics program. has to put the kibosh on the spectacular ideas the committee, He has given $5 million to support Stanford Athletics, earmark- which is run by students, comes up with. ing most of it to support stadium construction and to build the When all else fails, however, Erickson says with a laugh Erickson Family Courts, three airy, glass-enclosed basketball that he sometimes has one more role to play for Stanford: courts in the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation. bail bondsman. n

6 sustaining a foundation of excellence thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu Sustaining a Foundation of Excellence:

SUSTAINING A FOUNDATION OF EXCELLENCE—CAMPAIGN PROGRESS As of September 30, 2007

CORE SUPPORT

$683.5 M $1.325 B RAISED GOAL

ANNUAL GIVING ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY

$137.2 M $400 M RAISED GOAL

Okokon B. Okon III, ’89, MS ’91, shown here with Freeman Diallo Perry Rabb, the nephew of his friend Maurice Rabb, ’89, MS ’93. Okon died three years ago. His former classmates are raising funds for a fellowship in his honor. PHOTO: Courtesy of Maurice Rabb Spurred by a Tragic Death, Alums Honor an Inspiring Life

When Okokon B. Okon III, ’89, MS ’91, a 36-year-old software in his footsteps. We thought it a fitting way to help Okon’s spirit engineer and entrepreneur, was attacked and killed behind his live on.” Atlanta office building three years ago, his friends were horrified A descendant of Nigerian chiefs, Okon was known for his posi- by the crime, which has never been solved. But a group of his tive outlook and sharp intellect, and was considered the spiritual former classmates was also inspired to find a way to remember center of a group of African-American students at Stanford in the and honor an individual known for his intelligence, openness, late ’80s. These younger men and women treated Okon like an leadership, and enthusiasm. older brother and took his encouragement to heart, with many Through e-mails and in-person discussions, some of Okon’s close going on to earn MDs, MSs, MBAs, and PhDs. He was an avid friends came up with the idea of establishing an endowed fellow- traveler and liked to take spontaneous trips to visit friends and ship for future engineering students from diverse backgrounds. family across the country and abroad. He taught himself French They spread the word, set up a Web site, and solicited donations and Portuguese, and ventured across the continents, from Europe at class reunions and through direct appeals. to South America to Africa. Phrase book in hand, Okon made friends easily and “would fall in with perfect strangers,” according “His life was spent learning,” says Maurice Rabb, ’89, MS ’93, to Metz. who roomed with Okon in Ujamaa House and shared an apartment with him in Chicago for 10 years. “He The fundraising committee hopes a fellowship in was always learning and staying abreast of the Okon’s name will create opportunities for stu- field. I remember him at Stanford encour- dents to attend Stanford and develop into aging younger students to pursue excel- leaders. “He was a free spirit and loved to lence in their academics and to pursue laugh, which just drew people to him. advanced degrees. He always said that He was simply brilliant and a natural- education provides the confidence to born leader, but he led by example,” move forward.” says Metz. “He was very inspirational, and it was easy to talk about anything The goal is to have the fellowship with him. These are attributes we fully endowed by January 23, 2008— hope to encourage in the students who what would have been Okon’s 40th receive this fellowship.” n birthday. As of this writing, another $120,000 is needed to endow the fund. An anonymous donor recently pledged to Okokon B. Okon III (left) with his match up to $50,000 in new gifts made to the friend Maurice Rabb. fund, meaning Okon’s friends are within $70,000 of PHOTO: Courtesy of Maurice Rabb meeting the goal. “This fellowship will be a legacy to Okon that will last way past For more information or to make a gift to the Okokon Okon our lifetimes,” says Lloyd Metz, ’90, a Wall Street financier who Fellowship Fund, visit www.okonfellowship.org. met Okon during his freshman year. “We hope it will help to identify, encourage, and support talented students who can follow sustaining a foundation of excellence thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu 7 2 Seeking Solutions Stanford University Presorted First Class Office of Development U.S. Postage Educating Leaders 4 Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center PAID 6 Sustaining a Foundation 326 Galvez Street Permit No. 28 of Excellence Stanford, California 94305-6105 Palo Alto, CA

Editor in Chief: Rebecca Smith Vogel Executive Editor: William Friar, ’85, MA ’87 Contributing Editor: Ann Dethlefsen Madden, ’81, MA ’83 Assistant Editor Barbara Bigelow Rogers Additional Writing: Meredith Alexander Kunz, MA ’99 Ruthann Richter, MA ’79 Derek Rosenfield Ruth Schecter Lisa Trei Design: Christine Field Printed on 100% post-consumer fiber FSC certified, with vegetable-based inks

Sustaining a Foundation of Excellence:

The Atwell Match: Sparking a Lifetime of Generosity

Some young alumni wait to make gifts to Stanford until they’re to study medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. well established in their careers and have greater resources. She received her MD in 1942. They feel smaller gifts don’t make enough of a difference. A longtime resident of San Francisco, Atwell made annual gifts Those who’ve worked closely with Stanford in its fundrais- to The Stanford Fund for many years. In 1985, she endowed a ing campaigns know that even the smallest gift is valuable, as scholarship in memory of her friend, Margaret C. Barr. The Mar- these are generally unrestricted and can go immediately where garet C. Barr Cap and Gown Scholarship was created for “deserv- they are most needed. ing undergraduate women students. A preference shall be given to those female students who participate But under a new program, students and young in sports, either individually or as a part of an alums will now be able to multiply the organized activity.” power of their annual gifts. At her death in 2006, Atwell left Stanford Thanks to a generous unrestricted be- an unrestricted bequest. To honor her quest from Susanna Atwell, ’37, MA legacy of loyal giving, the university has ’38, the university is able to offer the used part of the bequest to create the Atwell Match—a giving program de- Atwell Match. n signed to encourage annual giving from recent graduates and current students. Annual fund gifts from alums who grad- A bequest from Susanna Atwell, ’37, MA uated within the last 10 years from one ’38, will be used to encourage gifts from of Stanford’s degree-granting programs will qualify for the Atwell Match. The match also ap- current students and young alums. plies to current students. PHOTO: 1937 Stanford Quad Outright gifts will be matched at a ratio of 1:2, and payments on multiyear pledges will be matched 1:1. Donors may give to For further information on the Atwell Match or the impact more than one annual fund, since each gift or pledge qualifies of annual giving, visit atwellmatch.stanford.edu or con- for the match. (Matching gifts are capped at $1,000 per gift tact Diane Reynolds, director of direct appeal services, at or pledge payment.) 650.736.1302 or [email protected]. The Atwell Match’s namesake, Susanna Atwell, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology before going on