The magazine of the University of Nevada, Reno • Spring 2009 NEVADA SILVER & BLUE • Spring 2009 • HONOR ROLL DONOR APPRECIATION & Honor Roll of Donors 2008 ANNUAL REPORT Photoillustration byPatrick McFarland Gallery of Benefactors: The Faces of Private Foundations Dorothy Lemelson Back Cover: Dorothy Lemelson is chair of the Carol Franc Buck Lemelson Foundation, which Carol Franc Buck is a she founded with her husband, philanthropist and avid Jerry, one of the world’s most supporter of opera and prolific inventors. Lemelson is the arts. In addition to fostering the couple’s dream of supporting the Mathewson- encouraging and supporting the next generation IGT Knowledge Center, she of inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. In supports many of northern forming new avenues of opportunity for tomorrow’s Nevada’s major cultural creators, the Lemelson Foundation focuses on institutions, including the Reno Philharmonic, understanding, documenting, and promoting the Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Opera, Sierra invention and innovation as significant contributors Nevada Chorale and the Nevada Ballet Theatre, to the strength and sustainability of social and among others. Buck serves as president of the economic life. In addition to her work with the Carol Franc Buck Foundation, is an original director Lemelson Foundation, she also leads and funds the of the Frank and Eva Buck Foundation, and has Lemelson Education and Assistance Program (LEAP), served as a director of the Buck Center on Aging which works to improve children’s lives primarily in Marin County, Calif. and as a board member of through the support of public education. She was the San Francisco Opera since 1981. In 2006, she awarded the University’s President’s Medal in 2001. received the Nevada Governor’s Art Award for “her outstanding and enduring contributions to Nevada W. M. Keck through artistic achievement, commitment, and The W. M. Keck Foundation service to the arts.” was established in 1954 in Los Angeles by William Myron Fritz B. Burns Keck, founder of the Superior Fritz B. Burns was a community Oil Company. The foundation developer and philanthropist is one of the nation’s largest in Los Angeles. He pioneered philanthropic organizations and provided funds in mass-produced private housing 1983 for the Keck Mine Ventilation Laboratory, and for defense workers in Southern additional equipment within the Paul Laxalt Mineral California in the late 1930s, and Engineering Building. In 1988, the foundation later created one of the nation’s provided funds for the renovation of the Mackay first shopping malls, some of Hawaii’s first tourist School of Mines Building. One grandson, Robert hotels, ground-breaking apartment complexes in Day, is chairman, president and CEO of the Keck Los Angeles, industrial parks and shopping centers Foundation, along with his brothers, Howard M. throughout Southern Calif. “Matt,” ’68 (agriculture), who is vice chairman, and T. J., who is a director. Conrad Hilton ranches throughout Nevada and California. Charles N. Mathewson Conrad Hilton founded Like so many early settlers of the Truckee Charles N. Mathewson is the international chain Meadows, their ranches were developed into an investor and chairman of business hotels that commercial properties. The old Matley home emeritus of International bear his name. He bought ranch is now part of Reno-Tahoe International Game Technology. his first hotel in 1919 and Airport. Despite his business skills, he was Mathewson received founded the first so- always most at home in the saddle, and would his bachelor of finance named Hilton Hotel in 1925 in Dallas, Texas. want to be remembered as a good cowboy. degree from the University of Southern Hilton Hotels grew into the first coast-to-coast Marshall was a generous man who gave to California in 1953 and graduated from the hotel chain, placing a special emphasis on many charities and helped many people University of California Management Program the business traveler. Hilton also purchased during his lifetime. in 1960. He is the director of the Charles N. other prestigious inns, including the Sir Francis Mathewson Foundation, which provided the Drake in San Francisco, New York’s Waldorf- lead gift for construction of the Mathewson- Astoria and the Palmer House in Chicago. Front Cover: IGT Knowledge Center. He was awarded the Hilton’s son Barron followed him as head of the Bob and Jan Davidson University’s President’s Medal in 2004. company, which by the year 2000 had nearly Bob and Jan Davidson are 500 hotels around the world. Conrad Hilton educational entrepreneurs E. L. Cord died in 1979, leaving the bulk of his estate to and philanthropists who Errett Lobban “E. L.” Cord his philanthropic organization, the Conrad N. developed the “Blaster was a builder, creator and Hilton Foundation. The foundation supports series” of educational innovator remembered programs for safe water, the blind and the software, including Math most often for his car- homeless as well as education initiatives. Blaster and Reading Blaster. building enterprises, which They sold their software company in the early include the Duesenberg, John Ben Snow 1990s and founded the Davidson Institute for the Auburn and the Cord automobiles. John Ben Snow amassed Talent Development—a national nonprofit Cord founded the Cord Corporation in 1929 fortunes on two organization dedicated to supporting as a holding company for more than 150 continents: in Europe, gifted young people. The Davidsons have companies he controlled, mostly in the field of as a competitive and contributed major gifts to establish the transportation. He also owned several of the innovative executive with Davidson Academy of Nevada, a free public first radio and television stations in California F. W. Woolworth, and in school for profoundly gifted middle and high and later Nevada, where he moved in the his native America as the dynamic publisher school students, on the University’s campus 1940s. During that decade, he filled in for a of the Speidel Newspapers. After retiring and the Davidson Mathematics and Science Nevada state legislator who had died in the from Woolworth’s in 1939, Snow devoted the Center, currently under construction on the middle of his term and again rose to fame as remainder of his life to building the Speidel southeast side of campus. a politician in his later life. Established in 1962, chain and publishing the Western Horseman. the E. L. Cord Foundation has distributed major Throughout his life, John Ben Snow shared William N. Pennington funding to virtually every area of campus. his wealth with relatives, friends and business William N. Pennington built associates. He gave generously and freely to four successful businesses Nell J. Redfield those persons and causes he cherished. He in Nevada. Immediately Nell Jones Redfield preferred to “invest” in people, especially the after serving as an Army was born and raised young, by making financial assistance available. pilot in World War II, he in Idaho. She worked became a prominent for and married LaVere Jean Mallory home-builder in the Reno Redfield, who was active Jean Mallory was the area. In the 1960s, he pioneered electronic in the stock market last surviving heir of gaming equipment. In 1974, he acquired Circus and became very Marion Mallory Sr., the Circus, and soon turned the business into successful. The Redfields moved to Reno founder of the Mallory Nevada’s leading employer and one of the most in the 1930s and started to buy land in Corporation and inventor successful gaming companies in the world. Washoe County. Redfield created the Nell J. of the “Mallory ignition.” He also engaged in wildcat oil exploration Redfield Foundation in 1974. She had many Marion Mallory held over simultaneously with his other business interests, connections with people on the University 200 automotive patents in the United States becoming Nevada’s largest oil producer for a campus, particularly the medical school. and Europe. Jean Mallory founded the Mallory number of years. He established the William The Nell J. Redfield Foundation has been a Foundation in Carson City in 1991. N. Pennington Foundation in 1989 to provide major benefactor to the University of Nevada, grants to Nevada-based organizations in Reno, community college education, primary Marshall R. Matley the areas of education, community services, and secondary education, as well as general Marshall Reno Matley was health care and medical research. He has given community projects in the Truckee Meadows. a rancher and prominent significanntly to the Nevada School of Medicine. The foundation is the primary backer of the businessman from a Pennington was bestowed the Distinguished Redfield Campus, a unique, ambitious plan pioneer Reno family. Nevadan award by the Nevada Board of Regents to provide higher education alternatives to Marshall and his brothers in 1997 and awarded the University’s President’s students throughout northern Nevada. owned and operated Medal in 2007. He received an honorary degree from the University in 2008. Donald W. Reynolds and was devoted to her family and her a skilled opera singer who carried on her Donald Worthington community. She was always volunteering, husband’s philanthropy after his passing in Reynolds was an and loved to help anyone, especially 1965. The Orvis’ generosity helped establish American businessman, children. The mission of the Marguerite the Orvis School of Nursing in 1957. media owner and Wattis Petersen Foundation is to “create philanthropist. He opportunities for a positive day, a promising Leon and was best known for tomorrow and a confident future for all.” Jacqueline his involvement in the Nightingale Donrey Media Group. During World War II, Hazel and Leon he was the officer in charge of the Pacific Herbert Bretzlaff Nightingale and London editions of the “soldiers” The Bretzlaff was president newspaper YANK. He attained the rank of Foundation was and principal major, received the Legion of Merit, Purple established by owner of Heart and Bronze Star during his military Hazel Bretzlaff the Club Cal Neva and co-owner of the service.