Donor Support for UC Davis Programs Passes $50 Million Mark Gifts to UC Davis from alumni, friends, corporations and foundations in 1997-98 reached $52.1 million. "Private support is playing such a very important role in maintaining the excellence of universities like ours," noted UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. "We are now, more than ever before, dependent on the generosity of our many alumni and friends if we are to make the strides we expect in teaching and research, and in public service to our communities in this world. My optimism about our UC Davis future is bolstered by this growing spirit of philanthropy." Corporations continued to be the largest source of donor funds, providing $19.4 million. Corporate partnerships are playing an increasingly important role on the campus; more than 80 companies now belong to the Graduate School of Management's Business Partnership Program, and corporate affiliates provide crucial unrestricted support to the Institute of Transportation Studies. In 1995-96, the only year when funds raised exceeded this year's total, corporate support made the difference. That year, private gifts totaled $59.4 million and included an unprecedented corporate donation of $17.4 million worth of software and licenses from Mentor Graphics. Similar gifts-in-kind of equipment, library acquisitions, software and other tangible goods totaled $2.7 million this year. The UC Davis Foundation, the campus's premier support group, raised $15.2 million of the total gifts, surpassing its previous best of $10.6 million in 1994-95. Chaired last year by Julita Fong, the foundation oversees the campus's annual giving programs, supports campuswide campaigns and manages an endowment of $29.3 million. Alumni giving more than doubled, from $2.9 million to $6.1 million, thanks to several large individual donations. The five largest alumni gifts came from Wayne and Jacque Bartholomew, Hal and Carol Sconyers, Rand Schaal, Russ and Jean Fiddyment, and the estate of Eugene Boone. Student support totaled $5.9 million. The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) continued to support graduate students pursuing research in the natural sciences, engineering and medicine by providing $55,000 this year. ARCS has contributed more than $700,000 over a 28-year period to outstanding young scholars at UC Davis. Some campus units that particularly benefited from donor gifts included: -- The College of Letters and Science reached a record high of $3.5 million in private support. Russ and Jean Fiddyment gave property to create an endowed chair in Latin American Studies and to fund scholarships through the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. Rand Schaal, an alumnus and lecturer in the Department of Geology, and his father, Ted Schaal, gave $1.4 million to the department and to athletics. The geology department also received a gift from Roy Shlemon to establish an endowed chair. Alva Englund, a Sacramento school teacher, left a bequest of almost $1 million to fund student scholarships in the English department and in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "As the College of Letters and Science prepares for unprecedented growth over the next 10 years, it is heartening to know that we have such generous support from alumni and friends of the college," said JoAnn Cannon, dean of the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies. "Their contributions make a tremendous difference. "Support for such endeavors as endowed chairs, scholarships and fellowships will allow Letters and Science to meet the very high standards we have set for academic growth." -- The $11.6 million received by the School of Veterinary Medicine represented a record-breaking year as well. For much of the year, the school was in the quiet phase of a $50 million campaign to celebrate its 50th anniversary. When the campaign was publicly announced in August, $21 million -- 42 percent of the goal -- had been raised. "If we are to improve our aging facilities and achieve our strategic visions for veterinary education and research, sources of private funding are critical supplements to our public support," said veterinary school dean Bennie I. Osburn. Gifts to the veterinary school included $1.25 million from the Paul C. and Borghild Petersen Foundation to support studies of the usefulness of genetically engineered viruses against naturally occurring brain tumors in dogs. The Petersen Foundation also pledged to match up to $500,000 in gifts to a new oncology unit in the Center for Companion Animal Health. -- The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences continued its efforts to complete the Harry E. Jacob Research Facility at the Oakville Experimental Vineyard and to complete the Joe A. Heidrick Sr. Western Center for Agricultural Equipment. The college also began planning for a new Seed Biotechnology Center. Total support to the college totaled $10.8 million. Students of the college will benefit from a $2 million trust established by the Eugene Boone family. The funds will be used for student loans and intern stipends. Eugene Boone '32, former head of the largest frozen-food company in the nation, was a long-time supporter of UC Davis. -- The UC Davis Health System had its second best year with a total of $10.5 million in private support. Lou and Nancy Montfort established a $1.5 million trust that will ultimately support research and life-extending care at the Cancer Center. An $11 million campaign for the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) program was launched. -- The campaign to build the Lake Tahoe Center for Environmental Research reached $4.3 million of its $12 million goal. -- The Division of Biological Sciences wrapped up its campaign to complete the Life Sciences Addition through the commissioning and installation of a four-story sculpture, "Portrait of a DNA Sequence" by Roger Perry. The division's private support climbed to $1.8 million. -- The School of Law focused much of its private fund-raising efforts on programs to support students. It raised $263,500. -- UC Davis libraries received significant contributions from two distinguished civil activists, Mario G. Obledo and Kyung Won "K.W." Lee. Obledo donated his private papers, which chronicle Chicano political activism in the 1970s and 1980s. Lee, an investigative reporter, donated his research files. -- A volunteer campaign, led by emeritus faculty member Dick Gable, reached its goal of $300,000 to produce "Abundant Harvest," the first comprehensive history of UC Davis. The UC Davis Foundation provided a $150,000 challenge grant that was met by the volunteers and donors this year.