Both our donors and the beneficiaries of their generosity have stories to share. Read their stories below.
Alumnus Establishes Professorships as Part of his Legacy
Peter Jordan (BS ’57) remembers many happy hours spent tinkering with a chemistry kit in his basement as a kid growing up in Los Angeles. “One day, my experiment got out of hand,” he recalls. “My parents were having a party, and the smoke came up the stairs. I didn’t do that again.”
Fueling the Enterprise of Discovery
As a doctoral student in chemistry during the early 1980s, David Beratan (PhD ’86) recalls a Caltech community that was highly collaborative and creative.
Torchbearers Celebrated at Appreciation Luncheon
Nearly 100 Torchbearers, students, faculty, and staff gathered at the president’s residence on April 18 for a special luncheon hosted by President Thomas F. Rosenbaum and his wife, Katherine T. Faber, the Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science.
A Renaissance Couple Who Enriched the Lives of Others
Irving “Irv” (BS ’37, MS ’38, MS ’39) and Shirley Ashkenas were deeply compassionate, devoted not only to their family but also to the world around them. “They learned from their parents that if you’re fortunate to be able to give, you should give,” says their daughter, Sharon Fabian, a retired school principal. “It is a very strong tenet in our family philosophy.”
Inspiring Future Entrepreneurs to Reach for the Prize
As an undergraduate in the late 1970s, Tim D. Ryan already was harnessing his natural entrepreneurial spirit to launch the first of many businesses. He and two roommates spent nights in the campus machine shop crafting the protype of what would become the Con Brio Advanced Digital Synthesizer and the focus of his first company. At the time, not many other Caltech undergrads were thinking about growing a business.
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A native of Yuma, Arizona, this alumnus was offered a full scholarship to attend the University of Arizona. His parents, who had limited resources to fund his education, considered the local university the practical choice, as did his high school counselors. Yet, this alumnus’ heart and mind wanted Caltech. In his junior year of high school, his science teacher drove him and other talented students to Pasadena for Seminar Day.
A Caltech Marriage and a Commitment to Student Research
Dan Harris (PhD ’73) was 20 years old when he arrived at Caltech in September 1968 to work on a PhD in chemistry with Harry B. Gray, the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry. In December, Dan met freshman Sally Mais at a mixer at Caltech with students from Pomona College.
Lighting the Future
Torchbearers, students, faculty, and staff came together at the Athenaeum on April 26 for the annual Torchbearers Legacy Society Appreciation Luncheon to celebrate the Caltech community.
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Born in Taiwan, this alumna moved to New York at the age of two. As a student, she gravitated toward physics, and when a high school science teacher recommended Caltech, she decided to check out the Institute.
Optimizing the Future
From the early years of NASA flight missions through the development of the space station, Dr. Hamid Habib-Agahi has been a witness to history in his almost four decades of working at JPL, which is managed by Caltech for NASA.
The Gift of a Bright Future
At seven years old, Jay Frogel (PhD ’71) fell in love with astronomy. He would grab his friend, a pair of binoculars, and a telescope and stare at the stars above the Catskills in southern New York. Together, they looked for constellations and marveled at the mysteries of the Milky Way.
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If you were one of the students who commuted to class in the mid to late 1960s, you might have cruised to campus with this alumnus.
Torchbearers Legacy Society Appreciation Luncheon
The threat of a spring rain could not dampen the spirits of attendees at the annual Torchbearers Appreciation Luncheon on April 13.
From Devotees to Donors
Valerie and Jeffrey "Jeff" Engle are passionate about science's ability to evoke wonder and fuel progress.
A Scholarship Offer That Changed Everything
When Ron and Shirley Hsieh suggested that their younger son, Scott, take the SAT at the same time as his older, college-bound brother, they intended it to be a simple exercise in test taking. They had no idea how it would affect the trajectory of Scott’s life.
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If you were a member of the Caltech band or attended any of their performances in the late 1960s or early ’70s, you might recognize this alumnus.
Open Door, Open Heart
All people, including the timid, the brilliant, and the free-spirited, were welcome at the home of Jeffrey Goldsmith (MS ’95). Every Monday and Saturday for more than three decades, he brought out his personal collection of 1,000 board games and encouraged friends to play.
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This alumnus lent his bass voice to the Caltech Glee Club, performing bright Broadway tunes as well as somber Gregorian chants for audiences throughout California.
Coming Full Circle
Paula and Uri Bernstein support scholarships with a bequest to the place where their relationship blossomed.
Couple Establishes Scholarship Fund for Middle-Class Students
For more than 87 years, JPL has opened doors to the universe. For Gail and William "Bill" Robinson, the famed lab managed by Caltech opened doors of opportunity.
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This alumnus grew up in Alhambra, just a 10-minute drive from Caltech. He saw his high school’s most talented students pursue their passion for science and engineering at Caltech. As an aspiring physicist, he was eager to join them.
Building a Bridge between Ideas and Solutions
Gwendolynn “Lynn” Taber says she always felt like a teenager when she was near John Taber (BS ’46). She was 65 years old when she met John, 76, on a hiking expedition in New Zealand in 2002. After spending the day outdoors, the pair would go shopping and eat dinner together. John even bought her a scoop of ice cream.
Supporting Future Students
While Richard Campbell (MS ’77) only spent one year at Caltech, the Institute had an outsized impact on his life and career. So much so that he recently set up a bequest to support scholarships.
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This alumnus wanted to be a physicist from the moment he learned about the profession in grade school. So, when an uncle who lived in Pasadena told him about Caltech, he knew right away where he wanted to get his education.
An Employee’s Dream of an Education Lives On
The legacy of World War II is incalculable. The war preserved freedom, ignited a Cold War, and changed the trajectories of many lives—like that of Sophia Su-Hwei Yen.
Gratitude for Caltech Fellowship Inspires Planned Gift
By the time William (Bill) Pegram (MS ’85, PhD ’89) arrived at Caltech, the St. Louis native had already completed a self-designed bachelor’s program in computer science, philosophy, and linguistics and obtained an MBA (concentrating in economics and public management), both from Stanford University.
Building a Path to Success at Caltech
Growing up in Elverson, a small Pennsylvania borough, Thomas McCord (MS ’66, PhD ’68) knew more about cornfields and wild game than major research universities.
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If you attended Caltech during the early 1960s—or were visiting from a nearby college—you may have met this alumnus at a Dabney mixer. If you didn’t socialize with Darbs, you may have played with him in the band, in which case you surely will remember how the director, John Deichman, secured a gig on Disneyland’s Main Street and scored each band member an entire book of E tickets.
Here’s to Great Engineers
Earlier this year, Dorlene Root faced a big decision: Whom would she name in her will? She was pleasantly surprised to discover that some of life’s biggest decisions end up being the easiest ones.
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This alumnus wrote part of his dissertation at Santa Monica State Beach. He would study the DNA of bacteriophages, then look up to enjoy views of the ocean with his first wife, Marilyn Huskey.
Father-Son Bond Lives on with a Gift to Caltech
The late experimental nuclear physicist William Rodman (Rod) Smythe (BS ’51, MS ’52, PhD ’57) lived life according to a distinctive ethos.
One Professorship, Two Gifts
There are almost as many ways to make a gift to Caltech as there are reasons people decide to support the Institute.
A Gift That’s All in the Family
The Nickerson family’s connection to Caltech goes back decades and runs deep.
A Legacy for Young Engineers
The Miki F. Young Charitable Trust has three trustees: lawyer Bill Kruse, banker Maureen Finn, and accountant Steve Eperthener.The Miki F. Young Charitable Trust has three trustees: lawyer Bill Kruse, banker Maureen Finn, and accountant Steve Eperthener.
Computing the Impact of a Gift to Caltech
When Richard Kenyon was in junior high school, he became fascinated with the beautiful patterns of mathematics.
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This alumnus says he learned from the best. But, as he describes it, his greatest insights did not originate in laboratories or classrooms.
Space in Her Heart
Lynn Heronen’s reverence for space predestined two major life decisions: whom she would marry and whom she would include in her will.
Easy Decisions
Caltech parent Paul Robinson called Caltech’s Office of Gift Planning with a plan of his own: He wanted to establish a deferred annuity. “I had already set up this kind of investment plan with my own alma maters, so I know how they work,” he says. “And I know they work for me.”
For the Love of Birds—and Caltech
Masakazu (Mark) Konishi translated his childhood love of animals into pathbreaking discoveries about the behaviors of songbirds and owls.
A Heartfelt Gift
As director of financial aid from 2007 to 2019, Don Crewell helped keep Caltech’s financial aid program competitive with those of peer institutions. But his dedication extended beyond his professional duties.
In Case You Missed It: Undergraduate Life at Caltech Today
An annual luncheon in the garden of the president’s residence has been a Torchbearers highlight for years. In 2020, physical distancing required Caltech to take the event online.
Remotely Enthusiastic
Graduating senior Sarah Crucilla describes her Caltech experience, both on-campus and remote, and conveys a special message to Torchbearers.
Caltech Professor Helps Future Students
Two generations of Corngolds make a gift through the Break Through campaign to endow a fellowship for Caltech graduate students.
Rushton Hays: A True Friend to Caltech
A love of education and “a bit of a passion for engineering” inspired a generous scholarship bequest.
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This alumnus wants new generations of students to enjoy their education and reap the rewards of Caltech credentials.
“It Feels Good to Give”
Building on her 25-year connection with Caltech, Mary Ann Cloyd, a former partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, chose to include the Institute in her will. Planned gifts such as hers are helping propel Caltech’s Break Through campaign. She talked with Techniques about what inspires her.
A Gift with a Long View
As a young boy in El Sereno, a neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles, Allan Markowitz was fascinated with astronomy.
John Dienes on Good Ideas
When John Dienes (MS '58, PhD '61) planned his philanthropic legacy, just one place came to mind. "I only thought about Caltech," he says.
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This alumnus laced up his cleats for the Caltech football team as a freshman and competed throughout his college career in interhouse games, which tended to get "a little rough for touch football."
A Legacy of Devotion to Service and Caltech
The late Joseph Walters Lewis Jr. (BS ’41) used to recall ambling down Caltech’s Olive Walk as a child, hand-in-hand with his father. His dad told him, “This is where you’re going to school, and you’re going to be an engineer.” And so it was to be.
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Hailing from Spokane, Washington, this Caltech alumnus and music maven enlivened The California Tech with reports on classical and opera performances.
Torchbearers Legacy Society Appreciation Luncheon
Nearly 100 people attended the 2019 Torchbearers Legacy Society Appreciation Luncheon, which was hosted by President Thomas F. Rosenbaum and Professor Katherine T. Faber at their residence.
One Act of Generosity Begets Another
Barbara Swain struck up a friendship with then-JPL scientist Dennis Le Croissette and his wife, Jill, shortly after they became Pasadena neighbors in 1977. Their rapport would abide for the rest of the couple’s lives.
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Hailing from Spokane, Washington, this Caltech alumnus and music maven enlivened The California Tech with reports on classical and opera performances. He was relegated to right field in freshman baseball but finished with a .500 batting average in all of two at-bats. Elected pope of Dabney, he served up witty recitations to his housemates after dinner.
Giving May Be Its Own Reward—But It Doesn’t Have to Be the Only Reward
Charitable gift annuities offer you the chance to give and receive. In this case, you give $25,000 or more to help Caltech’s faculty and students change the world with science and technology, and you receive guaranteed fixed payments for life.
A Present with a Future Mind
“Harrison Brown helped me realize that, rather than simply focusing on personal accomplishments, I could work toward making a real difference in the world.”
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Just two semesters before commencement, he was drafted. He trained to be a combat engineer in Korea, a role he was told would have a 70 percent casualty rate.
Shining Stars
Astronomer couple Donna Weistrop and David Shaffer recently realized a way to advance research beyond their own careers—philanthropy.
A Sound Investment in Caltech Music
Through her gift to create the France Hughes Meindl Endowed Fund for Music, France Meindl established a legacy of support for two sources of much happiness in her life—music and the Caltech community.
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Living in Blacker House, this alumnus witnessed a number of house antics. There were elaborate, ephemeral courtyard structures constructed for the annual Interhouse Dances, including a pirate ship, a beanstalk of giant proportions, and a Mississippi River showboat.
Numbers Man
Winston Garth is Caltech through and through. He signs receipts with a formula instead of his name. He has a 3-D printed salt shaker. Every day, he records the weather, his solar panels’ output, the altitude of solar noon, and the azimuths of sunrise and sunset.
Caltech Legacies
Jack Roberts fell in love with science at Caltech. As a teen, the Los Angeles native relished attending community open-house sessions on campus. He would marvel at the shooting sparks in a high-voltage laboratory or at rare reactions in the chemistry labs.
Sharing a Love of Caltech, One Gift at a Time
The late Anthony J. Larrecq (BS ’29) had such deep appreciation for his alma mater that he wanted the people he loved to be connected to Caltech in some way. Through philanthropy, he made his wish come true
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This alumnus spent most of his undergraduate years at Caltech not with housemates but with two fellow commuters who rode with him in his huge black Buick from Alhambra to campus and back every day.
It’s easy to set up a charitable gift annuity
Caroline and George Woodruff had experiences that many people only dream of: They slept under the moonlight near the pyramids in Egypt, camped on the banks of the Seine in France, and celebrated Carnival in Brazil.
The Gift of Opportunity
For John Crossman (BS ’62), a scholarship made the difference that allowed him to attend Caltech. His education as an engineering major went beyond the realm of the slide rule. He gained a framework for approaching problems—and, really, for approaching life itself.
Caltech Legacies
Larry Curfman (BS ’60) arrived at Caltech by train from his native Wichita, Kansas, at only 16 years old. As an undergraduate, he studied chemistry (although his housemates at Ricketts remembered him for his jazzy piano stylings).
Thirty-Five years, and Counting
Since 1981, Rhonda MacDonald (BS ’74) has made at least one gift a year to Caltech—and through her estate plans, that record will continue far into the future. With her gifts to commemorate class reunions and also pay tribute to the late George W. Housner, Braun Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, she has helped Caltech provide exceptional educational opportunities for students.
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Enroll at Caltech? Impossible. The young man had the intelligence and the desire, but he knew that each term at Caltech cost $100. That was beyond his means. As his graduation from San Diego High School neared in 1938, he decided on the University of California, Berkeley.
Legacy of a Millikan Protégé Lives on Through a Professorship
In 1997, Eugene Ch’en was combing through the files of his deceased father, Shang-Yi Ch’en (PhD ’40), when he came across a stack of letters.
Steve and Mie Frautschi
The Frautschi family has had a long relationship with Caltech—a connection that has been linked with their love of music. Amateur musicians themselves, Caltech professor....
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