Spring 2001 Participant - Pitzer College

A national search for a new president is
underway.
Massey succeeded Frank Ellsworth,
who served as president of Pitzer College
from July 1, 1979 to June 30, 1991. Other
Pitzer College presidents are Paul B.
Ranslow (interim), July 1, 1991 to June 30,
1992; James B. Jamieson (interim), Oct. 1,
1978 to June 30, 1979; Robert H. Atwell,
July 1, 1970 to Sept. 30, 1978; and John
Wellen Atherton, July 1963 to June 1970.
Pitzer Receives
$3.28 Million
From Anonymous
Alumna
Pitzer recently received $3.28 million, the
largest single alumni gift in its history, to
endow a professorship and two full
scholarships in anthropology.
The gift enables Pitzer to establish a
Distinguished Teaching Chair in Archaeology
and Biological Anthropology and
scholarships named for anthropology
professors Sheryl Miller and R. Lee
Munroe.
Miller has taught at Pitzer since 1969.
She specializes in African archaeology,
world prehistory, human evolution, African
and Native American ethnography, cultural
ecology and ethnic arts. Munroe has been a
member of Pitzer’s faculty since 1964. His
academic specialty is cross-cultural human
development.
Munroe; Miller
“Pitzer’s faculty members have a
reputation both for the excellence of their
teaching and for involving students in their
research,” said the donor, an alumna of the
Class of 1983. She and her husband made
the gift and wish to remain anonymous.
“We wanted to do something to ensure that
future generations of Pitzer students will
have the chance to collaborate with and
learn from outstanding faculty.”
The Distinguished Teaching Chair will
honor a faculty member for outstanding
teaching, scholarship and field research in
anthropology. More specifically, the gift
provides the following:
* $2.1 million to endow a professorial
chair. The first will be named from Pitzer’s
current full-time, tenured faculty. The chair
is to be awarded to a faculty member in
anthropology with research and teaching
interests in the biological evolution of
humans and the relationship of humans to
their physical and cultural environments.
* $150,000 to endow the scholarly
activities of the occupant of the chair.
* $150,000 to endow summer fieldresearch
stipends for two students nominated
by the holder of the chair.
* $880,000 to create two fully endowed
scholarships to be named the Sheryl F.
Miller Scholarship and the Robert L.
Munroe Scholarship in recognition of the
lifetime commitment to teaching excellence
demonstrated by the namesakes. The
scholarships will provide full funding for
two students in anthropology with
interests in field research.
“This remarkable gift of a professorship
and scholarships—a clear
expression of one alumna’s appreciation
for Pitzer’s exceptional academic,
intellectual and personal influence—
will have a powerful and lasting
impact on the College,” President
Massey said. “We are extremely
grateful to her and her husband for their
generosity.”
The landmark gift follows on the heels
of two record-breaking years in fundraising
at Pitzer. Last year, the College received
$6.4 million in outright gifts and pledges,
nearly doubling the previous year’s record
total of $3.2 million. Additionally, Pitzer’s
endowment has increased by nearly 10
percent over the past two years and the
annual fund has again exceeded $1 million.
“We’ve had growing numbers of alumni
volunteer to help us raise gifts to the
annual fund,” said Alice Holzman, vice
president for advancement. “There is a
clear correlation between alumni who
volunteer to solicit former classmates and
success in the Alumni Fund. We deeply
appreciate their participation and hope that
many more alumni will join in this
important effort to provide scholarship and
program funds.”
Aboriginal Artist
Visits Pitzer
When Paul Faulstich, associate professor of
environmental studies, introduced Aboriginal
artist Peter Manabaru as “this old man,”
he wasn’t poking fun at age.
In fact, Faulstich’s carefully selected
words were used each time he referred to
Manabaru to show respect for the elder. In
Aboriginal culture, the words reflect
consideration for the wisdom and experience
of seniors.
Manabaru and four other indigenous
Australians visited Pitzer in November for a
presentation on Aboriginal culture. The
five were accompanied by Claire Smith, a
lecturer in archaeology at Flinders University
in Australia and producer of the video
“Indigenous Peoples in an Interconnected
World.” Smith’s video was screened during
the first half of the two-day presentation.
When Smith asked if any attendees had
ever seen an Aboriginal person—other than
Faulstich, who has done research on
Aboriginal people—only one hand went up.
6
Pitzer College Participant