The Occidental College Legacy Society
Established by the Board of Trustees in 1994, the Occidental College Legacy Society recognizes and celebrates the generous and future-focused individuals who have created an Oxy legacy intention through estate gifts. The Society boasts over 1,000 alumni and friends dedicated to the College's future
The tradition of legacy giving reaches back over 90 years, with an estate gift from Pasadena banker and friend of Occidental College, Frank C. Bolt. Some individuals, like Bolt, Alice Stebbins Wells and Tom Tormey '49, create endowed scholarships to ensure that future generations of talented students can attend Oxy, regardless of their circumstances. Others have created endowed professorships such as the John Parke Young Chair in Global Political Economy, the result of a legacy gift from Marie S. and John Parke Young. Ben Culley, who served as a mathematics professor, dean of men and director of financial aid during his 39 years at Oxy, left a bequest that continues to support campus programs in the performing arts. An estate gift from Dave and Kathy Berkus '62 P'95 will create an endowment to support campus technology. Anne Wilson Cannon '74 has also made a significant bequest that will create the Anne Wilson Cannon '74 Unrestricted Endowment to fund the greatest needs of the College, including student scholarships and endowed professorships.
All gifts from Legacy Society members are vital to the ongoing success of Occidental in providing a transformative liberal arts educational experience.
We hope that you consider joining this loyal group of Oxy supporters. The Society boasts over 1000 alumni and friends dedicated to Occidental's future. Every year, special events are held on and off campus to honor those who have chosen to benefit Oxy beyond their lifetime. Past events took place at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Autry Museum, and the Huntington Gardens.
Consider the ways in which you can leave an Oxy legacy to support the future of Occidental's mission and impact generations of students to come. All gifts, large or small, for programs, professorships, scholarships, or scoreboards, support our students.
Are you interested in joining the Occidental College Legacy Society? Click here to download our Legacy Intention Form.
"Members of the Oxy community who support Oxy through their estate plans have provided us with an incredibly distinctive gift-an infinite investment in the College. We are grateful to these generous donors whose forethought will allow Oxy to deliver our exceptional liberal arts education to generation upon generation of talented students."
- President Harry J. Elam, Jr.
"Oxy showed me that the path to one's goals need not be linear or conventional. I learned how to think, to write, to create; to trust my instincts and pursue my interests with passion and a standard of excellence. Not a day has passed that I have not been rewarded in some way by my Occidental education."
Michael and his wife Pamela recently documented an estate gift to support the Obama Scholars Program and the EdgertonOccidental Merit Scholarship.