by Kris Jachens, GTU Development Manager

Each year, the Graduate Theological Union receives hundreds of gifts inspired by its extraordinary students and programs, and each gift is a testament to the dedication of the donor.

This year, four gifts, totaling almost $3 million, reflect such generosity that they deserve special recognition. Three of the GTU’s priority areas, the library, student scholarships, and the Islamic studies program, will be the beneficiaries of these extraordinary contributions.

GTU Trustee Emeritus and retired theoretical physicist Dr. Robert J. Riddell, Jr. and his wife Katherine G. Riddell have demonstrated their dedication to the students of the GTU through the contribution of their beautiful home in the El Cerrito hills. The proceeds from the sale of the home, estimated to be worth $1.85 million, will be added to the Riddells’ already generous Presidential Scholars Endowment. Presidential Scholarships are an important source of funding for students working toward their Ph.D.s, and the Riddell’s gift will help ensure ample resources well into the future.

A longtime supporter of the GTU, who at this time wishes to remain anonymous, has pledged $900,000 toward the renovation and repair of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library. When this $4 million project is complete, winter storms will no longer mean a library filled with buckets to catch the rain. Library Director Bonnie Hardwick is extremely pleased about the project. “The restoration repair of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library building this summer is essential to the preservation of the Library’s collections as well as the maintenance of attractive areas for reading and research,” she notes. “A building this beautiful and inviting deserves sustained attention. That it is also the symbolic—and actual—center of the GTU makes such an investment imperative.”

The Islamic studies program is also benefiting from two anonymous gifts of $100,000 each in recognition of the important work being done to foster understanding and appreciation of Islam. With its emphasis on constructive dialogue, scholarly collaboration, and artistic celebration, the program provides an exciting academic space for students to explore the rich history and deep spiritual teachings of Islam. In addition to their classes and school sponsored lectures and programs, students are encouraged to look beyond the resources made available by UC Berkeley and the GTU, and to work with the many Muslim communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

These four gifts represent the beginnings of what will be a much larger fundraising effort. The GTU would like to thank these donors for their extraordinary generosity and dedication to the important and challenging work of interfaith and ecumenical education.

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