May 9, 1996 Contact: Barbara McKenna (408) 459-2495; mckenna@ua.ucsc.edu

GIFT FROM UC SANTA CRUZ ALUMNA AND HUSBAND ESTABLISHES ENDOWED CHAIR IN ART HISTORY

Endowment is largest alumni gift in UC Santa Cruz history

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--An Aptos, Calif., couple with a long-standing commitment to local arts and culture has made a gift of $250,000 to the University of California, Santa Cruz, to establish an endowed chair in art history.

The gift comes from Rowland "Reb" and Patricia "Pat" Rebele. Patricia Rebele graduated from UCSC as a re-entry student in 1988, earning a B.A. in art history. The donation is the largest alumni contribution in UCSC history.

"Art history is a particular love of mine," said Patricia Rebele, "not only because I love art, but because it involves so many cultures and teaches so much about other people and civilizations. I had a wonderful experience at UCSC, and I would love to see the campus put on the map as a great place to study art history. We hope the chair will broaden and strengthen the program and foster collaborative endeavors between the art history program and the larger Santa Cruz community."

The endowment will support a number of activities--the appointment of a distinguished professor to the Patricia and Rowland Rebele Endowed Chair in Art History; periodic appointments of outstanding art historians as scholars-in-residence; art history symposia on an international level; and presentations of special lectures and colloquia involving students, faculty, visitors, and members of the community.

"It is a great pleasure to receive this gift," said UCSC Chancellor Karl Pister. "The Rebeles' generosity will greatly enrich an already strong program, offering students a broader scope of study through classes and colloquia with visiting scholars. Additionally, the public programs the endowment supports will create wonderful opportunities for joint efforts between the campus and local organizations."

According to Edward Houghton, dean of the arts at UCSC, the Rebele Endowed Chair in Art History will benefit present and future generations of all involved in the art history program. "It will support excellence in the program and increase its national and international visibility and impact. This is a most generous gift that recognizes the excellence of the faculty whose teaching forms the foundation of the endowment. It will make a significant difference to the students, faculty, and friends of art history."

"It is thrilling to receive this gift to broaden our program," said Virginia Jansen, chair of UCSC's Committee of Studies in Art History and a professor of art history. "It represents a wonderful opportunity for the art history program, the campus, and the Santa Cruz community. It is especially rewarding to be honored by one of our own alumna. We thank her and her husband very much for their magnanimous gift."

The Rebeles have supported numerous programs at UCSC for more than a decade, including the Leadership Opportunity Awards scholarships and Shakespeare Santa Cruz. They are the parents of three grown children and co-owners of the Paradise Post and Paradise Post Printing in Paradise, Calif., and a group of weekly newspapers in southeastern Minnesota. The couple also own and co- own several small businesses in California and Texas.

Patricia Rebele, who is retired from a career in newspaper publishing, is a trustee of the UCSC Foundation Board, serves on the board of Battered Women's Assistance, and is active at St. John's Episcopal Church in Capitola. She has served as a trustee and volunteer docent of the Art Museum of Santa Cruz County and is a former board member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project. In 1982 she served as president of the Women of California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Rowland Rebele, who has been in publishing for more than 40 years, is an honorary trustee of the Greater Santa Cruz County Community Foundation (of which the Rebeles are founding donors), serves on the Performing Arts Facility Committee of the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County, and was president of the Santa Cruz County Symphony from 1981 to 1986. He was named Man of the Year in 1988 by the Aptos Chamber of Commerce and served as president of the California Newspaper Publishers Association in 1988. He is a director of the California First Amendment Coalition in Sacramento, an organization formed to protect and preserve First Amendment rights and openness in government and public records.

This release is also available on the World Wide Web at UCSC's "Services for Journalists" site (http://www.ucsc.edu/news/journalist.html) or via modem from UC NewsWire (209/244-6971).

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