UCSB Benefactor Marilyn Gevirtz Dies at Age 84

Marilyn Gevirtz had been heavily involved in the Santa Barbara community for over three decades before her death on September 27th after battling a long illness.

Expressing his remorse, UCSB’s Chancellor Henry Yang released a statement in mourning: “Her vision and generosity, shared by her late husband, Ambassador Don Gevirtz, have made a tremendous impact on our campus, specifically our Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, and on public education as a whole. She will be deeply missed.”

Aside from her dedication to UCSB as a member of the Alumni Gold Circle and a trustee of the Foundation Board, Gevirtz had also served as a director of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation Board. She worked on multiple educational community outreach programs, such as the Children’s Homework Project and Girls Inc.

According to an in memoriam article from The UCSB Current, Marilyn Gevirtz once said, “We believe educational access is critical to all children for the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams and for success in their chosen careers, whatever they may be.” Her vision manifested itself in a variety of transformative contributions to Santa Barbara’s public education system. In 1995, she and her late husband helped establish the Gevirtz Research Center and, in 2007, made a significant investment towards educational research and student fellowships.

Chancellor Yang closed his statement by assuring that “Marilyn’s spirit of greatness, and her legacy, will live on through the continued success of our school and our students.”