Dear Friend,

I am very grateful for the legacy that Jim Birren has left to me and to the School as the first Dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Jim not only made numerous contributions to the School and to the field, but he also had the foresight to start a center at USC devoted solely to the study of gerontology.

I am pleased to share with you that at our recent celebration of Jim Birren’s 90th birthday, Jim announced that he and Betty would be making a personal contribution to the Davis School of $100,000. This gift will establish the James Birren Endowed Fund for Autobiographical Studies. It is Jim’s hope that his gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, by gifts from other donors who know Jim or have an interest in his work.

This gift is very meaningful to me, as Jim’s name has become synonymous with that of the Davis School. Jim developed his innovative Guided Autobiography over 30 years ago when he was Director of the Andrus Center and Dean of the School. Since then, this program has provided opportunities for thousands of people to write, share, and preserve their life stories and experiences, offering participants a vehicle to recognize their achievements, acknowledge the challenges in their lives and explore their hopes for the future. The program gives scholars the opportunity to study how people of all ages and backgrounds interpret and find meaning in their lives. Last semester, Jim broke the mold again by teaching an intergenerational class at USC that examined autobiographical themes with a diverse group of participants, ranging from Emeriti Faculty to USC undergraduates.

I hope that you will consider joining me and others in making a contribution to this challenge grant. Your gift would serve as a wonderful gesture of appreciation for the work that Jim began a generation ago and assure its continuation in the future.

Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Gerald C. Davison, Ph.D.
Dean and Executive Director
Professor of Gerontology and Psychology

Checks may be made payable to The USC Davis School of Gerontology – ‘Birren Endowment Fund’ and mailed to:

USC Andrus Gerontology Center
Development Office
3715 McClintock Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191

Donors will receive a tax receipt from the university.