The Valley Catholic
coMMunity
Victor and Julia Vari give major gift to Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University’s longestserving professor and his wife have
bequeathed an estimated $8 million of
their estate to SCU to fund an endowment for the arts and humanities, to
name the arts and sciences building,
and to support other special projects.
The gift is the legacy of Dr. Victor B.
Vari, who recently retired after teaching Italian and other languages and
literature to SCU students since 1946,
and his wife Julia Botto Vari.
Proceeds will be used to fund the
Dr. Victor B. and Julia Botto Vari En-
dowment for the Arts and Humanities, including the Vari Italian Studies
Initiative, and for the Victor B. and Julia
Botto Vari Hall.
“Victor and Julia Vari represent the
truest values of this university in their
devotion to nurturing students to their
full potential, fostering a culture-rich
community, and building the next generation of humanities education,” said
SCU President Father Michael Engh,
SJ. “We are deeply grateful that they
chose to honor us with this gift from
the heart.”
“Both of us have dedicated our lives
to Santa Clara,” said Dr. Vari, who retired in 2012 at age 92. “This University
has been our lives.”
“Santa Clara is very important to
me,” said Julia. “I married a man whose
life was Santa Clara. We loved the
students--they were the children we
never had. These relationships which
extend over many years continue to
give us great pleasure.”
“Victor and Julia Vari have been
such an integral part of the College of
Arts and Sciences for nearly 70 years,
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‘We are deeply grateful that
they chose to honor us with
this gift from the heart.’
it is truly fitting that their names will
grace the building that will educate
humanities students of the future,”
said W. Atom Yee, dean of the College.
Previously, the couple has given
about $1.5 million in the form of
scholarships in the names of Dr. Vari’s
parents, Augusto and Agnese, as well
as numerous c