Eugene Walsh knows the value of higher education. Forced to cut short his studies at UCLA to support his parents during the Great Depression, Walsh returned to the classroom decades later, graduating from UCLA's executive program in 1964, and receiving an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University in 1972.
Now, Walsh's son and daughter-in-law are doing their part to ensure that future students won't have to abandon college. UCSC economics professor Carl Walsh and his wife, Judy, have established the Walsh Family Scholarship Endowment for Social Science majors in honor of Eugene and Bessie Walsh.
In recognition of the gift, the conference room in Social Sciences 1 has been renamed the Eugene and Bessie Walsh Conference Room. A plaque inside the room will describe the careers and philanthropy of Eugene and Bessie Walsh.
"This is a lasting way of honoring my parents," said Carl Walsh. "They set a good example of doing things they thought would make the world a better place."
Judy Walsh is a member of the pioneer class of Crown College, earning a bachelor's degree in history in 1971. In 1990 she received a master's degree in applied economics. Judy is now the development officer for UCSC's New Teacher Center, and has worked for UCSC in other capacities.
"We feel especially happy and grateful that this wonderful gift is from one of our most renowned faculty members and one of our staff members who is also a UCSC alumna," said Social Sciences Dean Martin M. Chemers. "Both Carl and Judy Walsh have been contributing to the success of UC Santa Cruz in their respective capacities for many years. Their establishment of this scholarship endowment, and their naming of this conference room in honor of Carl Walsh's parents, is a heartening and very generous expression of support for the campus's educational endeavors."
Carl Walsh joined the faculty in 1987 after being affiliated with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, where he continues to be a visiting scholar. He was previously on the faculty at Princeton and ar the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research focuses on issues in monetary economics, including the effects of institutional reforms on monetary policy.
Eugene Walsh retired in 1977 as president and CEO of Ralph's Grocery Company and vice president and assistant to the chairman of Ralph's parent company, Federated Department Stores. Eugene and Bessie Walsh are active in the Food Industry Circle of the City of Hope charity in Los Angeles which has raised more than $100 million for cancer research, and Eugene Walsh has received numerous awards for his civic work in the Los Angeles area. The elder Walshes have also donated to research activities in UCSC's Economics Department for years.
