Joan Irvine Smith
The great-granddaughter of James Irvine (an immigrant who assembled about 120,000 acres (490 km2) of what is now Orange County to form the Irvine Ranch), Joan Irvine Smith is well known for her philanthropy.
Smith’s reverence for California’s native plants and animals inspired her to become a leading environmental activist, speaking out about the urgent need to protect the state’s precious natural resources and to balance environmental preservation with economic growth. She was also responsible for donating land to what became the University of California at Irvine.
As a leading philanthropist through the Joan Irvine Smith and Athalie R. Clarke Foundation, Smith continues to champion the University of California at Irvine, funding important medical causes, including the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. She also supports NWRI, which was founded by her vision and financial support, as well as numerous other environmental, cultural, and historical endeavors.
Read more about this topic: Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize
Famous quotes containing the words joan and/or smith:
“And that good Joan whom Englishmen
At Rouen doomed and burned her there,—
Mother of God, where are they then? . . .”
—Francois Villon (1431–1465)
“I would rather be remembered by a song than by a victory.”
—Alexander Smith (1830–1867)