UC’s Gardner Will Head Hewlett Philanthropy

University of California President David P. Gardner will become president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the nation’s 20 largest philanthropic funds, after his retirement from the university system.

“It will be a pleasant change,” Gardner, who is leaving UC Oct. 1 after nine years as president, said Thursday in a telephone interview. “I’ve spent most of my adult life raising money from either the Legislature, Congress or private sources. It is not at all unpleasant to contemplate giving it away.”

The Menlo Park-based foundation has assets of about $825 million and was established by William Hewlett, one of the founders of the Hewlett-Packard Co. It was named after Hewlett and his late wife, Flora. In 1991, the foundation gave away about $35 million, in such areas as higher education, population growth, performing arts, urban problems and the environment.

“In David Gardner, who heads one of the nation’s finest university systems, the directors and I think we have an ideal replacement to carry on and expand programs of the foundation to meet the challenges we see ahead,” Hewlett said in a statement.

Gardner is to assume the foundation post on Jan. 1, succeeding Roger W. Heyns, who is retiring after 15 years as president.

Gardner, 58, announced his retirement from the UC presidency in November, saying the death of his wife a few months earlier made it too difficult to continue. He had been president of the University of Utah for 10 years before coming to UC.