Geffen’s Gift to UCLA School of Medicine

I was delighted to learn of David Geffen’s generous gift to the UCLA School of Medicine (May 7-8). While I was the undergraduate counselor in the department of biology at UCLA, 90% of my students wanted to attend medical school, and the majority hoped to be accepted at UCLA. I know that some of my former students are now on the faculty at the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry and the Jules Stein Eye Institute and are employed at the UCLA hospital.

This brings to mind the new UCLA hospital, currently under construction. Plans are afoot to name this beautiful edifice (I.M. Pei, architect) the Ronald Reagan Medical Center. Because Reagan, when he was governor, was a strong voice against both the University of California and health care in California (particularly mental health care), I feel that this would be a travesty.

If every graduate of UCLA and all alumni who attended medical school or interned or worked on campus or at the UCLA hospital contributed enough money, this would not happen. I propose that if Reagan’s name is to appear anywhere, it should be on the parking structure of the new hospital. Anyone who attended UCLA knows that parking was the greatest barrier to receiving an education.

Roxane Winkler

Sherman Oaks

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Geffen’s $200-million donation to UCLA’s medical school is very generous. The unrestricted fund, to be used to boost the current endowment of nearly $600 million, will benefit the medical school. It is certainly refreshing to see people with a lot of money making such large contributions. But the choice for Geffen’s donation is baffling.

Does UCLA really need more money? UCLA’s current fund-raising drive, initially intended to raise $1.2 billion by the end of this year, has already raised $1.7 billion. In addition, $150 million was pledged to UCLA for its new medical center, facilitated by Michael Ovitz. Geffen says, “Los Angeles is my home, and I want to do my part in contributing to its future.”

What he really means is the Westside. If people like Geffen and Ovitz wanted to contribute to the future of Los Angeles (which includes South L.A. and East L.A.), they would donate to “non-white-collar” causes like community hospitals and trauma centers, local public schools and organizations that help troubled teens. Helping people get a decent education, find a job and avoid drugs and crime would certainly do more for L.A. than padding UCLA’s already fat coffers.

Anthony and Joan Steyermark

Westwood

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How does a university thank someone for the promise of $200 million? The UCLA Medical School is not the first school to change its name to that of the donor after receiving a multimillion-dollar donation. If a million people donate $201 each, will UCLA then change the name to the People’s Medical School at UCLA?

Donald L. Hager

Los Angeles