Michael Douglas Donates $500,000 to UCSB

Academy Award-winning actor and UCSB alum Michael Douglas has given his former college $500,000 to establish an endowed chair for the Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts.

A matching amount from UC Presidential funds completes a $1 million support package for the Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, a UCSB spokesperson explained in a prepared statement.

The chair will support teaching, research, and specific programs in the area of study. David Marshall, Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts and Executive Dean of the College of Letters and Science, has been named the first incumbent.

“I spent five of the most rewarding and formative years of my life at UCSB,” said Douglas, class of ’68, in a press release. “It was my first taste of the arts and what was to become a wonderful life-long career in theater, film, and television. David Marshall’s dedication and passion for the arts and humanities,” he went on, “have long impressed me, and I am pleased to help recognize his accomplishments and the university’s commitment to these important areas.”