Bust dedicated in honor of new Donald and Leonora Will Chair in Peace Studies

Placed along Sodaro Promenade where it faces the Leatherby Libraries, the bust of the late Professor Don Will was formally dedicated Friday afternoon. The bust honors the establishment of the Donald and Leonora Will Chair in Peace Studies, endowed by Will’s brother, Allan Will.

Speaking to a gathering of alumni, administrators, colleagues, family and friends, Allan Will said he was inspired to make the endowment by his brother’s work for peace and within the discipline of peace studies.

“Peace starts with ethics and values and plays out its song on the people we touch in life. Don became an educator dedicated to seeding peace in our world through the work of the students whose lives he touched,” Will said.

President Jim Doti expressed gratitude to the Will family for making it possible for the entire Chapman community to remember and be inspired by the “gentle giant” that was Don Will.

“He had courage, he was tenacious. He was a fighter. He was smart. He was an intellect,” Doti said. “But with all that he also had a gentleness of spirit, and I think it was that anomaly that made him even more affective as a transformational agent.”

The bust, sculpted by artist Juan Rosillo, was made possible by a gift from Roberta Lessor, Ph.D., professor, and David Snow. Since 1994, Chapman has maintained a tradition of honoring endowed chair gifts with this unique method of donor recognition.