Charles Speroni

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Dr. Charles Speroni, both dean and professor emeritus of the College of Fine Arts, has been active on the UCLA campus for nearly 50 years. He founded the Italian department in 1935 and became its first chairman 14 years later. He served as dean of the College of Fine Arts for more than a decade. During this time, he often public referred to the College of Fine Arts as “my beloved college.” This natural sentiment expressed his depth of emotional commitment to UCLA.

A native of Santa Flora, Italy, Speroni received his B.A. and Ph.D. in romance languages from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1935, he has chaired and served on numerous campus committees for advancements of the arts, including the committee on fine arts productions and the organizing committee for the University Education Abroad Program. He is past president of the Faculty Center Association, presently serves on the committee writing and the history of Royce Hall and is chairman and trustee for the Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award. Notable among his many publications is the book The Shape of the Past: Studies in the Honor of Franklin D. Murphy.

In honoring Dr. Charles Speroni, the UCLA family recognizes one of its very special members – a man who represents 50 years of excellence on the UCLA campus.