Paul Earl Griffin, Jr. ’53
In many ways, the fountain trickling through the patio of the West Alumni Center says more about Paul Earl Griffin than the pictures of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Terry Donahue that hang in his office, or the many awards he’s received. A gift to his wife, Gloria, to mark their 25 wedding anniversary, it is an enduring expression of his profound commitment to the two most important things in his life: his family and his university. Those who know Griffin well realize that it’s hard to draw a distinction between those two areas, for the lives of his own family are inextricably interwoven into the tapestry of his larger, UCLA family. Not only is Gloria an alumna and a steadfast support of the University in her own right, seven of their eight children have attended UCLA, and the eighth plans to enroll in UCLA graduate school. The family seldom misses a UCLA football game, and both Paul and Gloria have worked hard to help students and alumni understand the many advantages UCLA has to offer them. In 1984, their individual and joint contributions were recognized with a University Service Award.
It’s no wonder, then, that he has dedicated himself to ensuring UCLA a dazzling future. Griffin, who earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1953, originally decided to attend UCLA because its competitive environment appealed to him; as a public school, he felt, it forced students to succeed on their own merits. The University not only educated him in engineering, but also helped him grow as a person, challenging his intellect, instilling in him a work ethic and building his confidence in his own abilities. “You grow through the competition and the involvement with people who are really good,” he says.
The qualities he cultivated at UCLA are threads running through his highly successful career as president and chief executive officer of Griffin Homes, one of California’s largest residential and commercial development companies. His schooling in engineering honed his innate analytical abilities and strengthened his resolve to see things done properly. His philanthropy and his volunteer efforts, he insists, are simply his way of repaying UCLA for his education and helping to give others the opportunity to be successful. Those who know Griffin’s volunteer work will say that he has repaid that debt a hundredfold. In 1974, he and Gloria translated their love for UCLA into the West Valley Bruins Club. The group they founded is one of the University’s most active regional alumni clubs and is considered a model for other Bruin regional clubs. A member of the board of trustees of the UCLA Foundation since 1977, Paul has also volunteered his time, energy and skills to inform other people about the many benefits of supporting the University. He was instrumental in boosting private fundraising at UCLA, and he was a major force in the overwhelming success of the UCLA Campaign, for which he also served on the National Campaign Cabinet and as vice chairman of the Major and Leadership Gifts Committee.
One of the reasons Griffin is so effective as a fundraiser is that he, more than most, understands the role that sharing plays in helping UCLA to grow and thrive, and he has always been quick to make his own resources available to support the programs he believes in. Among the Griffins’ most lasting gifts to UCLA is the Gloria and Paul Griffin Chair in Philosophy, established in 1985. The chair will support in perpetuity distinguished philosophical work exploring the nature, meaning and worth of human life, as well as other issues of humane concern. It reflects the Griffins’ personal philosophical concerns, as well as their convictions that a research university should be involved in developing standards for society to live by.
In contrast to the momentousness of the Griffin Chair is the fun and excitement of Griffin’s other main area of interest – athletics. As an avid sports fan, he has been active in a number of athletic support groups, but a list of affiliations in no way can convey the spirit behind his involvement. After all, this is a man who took his entire family to Japan to root for UCLA in the 1980 Mirage Bowl. Over the years, he and Gloria have repeatedly opened their home and their hearts to students, alumni and friends of the University. “We like relationships, we like to communicate. We like to meet people,” he says. Griffin consistently makes himself available to young people seeking his advice and will often go out of his way to help them. On many occasions, he has made introductions or intervened to help someone find a job. He has a gift for working with people and genuinely cares about others.
Now that the Campaign is completed, and he has passed the UCLA Foundation’s presidential mantle on to his successor, Griffin plans to continue interacting with his fellow Bruins, but in a more focused way, perhaps working with some of the deans on special projects. He foresees great things for the University. “I believe that UCLA will be one of the top, if not the top, research university in the world,” he says. “The exciting thing is that UCLA is reaching out to the community much more than it did. That’s what’s going to make the University that much greater.” That, and the continuing presence of people like Paul Griffin.
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