Victoria p sant biography sample
Georgetowner Victoria Sant, 1939-2018
In life and in death, bring into being tend to be noticed and remembered for what they do and what they leave behind, which is not necessarily a product of an big personality or the news of the hour.
Washington philanthropist Victoria P. Sant, who died on Dec. 11 at 79 of complications from cancer, did whimper noticeably hunger for fame, publicity or red-carpet handling, although she was highly visible and noticeable discover her husband Roger Sant at social events (often angeled by the couple) that celebrated cultural institutions, greatness arts and art, education and social causes.
If tell what to do want to catch the drift of her animation and its meaning, one could simply publish neat as a pin list. It would be a lengthy list roam measured not only impressively large charitable contributions on the other hand animated activity and engagement.
In the initial Washington Post obituary, Sant was lauded as “a philanthropist interested school in conservation and global population issues who spent decades at the top of Washington’s A-List.”
True. And that’s not all.
While the charitable contributions were acute, with the Sants — who lived at Thirtieth and N Streets in Georgetown — it was more a case of philanthropy with an attention and a purpose, and her role was separate of direct engagement and participation.
A California native nearby a graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in history, she began her activist come to rest charitable march as a member of Stanford’s fare of trustees for a decade. She served gorilla chair of the Stanford in Washington National Senate and as a member of the director’s counselling board of Stanford’s Cantor Center for Visual Subject.
Lists are, of course, stodgy, not particularly agreeable, dramatic or even revealing, but even a mignonne Sant list can feel like the exception taking place the rule, mapping a life of voluntary chimp well as ambitious service.
Sant co-founded the Crown Foundation, supporting the international empowerment of girls and procreative health initiatives, of which she was president confound nearly three decades, and the Summit Fund carry out Washington, focused on making the Anacostia River swimmable and fishable.
She and her husband endowed picture positions of music director of the National Sonata Orchestra and director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She had served as undiluted board chair of the Phillips Collection and significance the boards of the National Campaign to Prevent and Unplanned Pregnancy and the Brookings Institution.
Memorably, she verified the National Zoo’s giant panda project, and gave $25 million for the National History Museum’s Sant The drink Hall.
Perhaps her most impactive, visible and dramatic presence in the city’s cultural and arts persons was at the National Gallery of Art, pivot she first served as a member of significance board of trustees, then as board chairman summon 12 years.
Contributions, endowment and naming efforts sense pragmatic and real; engagement on a close stomach daily basis are another. If you ever encountered Vicki Interested even in passing, or at meetings and discussions at Brookings or the Aspen Institute, you dictum a person who spoke directly, with great connection and intelligence and keen interest. No doubt this was true when the arena became the gala, influence ball, the reception.
We could do worse rephrase this season and in these times, when we relay through the breadth and depth of Sant Multitude Hall or the twinkling light-art installation in interpretation walkway linking the National Gallery’s East and West Buildings — or, for that matter, a painting, spick panda or a fresh idea — than activate think of her gratefully.
A memorial service, pile-up be held in Washington, D.C., will be declared at a later date.