About the Lecture Series – UW Graduate School Skip to content

About the Lecture Series

Graduate School Public Lectures are brought to the community through four very generous private endowments:

  • Walker-Ames Fund
  • Jessie and John Danz Fund
  • Mary Ann and John D. Mangels Fund
  • Earl and Edna Stice Memorial Lectureship in Social Science
  • Signature Speaker Series

Walker-Ames Fund

The University of Washington Walker-Ames Fund was established in 1936 by a bequest from the estates of Maud Walker-Ames and Edwin Gardner Ames. Since 1936, the fund has been used to bring many outstanding scholars in the academic profession to the University of Washington campus. These scholars present public lectures about their respective fields of expertise and also work with groups of graduate students during their stay.

Jessie and John Danz Fund

John Danz, veteran motion picture theatre owner and philanthropist of the Pacific Northwest, and his wife, Jessie, made a gift to the University of Washington in 1961. This gift was used to establish the John Danz Fund. This fund, an enduring benefit to the University and the state, brings to the University of Washington campus and Seattle community lecturers of national and international reputation. Specifically, the gift is intended to enable the University of Washington to bring ‘distinguished scholars who have concerned themselves with the impact of science and philosophy on man’s perception of a rational universe.’

Mary Ann and John D. Mangels Fund

The Mary Ann and John D. Mangels Endowed Lecture Series was established in 1990 to honor the retirement of John D. Mangels, former chairman and CEO at Security Pacific Bank of Washington (now Bank of America). Administered by the Office of Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE), The Mangels Lectureship, in cooperation with academic departments and programs, brings to the UW campus minority scholars or individuals whose work focuses on issues of diversity, from a variety of fields for the benefit of minority students, the campus community, and the general public.

Earl and Edna Stice Memorial Lectureship in Social Science

The Earl & Edna Stice Memorial Lectureship in Social Science was established in 1987 in order to bring scholars of international reputation in the social sciences to lecture and collaborate at the University of Washington. The lectureship was established by Dr. Glen Stice in memory of his parents.

Signature Speaker Series

The Signature Speaker programming was created in 2013. It combines funding from the three endowments managed by the Graduate School: Walker-Ames, Jessie and John Danz and Mary Ann and John D. Mangels. The purpose of this programming is to bring high-profile speakers to campus whose work and research aligns with some of the UW’s broader campus-wide initiatives.

Unlike our slate of free lectures, the Graduate School has decided to charge a nominal $5.00 fee to attend. By charging this fee, the Graduate School hopes to improve attendees’ arrival at signature events and also provide the Graduate School with resources to explore enhancements to our public lecture series as a whole.

The Graduate School and the University of Washington are very proud to offer the UW and Puget Sound community access to some of the most brilliant minds in our country and our world. Without the support of these endowments, this simply could not be achieved.