printable versionAlumnus wins volunteer-service award
James C. Gaither
Stanford Associates, an honorary organization of the university's top volunteers, hosted a festive dinner on Saturday night to honor alumnus James C. Gaither with the Degree of Uncommon Man, one of the university's most prestigious volunteer-service awards. Gaither—an attorney turned venture capital investor—has served as president of the Board of Trustees, advised three university presidents and helped Stanford's endowment grow dramatically during his 25 years of volunteer service.
Gaither is the 22nd recipient of the award, which is presented only when merited by "rare and extraordinary service to the university." The award—on several occasions given as the Degree of Uncommon Woman—was created in 1953 and takes its name from words Herbert Hoover once spoke in describing the importance of becoming a leader: "in other words, to be uncommon."
Saturday's event was held in the Arrillaga Family Sports Center, with Gaither's family, former and current colleagues, and trustees past and present in attendance. "It was a wonderful evening, and it was a great honor," Gaither said. "Volunteers do make a difference at Stanford. I think that's always been true—and it's not just in raising money, but in contributing to the substance of what's being done."
Upon graduating from Stanford Law School in 1964, Gaither clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren and then served in the Department of Justice and as staff assistant to President Lyndon Johnson.
Upon returning to the Bay Area, Gaither helped build the law firm now known as Cooley Godward LLP. Over the years, he also worked with venture capital firm Sutter Hill Ventures in Palo Alto as an adviser, limited partner and director of companies in which SHV invests. Gaither has advised technology companies such as Siebel Systems and has served on boards for firms ranging from NVIDIA Corp. to Levi Strauss. He appears regularly on Forbes magazine's annual "Midas List" of the top 100 venture investors in technology.
At Stanford, Gaither's negotiating skills have made him a fundraising legend. Beginning in the 1980s, he helped raise tens of millions of dollars from San Francisco alumni during the university's Centennial Campaign. In 1996, he won the Gold Spike, a top award for volunteer leadership service. He went on to chair the Law School's first comprehensive campaign, which ended in 1999 and raised $116 million—more than double its original goal. As part of that effort, Gaither is credited with securing the largest-ever gift to the Law School.
In 2001, he played a key role in the $400 million grant to Stanford from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, then the largest gift in the history of American higher education. Gaither joined Stanford's Board of Trustees in 1982, serving as president of the board from 1988 to 1993. He was a principal architect of the Stanford Management Co. (SMC), created in 1991 to oversee Stanford's endowment. He served on SMC's board of directors from 1992 to 1998, a period in which Stanford invested heavily in venture capital and other forms of private equity.
Gaither's involvement spans the administrations of Stanford presidents Donald Kennedy, Gerhard Casper and John Hennessy. "He has guided strategy at the highest level, built key relationships and helped secure crucial funding," Hennessy once said. "In every case, he brings enormous wisdom and dedication to bear on Stanford's behalf, as he does for many worthy causes and successful companies."
Gaither also has served on the boards of the RAND Corp. and the James Irvine Foundation, and he is now vice chairman of the Hewlett Foundation and chairs the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.