Barbara Finberg, former trustee and philanthropist, dead at 76

By Ray Delgado

Barbara D. Finberg, a Stanford alumna and a former member of the university's Board of Trustees, died at her home in New York City on March 5 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 76.

Finberg, a tireless advocate for the university after her graduation in 1949, spent much of her career at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, from which she retired as executive vice president in 1997.

Born and raised in Pueblo, Colo., Finberg received a bachelor's degree in international relations from Stanford. She earned a master's degree in international relations in 1951 from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. After graduation, Finberg studied for a year in Beirut on a Rotary fellowship, which was the first from her Colorado district, which includes Grand Junction.

Finberg worked for the U.S. State Department from 1949 to 1953 and for the Institute of International Education from 1953 to 1959. She then joined the Carnegie Corporation and worked in various positions there until her retirement. In 1965, Finberg initiated a Carnegie grant in early childhood education, which included the planning and launching of Sesame Street for PBS. Finberg was vice president of New York-based MEM Associates, a consultancy for philanthropy and nonprofit organizations, at the time of her death.

Finberg was an active alumna of Stanford, where her mother, aunt and brother also studied. She was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1976 and served for 10 years, including five as a board vice president.

Finberg also was intimately involved with the Alumni Executive Board and the advisory councils to Stanford's libraries, the School of Humanities and Sciences, the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, the Stanford in Washington program, and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG). At the time of her death, she served as chair of the School of Humanities and Sciences Advisory Council and chair of the board of Stanford in Washington. She also was a member of Cap and Gown, Stanford's women's honors society.

Over the years, Finberg successfully encouraged many others to support the university in her capacity as a tireless advocate for alumni of all classes and backgrounds in Stanford's New York community and as a leader of reunions for her class. In 1988, Finberg was awarded the Gold Spike, the university's highest honor for volunteerism.

Finberg also personally supported a number of university programs. She endowed the IRWG directorship, which bears her name; a scholarship fund for undergraduates studying international relations; and a fund for undergraduates studying international security, among other gifts.

"Barbara Finberg's love for Stanford and her contributions to university life knew no bounds," President John Hennessy said. "Her formal service as a philanthropist, trustee and member of countless advisory committees was matched by her informal role as a colleague and mentor to those who were fortunate enough to have her guidance and friendship. Her distinguished career as a public servant and unrelenting advocate for children and families will always be a great source of pride and a shining example for everyone she touched at Stanford University."

In addition to her considerable work on behalf of Stanford, Finberg was active with numerous organizations committed to the welfare of women and children. At the time of her death, she was a trustee of the University of Cape Town Fund. From 1996 to 1998, she was chair of Independent Sector, a Washington, D.C.-based organization formed by charitable and educational organizations. She also served on the boards of High/Scope Educational Research, Educational Equity Concepts/AED, Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, the Parent-Child Home Program and Charities Lobbying in the Public Interest. The New York Women's Foundation honored her with its Vision Award. Internationally, Finberg devoted much of her energies to organizations dedicated to preserving human rights and saw great promise in nongovernmental organizations. Her other philanthropic efforts included science and environmental causes and support of the Bard Music Center.

Finberg is survived by her brother, Robert Denning, and his wife, Kate, of Grand Junction, Colo., and brother-in-law Donald Finberg and his wife, Hela, of McLean, Va., and their children, Karen and Dana. She was married for 44 years to Alan R. Finberg, who died in 1995. He was the senior vice president and secretary and general counsel of the Washington Post Co.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in Finberg's memory may be made to Stanford University, for addition to the Barbara D. and Alan R. Finberg Scholarship Fund, and sent to: John Ford, Vice President for Development, Stanford University, Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, 326 Galvez St., Stanford, CA 94305-6105.

Editor Note:

A photo of Finberg is available online at http://newsphotos.stanford.edu. It is slugged Finberg.tif.

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