Donald Bren

The following are presented here for your convenience.

As real estate developer and investor: 

• "Now in his early 70s, Bren hopes to complete the build-out of the Irvine Ranch within his lifetime - leaving an impact on the landscape of Orange County that may never be matched."
  -- The Orange County Register, Nov. 20, 2005, "100 People Who Shaped Orange County"
  
  
• "He is, admirers say, the right man for the right job with the right piece of property at the right time."
  -- OC Metro, March 6, 2003
  
  
• "What's remarkable about him is that he brings a new, fresh vision to every community that he approaches. It's not the same; he's always willing to do it differently and to do it better."
  -- Stephen Scarborough, chairman and CEO of homebuilder Standard Pacific Corp., OC Metro, March 6, 2003
  
  
• "I think Bren really does think of himself as an artist painting this vast mural that is the Irvine Ranch. He is a very good planner and sets very high standards. He has a good eye; just look around Irvine at the built environment."
  -- Irvine City Councilman and former Mayor Larry Agran, OC Metro, March 6, 2003
  
  
• "He'll plant 50-foot palm trees. The rest of us buy 20-foot palms and hope they grow."
  -- Orange County developer Don Koll, Fortune Magazine, August 27, 1990
  
  
• "In high school we would take old cars and turn them into street hot rods. I'd build one and it would run, but there would be a couple of screws left over. Not Donald. He would spend hours in the garage going over every detail. Everything had to be perfect. He starts at A and ends up at Z. He goes right down the alphabet."
  -- His brother, Peter, Fortune Magazine, August 27, 1990
  
  

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As University of California philanthropist:

• "He has contributed more to support endowed chairs than any single donor in UC history, and his passionate philanthropy and commitment to educational excellence have helped strengthen the university."
  -- President Robert Dynes, congratulating him on receiving the UC Medal, UC's highest award
  
  
• "His contributions to the UC system - and, through those contributions, to the advancement of knowledge and the improvement of our quality of life - have been nothing short of extraordinary."
  -- former UC Provost M.R.C. Greenwood, June 9, 2004
  
  
• "The return of intellectual capital will be returned many times on his investment today."
  -- Ted Smith, founder of FileNet Corp. and UCI Foundation chairman, Daily Pilot, June 10, 2004, on his $20 million gift to the Bren School of Information and Computer Science
  
  
• "Mr. Bren has a deep passion and conviction for a better environment in which we all live."
  -- UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang in the student newspaper, January 5, 1998
  
  
• "Once again, Donald Bren has stepped forward at a critical time to make a significant and lasting contribution in support of one of our most important endeavors. His generosity and commitment to UCI's excellence permeates our campus, and is reflected in the remarkable 10 chairs that now will carry his name."
  -- former UCI Chancellor Laurel L. Wilkening, December 12, 1997
  
  
• "The gift most certainly should capture the attention of scientists and academicians across the land and perhaps the world. It well could be a defining act catapulting Irvine and environs toward international status as the Silicon Valley of biomedicine."
  -- Irvine World News, December 18, 1997
  
  
• "Clearly this gift makes Donald Bren one of the major individual donors in UC history. This is the kind of gift that provides the margin of excellence for UC."
  -- Malaspina, Los Angeles Times, December 18, 1997
  
  
• "Donald Bren deserves our praise and gratitude for his generous contribution. Bren and the Bren Family have been longtime supporters of the UC system, having donated millions of dollars over the years and given land for the creation of the Irvine campus. UCSB and the Santa Barbara community are fortunate indeed that Bren has chosen the local campus for his latest and largest gift to the University of California."
  -- Santa Barbara News-Press, December 20, 1997
  
  
• "The uniqueness of Donald Bren's most recent gift is that it will assist not just one but five UC campuses and ultimately should have wide-ranging significance for the environment."
  -- UC President Richard C. Atkinson, December 18, 1997
  
  

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As environmental philanthropist:

•  “On behalf of the state of California, our heartfelt thanks go to Donald Bren for his leadership in setting aside so much of The Irvine Ranch for habitat protection, as well as his commitment to ensure it is accessible for people to discover and enjoy.  This designation is no small accomplishment, considering it is the first in a state admired throughout the world for its unique and stunning natural resources.”

  -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, April 22, 2008, California Natural Landmark dedication

  
  
• "I ask her how she felt at the moment when Bren said this acreage would be given to the public untouched. She paused. She didn't answer. Silence. Then I see that she is crying."
  -- John Balzar, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2002
  
  
• "For thousands of people, this stunning act of generosity by Donald L. Bren of The Irvine Company, preserving this parcel as open space forever, brought forth unashamed tears of joy."
  -- Michael Pinto, Los Angeles Times, December, 9, 2001
  
  
• "His action guarantees that the rocky outcroppings, deep canyons, fern grottoes and even a rare grove of Tecate Cypress trees will go undisturbed in perpetuity."
  -- Sunset Magazine, July 2002
  
  
• "The Irvine Company's decision is a magnificent gift to those who love open space."
  -- Orange County Register, November 30, 2001
  
  
• "At the conclusion of the announcement ceremony, I told Donald how proud I was of him and that I could not have done better myself."
  -- Joan Irvine Smith, "A California Woman's Story"
  
  
• "The Irvine Ranch is what cooperative conservation is all about."
  -- Gale Norton, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, May 2005
  
  
• "People get a sense that he really, truly did absolutely do the right thing. He really set the tone and has done a great service to Orange County."
  -- Dan Silver, Endangered Habitats League, Orange County Register, November 11, 2001
  
  

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As K-12 education philanthropist:

• "Mr. Bren, all I can say is, 'Wow!' Somehow, 'Thank you' doesn't quite convey what I'm feeling. What this incredible announcement means is that the district's core education program for 4th-6th grade students are safe."
  -- Sue Kuwabara, president, Irvine Unified School District Board of Directors, April 10, 2006
  
  
• "Donald Bren's latest gift to Irvine schools struck precisely the soft spot in the heart of the community. This is a community that values and demands an exceptional education for its children; it cherishes and fights for an education enriched with the arts and sciences."
  -- Irvine World News editorial, April 13, 2006