Newswise — The Creative Writing Program at the University of Washington has been promised an estimated $15 million, the largest bequest ever made to the College of Arts & Sciences.
"This planned gift from the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Foundation will mean appointment of more award-winning writers as faculty, and additional recruitment of the very best students," said Ron Irving, interim dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
The Creative Writing Program, already among the top 10 in the country, will eventually be named for Grace Milliman Pollock.
"The bequest will fund an endowment to provide support for graduate students in creative writing, allowing them to focus solely on their studies," said Professor Maya Sonenberg, director of Creative Writing. "The money will also make UW more competitive, as many creative writing programs around the country already fund their students well."
The gift is the fourth in a series of Pollock gifts that began 24 years ago. "I just think the university is a wonderful institution. My four brothers and I all went to the U. We also grew up in the area, and care a lot about it," said Grace Pollock, 87, widow of S. Wilson Pollock.
"This kind of commitment will assure that the program not only remains in the top 10, but moves from outstanding to premier," said Richard Dunn, former chair of the English department. "Knowing about the intended gift in advance also allows extra, more careful planning."
The Creative Writing Program includes 10 faculty members, among them three winners of MacArthur Fellowships and one winner of the National Book Award. It has 30 graduate students plus a number of undergraduates who have chosen creative writing as an emphasis within an English major.
Grace Pollock's father, Loren Milliman, taught both mathematics and creative writing at the UW. The foundation's earlier gifts to the university include the Milliman Scholarship in Creative Writing, whose holders have included alumnus David Guterson, author of "Snow Falling on Cedars." Other gifts include the Milliman Writer-in-Residence Fund and the Pollock Endowment for Excellence in English, which support award-winning authors Heather McHugh and Charles Johnson; and the Wendell Alfred Milliman Endowment for Mathematics, named after Grace Pollock's brother.
NOTE: Photos of Grace Milliman Pollock are available from Marilyn Kliman.
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