An All-Purpose Gift

Richard Beatty’s (BS ’77) generosity to Caltech has taken on various forms. He has given of his time, serving as board member for the Associates, the Caltech Y, and the Gnome Club. And he has contributed financially, funding a computer room for Ricketts House during the South Houses restoration, and helping to grow the class of 1977’s 35th reunion year gift.

But the gesture that speaks most directly to Beatty’s multi-layered affinity for Caltech, which comprises loyalty, appreciation, and confidence, is his gift of unrestricted support.

Richard’s mother, Suzanne van Dyke, and father, Charles Beatty (MS ’46), met at Caltech. The year was 1945: she was taking a break from her postdoctoral research in astronomy and he was taking a break from his studies in electrical engineering. In the basement of the Athenaeum, they faced off as table tennis opponents.

“We have all the horsepower of probably the best science and engineering faculty in the country. It just makes sense to keep Caltech going for the future.”

Adding to the fondness he felt for the institution that brought his parents together, Richard Beatty developed gratitude to Caltech for his education. Through many years of involvement with Caltech, his once-high estimation of his alma mater’s capabilities grew even more.

“We have all the horsepower of probably the best science and engineering faculty in the country,” Beatty says. “It just makes sense to keep Caltech going for the future. It has made a tremendous difference so far.”

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