Stanford alum and benefactor John Arrillaga has passed away at age 84
On Monday, Stanford University lost a very beloved member of its community with the passing of John Arrillaga, who was 84 years old. If you set foot on the Stanford campus, it’s almost impossible to not walk past at least one building that bears the Arrillaga name: Arrillaga Center for Sports & Recreation, Arrillaga Family Sports Center, Arrillaga Outdoor Education & Recreation Center, Arrillaga Family Rowing and Sailing Center, Frances Arrillaga Alumni Center, and the Arrillaga Dining Hall. His impact on Stanford was larger than life and so much of what makes Stanford what it is today was made possible by Arrillaga and his generosity towards his alma mater.
In May 2006, Arrillaga donated $100 million to Stanford, which the university cited at the time as the largest single donation made by a living donor. In June 2013, Arrillaga donated $151 million to Stanford, making it the new mark for the largest single donation made by a living donor. The demolition and reconstruction of Stanford Stadium in 2005-06 was made by possible by Arrillaga as was the reconstruction of Maples Pavilion that was completed in 2005.
While he’s most known for his philanthropic contributions to Stanford, Arrillaga is also a member of the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame for the standout basketball career he had. In three seasons (1957-60), Arrillaga averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on 39.9% shooting from the field and 70.7% shooting from the foul line. He was named first-team All-AAWU for the 1959-60 season.
At Stanford, Arrillaga studied geography and went on to have a phenomenal real estate career by which he was able to grow his net worth to $2.6 billion. He made Forbes’ list of top 400 richest people in America and is one of the most influential people in the history of Silicon Valley.
With his passing, John Arrillaga leaves behind an incredible legacy and footprint on Stanford that will be felt for generations to come. His impact on the university, the community, and its athletics department is simply phenomenal. I want to close by expressing my heartfelt condolences to his family and all who knew him personally. People like John don’t come around very often and when they do, it’s important we treasure them and not take them for granted.
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