Lowell A lumni Association
SPRING 2015
DISTRIBUTION 34,000
SERVING THE OLDEST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN THE WEST SINCE 1910
Alums Leave Tremendous Legacy for Future Generations
President’s Message By Lisa Coughlin Clay ’74
Given their foresight, generosity of spirit and lifelong record of community service and philanthropy, it is not surprising that siblings Dr. Serene C. Low S’54 and Dr. Ronald B. Low S’56, both of whom passed away in late 2011, would be thoughtful enough to create testamentary gifts to the Lowell Alumni Association in their respective trusts. But what is truly remarkable is that their combined gifts of $571,000, representing the second-largest single gift the association has ever received, will leave a tremendous legacy for future generations of Lowell students while also setting a great example for all Lowell alumni and friends. Both Serene and Ronald were proud members of the group of Chinese-American physicians who were born at San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital and later returned to work in the community. Serene attended college at UC Berkeley and received her M.D. at UC San Francisco before her internship at Moffitt Hospital in San Francisco and residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She subsequently joined her father’s pediatrics practice in Chinatown, earned her board certification in pediatrics and practiced with her brother Ronald until 2004. She thoroughly enjoyed her work with children and had a calming effect on them when they were being treated. Having practiced in the community for so many years, she even treated the second generation of children in some families! As a young man, Ronald was active in the Boy Scouts, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and was inducted into the Order of DeMolay. After Lowell, he graduated from UC Berkeley before continuing to Northwestern University for medical school and then to UC San Francisco for training in pediatrics. Also board-certified in pediatrics, he practiced for 35 years in San Francisco and also served a second generation of children in some families. The doctors were remembered by one patient for their teamwork that “exuded superb synergy and psychic unity to the exclusion of all potentially disruptive differences. Also, they
LOWELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PO BOX 320009 San Francisco, CA 94132-0009
Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit 7857 San Francisco, CA
From its beginning, Lowell has always been a place where women can succeed. Forty-five women were in the inaugural class of 1856 at Union Grammar School (Paul Lucey, A History of the Oldest Public High School in San Francisco). Lowell has a long legacy of strong, high-achieving female graduates. I am honored to recognize the achievements of four important women who are serving the public as elected officials. In 2014, Betty Yee, class of 1975, was elected California State Controller, the state’s chief financial officer, after having previously served on the State Board of Equalization for ten years. She is one of only a handful of women to be elected to statewide office in California, and is the first woman from Lowell to hold that position. Dr. Emily Murase, class of 1983, has served on the Board of Education for the San Francisco Unified School District since 2010. She currently serves as the President of the Board of Education after receiving the most votes in the school board election of 2014. Dr. Murase was a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2004 to 2010. She also serves as Executive Director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women. Lowell is well represented on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by Malia Cohen, class of 1996 and Katy Tang, class of 2002. Ms. Cohen was first elected a Supervisor in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Ms. Tang was appointed to the Board in February 2013 by Mayor Ed Lee and has been elected twice since her appointment. Today, female students at Lowell are achieving great success in academics, athletics and leadership. The Alumni Association, as a proud member of the Lowell community, supports all our students in these endeavors. Members of the Association have served as role models as the result of their achievements in all professions, as well as service to our school and community. Of concern for the future, however, is the fact that women are underrepresented on our Board of Directors. Fewer than forty percent of the elected members of the current board are women, and of that group, only one is a graduate after the 1980s. It is critical that the association and its board demonstrate, through its actions, that women play a significant role in all aspects of the school community, and that Lowell’s female students see other women in positions of leadership. I encourage all alumnae, particularly recent graduates, to become actively involved with Lowell and your Alumni Association, so that we can “pass the torch” to the next generation of alumni.
Serene and Ronald Low were indefatigable advocates who backed their patients unconditionally.” In retirement, Serene and Ronald finally had time to travel the world, exercise at the Jewish Community Center, continue their medical practice as volunteers and donate time at St. Anthony’s Dining Room. Dr. Serene Low was a wonderful, sincere and genuinely nice person. She was always considerate of others and never wanted to impose on anyone. She will always be remembered as a caring and giving person. Dr. Ronald Low will be very much missed by all for his warm, friendly ways and his genuine interest in the welfare of all people. Serene and Ronald are survived by several aunts, uncles and many cousins, including Lowell alumni Arnold Low S’59, Kenneth Chew S’59, Clarene Dong Rosten S’60, Candance Dong Lee S’66, Terrence Leong F’66, Calvin Dong F’67, Gary Low S’69, Larry Low, Jr. S’72 and Kimiko Leong ’89. Every member of the Lowell community, and particularly Lowell alumni, owes a great debt of gratitude to these two outstanding physicians and philanthropists for their tireless service and good works that continue well beyond their deaths. We can only hope that Lowell will continue to help shape the lives of others who will follow ably and honorably in their footsteps. For information on including the Lowell Alumni Association in your estate plans, please contact us at (415) 759-7830 or lowellaa@lowellalumni.org.
Annual Fund Campaign On Track To Make A Real Difference Thanks to early support from more than 1,300 alumni and other friends, our 2014-15 Annual Fund Campaign is making steady progress towards achieving its goal of fully funding several important projects and programs to benefit every one of today’s 2,700 students. The more than 1,300 donations received to date have generated over $280,000 in unrestricted gifts and another $100,000 in restricted gifts. With a strong final push leading up to the June 30 end of this year’s campaign, we hope to reach our $350,000 goal for unrestricted gifts. Given the recent modest increases in state funding for public education, Annual Fund Campaign gifts are no longer needed to help fund faculty and staff positions
at Lowell, thus allowing us to take on high profile major projects like last year’s library computer lab renovation. We are in the process of gathering proposals for a $150,000 project to be funded with the proceeds of our current campaign while continuing funding for our traditional grants program (providing $75,000 to support a wide variety of projects to benefit academic and extracurricular programs) as well as the alumni newsletter, support for class reunions and ongoing funding for schoolwide technology upgrades. This year’s campaign theme, Lowell Makes A Difference, truly captures the essence of the Lowell Alumni Association’s mission as we continue to inform the Lowell
community of opportunities to enhance the school’s well-deserved reputation for excellence and then engage alumni and other friends in order to find the resources necessary to take advantage of those opportunities to make a very real difference in the lives of Lowell students. We invite you to add your support for our important mission by participating in our Annual Fund Campaign before our June 30 deadline. To donate via credit card or check, please visit www.lowellalumni.org/ donate. And many thanks to all who have already donated this year because you truly make a difference at Lowell!
Annual Scholarship Reception Thursday, May 21 • 5pm • Lowell Library Lowell alumni are cordially invited to join us for our 2015 Scholarship reception and awards ceremony where the Lowell Alumni Association will award college scholarships to more than two dozen extraordinary seniors. To RSVP, please contact us via e-mail or phone: lowellaa@lowellalumni.org • 415.759.7830