For Tony and Virginia Chan, the end of their college journey at Pacific was in many ways the beginning of a decades-long partnership with the university. The couple, who met while standing in line for commencement ceremonies at the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy in 1977, have just given a generous gift to the university’s new School of Health Sciences.

The gift will fund renovations to the Muddox building on Pacific’s Sacramento Campus. The building, which was previously home to the McGeorge School of Law legal clinics before they moved to their new location on 34th Street, is now the administrative headquarters of the new health school.

In addition, another portion of the gift will establish the Chan Family School of Health Sciences Endowed Scholarship for students enrolled in the School of Health, as well as the Chan Family School of Health Sciences Innovation Fund that will provide program support to the school, including faculty and student research, professional development and more.

The gift also includes a designation for the university’s Regent COVID-19 Recovery Fund that will help the school address any barriers caused by the global pandemic and in-kind personal protective equipment (PPE) that was provided by their daughter Megan.

Two U-Haul moving vans worth of PPE, to be precise. 

“We know the pandemic has caused many challenges for students and the university as a whole and we wanted to do our part to help,” said Megan Chan. “We want students and faculty to feel safe when they return to campus and we hope this will offer some relief.”

The gift will be counted towards Leading with Purpose: The Campaign for University of the Pacific, the largest fundraising initiative in university history that is on track to surpass its $300 million goal by 2022. The Chans have been deeply involved with the campaign, serving as co-chairs of the historic effort.

 “This gift is another mark of Tony and Virginia’s incredible devotion to the university,” said President Chris Callahan. “Their generosity is far-reaching and will make it possible for us to support the brightest students and faculty at the School of Health Sciences during a time when they need it most.”

Over the years they have made substantial gifts to the university to name the Chan Family Hall, Chan Family Health Sciences Learning Center and Clinics, Jonathan Chan and Megan Chan Auditorium in the Rotunda Building, Derosa University Center Café, biological sciences building, numerous classroom and conference rooms and have established several scholarships for students. 

“Pacific is a very special place to us,” said Virginia Chan who sits on Pacific’s Board of Regents. “It’s where Tony and I met and it’s where our children went to school. Our hope is that by giving back to the university, we afford future students the opportunity to attend Pacific and pursue their educational dreams.”

Tony and Virginia were inducted into Pacific's Gallery of Benefactors in 2007 and are part of the 1851 Society, which acknowledges the university's most generous donors. Their son Jonathan earned his degree from the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy in 2009 and their daughter Megan in 2013. The entire Chan family, of which 12 members have attended Pacific, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Family from the university in 2016.