Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi


Statement in Honor of Phyllis Wattis

July 25, 2002


Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay final tribute to one of San Francisco's most generous patrons of the arts, Phyllis Wattis, who died June 5th at age 97. Phyllis's extraordinary generosity and commitment to artistic, educational, and scientific organizations continues to enrich the lives of all of us who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through her philanthropy and her personal warmth, she left an indelible mark on our City and the lives of those who loved and admired her.

Phyllis and her husband Paul moved to San Francisco in 1937. With her pioneering spirit and contagious enthusiasm, Phyllis adopted the arts as her philanthropic cause. In 1958, Mr. and Mrs. Wattis established the Paul L. and Phyllis Wattis Foundation. When her husband died in 1971, she assumed the presidency of the Foundation. After 1988, Phyllis dissolved the foundation and began making individual contributions to a variety of educational and cultural institutions. Her consummate modesty in giving makes it impossible to know the total amount of her contributions, but it has been estimated at $200 million.

She gave to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Art Institute. She donated significantly to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, first to construct its stunning new home and then to build a world-renowned collection equal to its new building. She funded a new building at the California Academy of Sciences, and gave major grants to the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, Children's Hospital of San Francisco, UC Irvine, and Bellarmine College Preparatory.

Nearly every major cultural, educational, and scientific organization in San Francisco has benefited from her generosity. For her long service to the community, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute and commendations from several San Francisco Mayors. I was proud to nominate her for a National Medal of Arts.

Phyllis's contribution to the arts was not only financial. Her leadership, creativity, and intelligence were immense gifts in their own right. She was never afraid to take risks on new and innovative art, and her vision enabled arts organizations to push forward into new ground. Her sharp eye and captivating personality helped to nurture some of the city's most important cultural institutions.

San Francisco is forever indebted to Phyllis. Her contributions to our cultural resources are immeasurable; her friendship and energy will be sorely missed. It is with great sadness and recognition of their loss that I offer my deepest sympathies to her son Paul, her daughter Carol, her five grandsons, three granddaughters, and eight great-grandchildren. Like the art she left behind, our memories of Phyllis are permanent and beautiful.