Gayle Wilson Elected to Caltech Board of Trustees

PASADENA—The California Institute of Technology is pleased to announce that Gayle Wilson, wife of California Governor Pete Wilson, has been elected to membership on Caltech's Board of Trustees.

"Gayle Wilson's appointment to Caltech's board is a tribute to her own impeccable academic credentials, as well as her passionate commitment to excellence in education," said Donald L. Bren, chairman of the Irvine Company and a Caltech trustee. "I believe she will make a major contribution to the deliberations of this board and to the continued pursuit of excellence by Caltech."

Wilson is often described as a career volunteer, and her own experiences have made her acutely aware of how important individual citizens can be in effecting change. She has long been involved both in science education and in the welfare of children. Her lifelong commitment to volunteerism was recognized when President Bush appointed her a member of the Board of the National Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

"Gayle Wilson brings to Caltech's Board of Trustees years of valuable experience working to improve education," said Thomas E. Everhart, president of Caltech. "Her knowledge of educational issues both locally and nationally will be a wonderful asset to the Institute."

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Gayle Wilson achieved national academic recognition in high school as one of the top 40 winners of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. The high school valedictorian of her class, she attended Stanford University and earned her Phi Beta Kappa key and a bachelor's degree in biology.

Following college, Wilson settled in San Diego, where she became involved in a variety of volunteer activities while raising her two sons, Todd and Philip Graham. It was during this time that she developed her interest in learning-disabled children and in children's mental health. As a member and past president of the Junior League of San Diego, she took a leadership role on both issues.

Wilson also has a strong interest both in public policy as it affects children, and in improving math and science literacy. Her interest in policies that influence children springs from her realization that prevention of problems before they occur is more compassionate and more fiscally sound than remediation efforts afterward. She focuses much of her attention on issues such as prenatal care, child abuse, safe schools, antigang and anti-graffiti activities, and the mental health of children.

Her interest in improving the public's mathematical and scientific literacy stems from her background in biology and is influenced by her community and political involvement. She was a founding member of the San Diego chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists and served as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Center for Excellence in Education in 1993 and 1994. She also serves as honorary chairperson for the California State Science Fair and the California 4-H Foundation.

Contact: Jay Aller (818) 395-3631 aller@caltech.edu