Professor emerita of history makes legacy gift to fund chair in pre-modern Japanese studies

Anne Walthall, UCI professor emerita of history, has arranged a legacy gift of $2 million, through her estate, to fund an endowed chair in pre-modern Japanese studies. At the turn of the 17th century, Japan began a peaceful period of 250 years of restricted international interaction, allowing the country’s culture to flourish. Artistic achievements considered uniquely Japanese include kabuki theater, haiku poetry and the precursor to manga. Walthall specializes in this important era and wants to ensure the field’s longevity at UCI. The eventual holder of the Anne Walthall Endowed Chair in Pre-Modern Japanese Studies will be a full-time faculty member committed to the study of Tokugawa Japan (1603-1867) or an earlier period.