Dear Colleagues,
It is with a very heavy heart that I write to let you know that Alan Mendelson (B.A. ’69; J.D. ’73, Harvard) died on Friday evening. Alan was at Oracle Park watching his beloved San Francisco Giants when he suffered a medical emergency.
Many of us knew Alan as a giant in the field of Life Sciences, having provided highly-respected legal counsel in key research, academic and business communities. We also knew him as a dedicated partner, a critical part of both the Cal and greater UC community, a trusted advisor, a tireless volunteer, a generous donor, and so much more. It is not an exaggeration to say that Alan was widely considered to be one of Cal's most dedicated and benevolent alums. You can read about Alan's life here.
At the urging of his good friend Michael Marletta, Alan joined the College of Chemistry Advisory Board in 2007. He enjoyed his role as our only "non-chemist" and liked to remind us that he was "just a political scientist" trying to help. In reality, It would take too long to list the many contributions Alan made to our college over all these years.
Campus will be making a formal announcement soon, but I wanted you to know now that our college has lost a dear friend in Alan.
Warm regards,
Doug
