New endowments will support two faculty chairs, expand academic programming, and deepen the university's historic ties to the Pacific Rim
The University of Puget Sound announced an $8.5 million gift from the Trimble family and The Trimble Foundation to support faculty and academic programming in Asian and China Studies. By deepening its historic ties to the Pacific Rim and investing in faculty excellence, the university is positioning itself as a national leader in Asian Studies and global engagement. This gift represents the largest single commitment in the university’s history focused on Asian Studies.
This inspiring gift comprises multiple endowments established over the summer. These include two new endowed faculty chairs — the Karl Fields Endowed Chair of Political Economy and Contemporary China Studies and the Zaixin Hong Endowed Chair of Art History and China Studies. The gift also establishes the Trimble Family Endowment for Political Economy and China Studies and the Trimble Family Endowment for Art History and China Studies.
“The Trimble family’s visionary generosity doesn't just build programs, it builds a legacy of global understanding that will resonate for generations,” President Isiaah Crawford said. “By making this significant investment in faculty excellence and innovative academic programming, the Trimbles are empowering Puget Sound to explore new horizons for our students and scholars, fostering dynamic opportunities for research and study that define the Puget Sound experience.”
The gift is the culmination of a strong partnership between the Trimble family and Puget Sound that is decades long. The family's connection to China's Fujian province began in the late 19th century with Lydia Trimble, who founded the Yuzhen Girls’ Junior High School in 1891, now Fuqing No. 2 High School and Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College in 1908. This legacy was carried forward by Robert “Bob” Trimble ’37 and Genevieve E. Trimble and continues with Gordon and Sonia Trimble, their son Robert U. Trimble ’99, and Charles Trimble, Gordon’s brother.
“Our family’s connection to China and to Puget Sound spans more than 90 years, and we have seen firsthand how education builds bridges across cultures and generations,” said Gordon Trimble, president of The Trimble Foundation. “We are honored to support this next chapter — investing in faculty, deepening the university’s leadership in Asian and China Studies, and creating lasting opportunities for students to engage with the world.”
The endowments deeply honor the talent of Puget Sound’s faculty. The Karl Fields Endowed Chair will support a distinguished scholar in Political Economy and Contemporary China Studies, building upon the foundational work of Professor Emerita of History Suzanne Wilson Barnett, a central figure in launching Puget Sound's Asian Studies program, and Distinguished Professor of Politics and Government Karl Fields, whose scholarship has brought the region’s history and politics to life. The Zaixin Hong Endowed Chair will support a scholar in Art History and China Studies, honoring Professor of Art and Art History Zaixin Hong, an internationally respected authority on Chinese art whose award-winning textbook, A History of Chinese Art, has educated generations of students.
This latest investment in faculty excellence builds upon the Trimble family’s previous philanthropy at Puget Sound, which includes establishing the Suzanne Wilson Barnett Chair of Contemporary China Studies in 2018. This chair honors Professor Barnett's impactful role in launching and growing Puget Sound's Asian Studies Program. The Barnett Chair is currently held by Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Yu Luo.
Jennifer Neighbors, distinguished professor of History and Chair of Asian Studies, said the endowments recognize the lasting impact of two of the program’s most influential faculty members while ensuring their legacy continues.
“The Asian Studies department has always benefited from the generosity of the Trimble family as we develop the programs and extracurricular activities that help our majors and minors thrive,” Neighbors said. “With their gift, the Trimbles not only recognize the enormous contributions that Professors Fields and Hong have made to Asian Studies at Puget Sound, but also help ensure their legacy as inspiring teachers and dedicated scholars continues for generations.”
The endowments will support the scholarly work of faculty recipients in perpetuity, curriculum innovation, and experiential education opportunities. Additionally, the gift will fund periodic study tours to China for students, faculty, staff, and alumni and promote cultural exchanges between Puget Sound and educational institutions in China and East Asia.
“This is a transformative investment in our intellectual community, providing our faculty with the resources to pursue groundbreaking scholarship and our students with unparalleled experiential learning opportunities,” Provost Drew Kerkhoff said. “By securing the future of these disciplines, we are ensuring that generations of students will continue to benefit from the profound mentorship and global engagement that define the Puget Sound experience.”
The Trimble family also recently established the Bob & Gem Kuliang Bond Scholarship to support prospective first-year students, including those graduating from select high schools in South China, who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, a passion for global citizenship and a commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence. The Fujian Province in South China holds historic importance to the Trimble family. The scholarship program honors the Kuliang Bond, a symbol of historic friendship centered in the Kuliang region outside of Fuzhou. It promotes what the family describes as Kuliang Culture, a philosophy of tolerance and harmony that asserts that the beauty one person sees and the beauty another feels are both equally real and can coexist in peace. Initially, up to three scholarships will be awarded each year to first-year students.
