Building Santa Clara University Up: John A. Sobrato -- From Humble Italian-American Roots to Billionaire Philanthropy

John A. Sobrato

Introduction

There is no question that the enormous investment put into SCU's mission of providing students with a comprehensive Jesuit education comes at a high financial cost. Though the college gains revenue from tuition, government grants, athletic events, food and housing, and other commercial sources, it has relied on donations for much of its financial support. Many buildings and facilities on the SCU campus take their names from their major benefactors. For example, Vari Hall is named after Alumni Victor Vari, a former professor of Italian Studies at SCU, Finn Residential Learning Community is named after San Francisco investor and philanthropist Stephen A. Finn, and Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation is named after real estate mogul and philanthropist John A. Sobrato. 

John A. Sobrato is a significant donor to SCU and the one covered in this exhibit. He is worth understanding because of his Catholic Italian-American upbringing and his Jesuit high school and SCU education, as his life and contributions embody the values the Jesuits instill in their students. Sobrato's exemplification of Catholic, Jesuit, and Italian-American values adds diversity to the SCU campus, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the world. I argue in this exhibit that John A. Sobrato's life work was heavily influenced by Catholic, Jesuit, and Italian values and that, through these values, he continues to make a positive difference in the world and his community. Near the end of my exhibit, I showcase a comparison between the historical status and roles of Italian-Americans and the status of Italian-Americans today, as reflected by John A. Sobrato, and I put his success into the context of the Italian-American experience.