Although he’d long given back, serving on the SCU Board of Fellows and appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown ’56 as vice chairman of the California State Athletic Commission, Dowd wanted to do more after his diagnosis. And he found ways to combine those two passions—art and philanthropy.
Among his early gifts was a glass sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly for the lobby of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Mountain View, where Ed was treated for MS.
Chihuly, the famous Seattle glass master, is responsible in part for Dowd’s love of art.
“Art transcends all time and seems like a great cause to me,” Ed told SCM.
In 2014, he made a significant donation to SCU, establishing the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building. A bold orange and red Chihuly sculpture greets visitors there, as well.
The building is a cornerstone of the Mission campus’ arts neighborhood, with the de Saisset Museum, Recital Hall, and Mayer Theatre, making the northwest portion of campus a destination for the fine and performing arts.
Among his final gifts are funding for advocacy programs for those with MS and support for the Natividad Hospital Foundation in Salinas.
Ed is survived by his family, including his partner, Terri Eckert, and brother Thomas M. Dowd ’70.