Giving

Taking USF Forward

Elizabeth Wall Hanson Invests in Entrepreneurship

by Sara Rinaldi, Office of Development Communications

San Francisco skyline

Elizabeth Wall Hanson ’82 committed to the University of San Francisco with a $2.5 million gift to the School of Management.

Hanson’s gift continues her father's legacy, cardiovascular surgeon and alumnus Dr. C. Allen Wall ’47, by supporting the Reverend P. Carlo Rossi Entrepreneurial Chair, established in 2006. The endowment funds a faculty member to teach entrepreneurship at the School of Management.

“Our commitment is to take USF forward, and to increase our endowment dollars,” said Hanson. “If we can create a world-class program with this endowment, we can make USF stand out in the business community.”

Beth Wall Hanson with family
Elizabeth Wall Hanson in middle

Entrepreneurship and innovation cross multiple generations in the Wall family, and with USF being situated in San Francisco, Hanson believes the university is ideally located to have greater investment in entrepreneurship programs.

“Lots of large businesses started in San Francisco,” said Hanson. “All of these companies started with entrepreneurs. Let’s give people the skills to create their own business. I want a great interdisciplinary program that crosses multiple industries. That’s how USF stands out, by differentiating itself in these niche programs.”

By supporting entrepreneurship, Wall helps the next generation of USF students to launch their own San Francisco dreams.

Interested in entrepreneurship and innovation? Visit our School of Management to learn more.