Peter Norton, philanthropist and retired computer software entrepreneur, made his mark in the computer industry as a programmer, businessman, and author. He is best known for the computer programs-including Norton AntiVirus-and the books that bear his name.
Norton sold his software business to Symantec Corporation in 1990 to devote time to his family, civic affairs, philanthropy, and art collecting. In 1989, he and Eileen Harris Norton established the Peter Norton Family Foundation to provide increased financial support for the arts and humanities.
Norton serves on the boards of directors of numerous organizations, including California Institute of the Arts, Reed College, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum, both in New York City.
Nelson Rising, former chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, retired as the chairman and CEO of Catellus Development Corporation in 2005. During his tenure he oversaw the company's successful evolution from a railroad land company to a diversified development company and to one of the nation's largest real estate investment trusts. Most notable of the many Catellus developments is Mission Bay in San Francisco, the home of the 2.4 million-square-foot University of California, San Francisco, biotech campus.
Prior to joining Catellus, Rising was a senior partner of Maguire Thomas Partners. He was partner-in-charge of major projects in the Los Angeles area, including the Library Square development that resulted in the restoration of the city's historic Central Library and included the West's tallest building, the 73-story Library Tower.
Rising received his BA in economics from UCLA in 1963 and his Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law in 1967, where he served as managing editor of the UCLA Law Review. He practiced law at O'Melveny & Myers prior to entering the real estate industry in 1972.
Rising served as chairman of the Bay Area Council and is chairman emeritus of the Real Estate Roundtable.
Suzanne Woolsey, a longtime advocate for enhanced communications among government agencies, private industry, and the science community, is an expert in the communications field. In 1989, Woolsey joined the National Academies to direct their work in behavioral and social sciences. After three years, she was appointed the Academies' first chief operating officer, a position she held until May 2000, when she was appointed chief communications officer for the National Academies.
Prior to joining the Academies, Woolsey was a consulting partner with Coopers and Lybrand; an editorial writer for the Washington Post; associate director of human resources, veterans, and labor for the Office of Management and Budget; and research program director for the Urban Institute.
Woolsey received her BA from Stanford University and her MA and PhD from Harvard University in social and clinical psychology. She is affiliated with and on the boards of directors of various organizations, including the Fluor Corporation; Intelligent Medical Devices, LLC; the German Marshall Fund; the Council of Foreign Relations; and the Council for Excellence in Government.
Businessman and philanthropist Fred Hameetman is responsible for overseeing the management of approximately $500 million dollars of real estate and investments at the American Group, which is an aggregate of primarily real estate businesses, including a real estate investment trust (REIT), the Cal-American Properties Trust, and the Hameetman Foundation.
An alumnus of Caltech, Hameetman began his career as an aerophysicist and engineering supervisor at the Douglas Aircraft Company. There, he was involved with the Hypervelocity Impulse Tunnel and the testing of antimissile missiles and reentry vehicles that were the predecessors of today's space shuttles.
In the late 1960s, Hameetman ventured into the securities market, becoming a registered representative with Hayden Stone & Co., a New York Stock Exchange member. Later, Hameetman provided financial planning for clients and established an REIT, which he continues to manage, along with nine Cal-American income property funds.
Along with receiving a BS in engineering from Caltech in 1962, Hameetman also earned a BA from Occidental College that same year, followed by a MS in engineering from USC in 1964. A Los Angeles native and active member of the community, Hameetman also serves as a trustee of Occidental College and of the California Science Center Foundation. ###
Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges (626) 395-3227 debwms@caltech.edu
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Written by Deborah Williams-Hedges