Community Foundation Mourns the Passing of Secretary Warren Christopher

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Mar 22, 2011, 11:45 ET

LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Community Foundation (CCF) in Los Angeles today released the following statement on the passing of former Secretary of State Warren Christopher:

"It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Secretary Warren Christopher, a great American public servant and a wonderful member of the Los Angeles community," said CCF President and CEO Antonia Hernandez. "His leadership, dedication to justice, and generosity of spirit inspired us all, and will be sorely missed."

It was at CCF that the Warren Christopher Scholarship Fund was established in 1992. Each year, the fund provides four-year college scholarships to high school sophomores in the Los Angeles Unified School District with outstanding promise and financial need. Approximately $3 million has been awarded to nearly 140 deserving students since the fund was established with an initial gift from O'Melveny & Myers LLP, the law firm where Secretary Christopher served as a former chairman and senior partner.

Secretary Christopher was deeply committed to support these talent students, many of whom have overcome challenges in their pursuit of higher education, continued their education and completed a degree. The Warren Christopher Scholarship Fund will remain a lasting tribute to a modest but extraordinary man.

The California Community Foundation (CCF) is a public, charitable organization that has played several important roles in communities of Los Angeles County since 1915. It encourages philanthropy by individuals, families, companies and organizations, and serves as a steward of their funds and legacies. It also makes grants to nonprofits in the arts, education, health care, housing and neighborhoods, and human development. In addition, it engages in community problem solving through collaborations with other leading organizations in the nonprofit, public and private sectors. For more information, visit calfund.org.