Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professorship

The Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professorship in Public Service was established in 1989 in conjunction with a primary endowment to support the Haas Center for Public Service by members of the Haas family of San Francisco. The lead gift was from Miriam and Peter E. Haas. The Stanford Provost awards the chair to an "inspired and inspiring public scholar and teacher, who exemplifies integration of research and teaching with engagement in social issues and public service." The chairholders may choose to write and speak about academic connections to public service, initiate service-learning programs, and/or encourage faculty and student interest in such programs and in public service in general.

Across the university, the Centennial Professorships were created in Stanford's centennial year (1991) to recognize outstanding contributions by faculty to undergraduate education. The Haas position, once established, became an important and integral part of the Center's programs.

John W. Gardner, co-founder and longtime member of the Center's National Advisory Board, was the first Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professor in Public Service. He held the chair from September 1, 1989 until his retirement in August 1996.

The second Haas Centennial Professor, J. Gregory Dees, held the chair from September 1, 1998 through August 31, 2001 while on the faculty of the Graduate School of Business.

The third and current Haas Centennial Professor for Public Service is Albert M. Camarillo, founding director of Stanford's landmark Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, Professor of History, and a service-learning pioneer at Stanford.