In memoriam: Ralph Shapiro ’58
When Ralph Shapiro died on August 14, UCLA School of Law lost one of its most distinguished alumni and best friends. Shapiro was a Double Bruin who received his bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1953 and graduated from the law school in 1958, and he enjoyed a remarkable career as a lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and eminent supporter of his alma mater.
Shapiro and his wife, Shirley, who earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA in 1959, together made many changemaking contributions across the university and Los Angeles. Their impact was notably felt at the law school, including in the Shapiro Courtyard, the Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Chair in Law, and the Shirley Shapiro Chair in Environmental Law.
In a message to the UCLA Law community, Dean Michael Waterstone underscored the profound difference that Shapiro made for generations of people at UCLA Law and the university.
“In our community of many great leaders, Ralph was a titan,” Waterstone said. “Together, Ralph and Shirley formed a historic partnership that has spanned decades and, through the Shapiro Family Charitable Foundation and service on many boards at UCLA, improved the lives of most everyone who has ever set foot in Westwood. Their names are synonymous with the cutting-edge work that goes on here and the beautiful campus that surrounds us. Ralph’s legacy is truly inspiring, and our gratitude is endless.”
The following obituary, which was published in the UCLA Newsroom, paints a detailed portrait of this incredible leader and loyal partner in achieving excellence.
“In our community of many great leaders, Ralph was a titan.”
Ralph J. Shapiro, a UCLA alumnus, renowned business leader, philanthropist and enthusiastic, lifelong supporter of the university, died Aug. 14 at the age of 92. He was a proud Bruin and for more than half a century played an immense role in the life of the campus as a donor, volunteer, mentor, advisor, board member and friend.
Shapiro’s family immigrated to the United States from Lithuania when he was a boy and settled in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UCLA in 1953 and a juris doctorate from UCLA School of Law in 1958. UCLA was also where Shapiro met his wife, Shirley, an alumna of the class of 1959 who received her bachelor’s in education.
Throughout his life, Shapiro credited UCLA with providing him and so many others with the opportunity of a world-class public education. He was thankful to the university and dedicated to investing in its faculty and students to enable them to do great things for the betterment of the world. He and Shirley gave generously to a broad range of campus areas, including athletics, the arts, law, music, dentistry, nursing and more.
“UCLA has lost one of its great champions with Ralph’s passing. His contributions to our campus are almost incalculable — he had a great vision for what UCLA could be and dedicated himself to helping the university realize its highest aspirations,” said former UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “Over many decades, Ralph and Shirley made gifts to more than 100 departments and touched the lives of countless individuals in ways that were profound, inspiring and impactful. Our deep gratitude and our heartfelt sympathies are with his family, friends and loved ones.”
Across six decades of support and leadership, the Shapiros displayed their profound commitment to the Bruin community, giving more than 1,600 gifts — twice as many as any other family at UCLA — to virtually every corner of campus. They endowed more than 20 faculty chairs in areas including piano performance, pediatrics, the study of developmental disabilities and other specialties in health sciences and law, and created the Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Directorship at the Fowler Museum. Grateful for the scholarship support that enabled him to attend UCLA — which he credited with changing his life — Shapiro remained a firm believer in the power of student support. Over the years, he and Shirley provided scholarship aid to more than 700 students. In addition, he was a loyal fan of Bruin athletics and held basketball and football season tickets for more than 30 years.
A tireless advocate for the university, Shapiro took great pride in motivating others to support UCLA’s highest-priority needs. Over the years, he served on 30 UCLA boards and committees, including the cabinets for Campaign UCLA and the Centennial Campaign, the medical sciences executive board at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and The UCLA Foundation. He was president of UCLA School of Law’s alumni association from 1965–66 and a member of its board of advisors for decades. In 1983, he received the school’s Alumnus of the Year award.
In recognition of his commitment to UCLA’s success and impact, Shapiro was named the university’s Alumnus of the Year for Public and Community Service in 2008. And in 2019, along with Shirley, he received the university’s highest honor, the UCLA Medal, which recognizes contributions to society that illustrate the highest ideals of UCLA. The Shapiro Fountain on Royce quad and the Shapiro Courtyard adjacent to the law school were both named in recognition of the couple’s prolific giving.
“As generous as Ralph was with his financial support of UCLA, he was equally giving of his time and counsel,” said Rhea Turteltaub, UCLA’s vice chancellor for external affairs. “He and Shirley cherished every opportunity for meaningful involvement in the life of the university, lending their energy over the years to dozens of boards and committees. Ralph was a fierce advocate for UCLA, time and again providing sage advice and trusting in leadership to make the most effective use of his philanthropic support as together we shaped the future of the university. He played an outsized role in making us the flourishing institution we are today.”
Recognized as a leading investor in commercial real estate in Southern California, as well as in diversified securities, Shapiro served as chairman of the Avondale Investment Co. Early in his professional life, he practiced corporate and real estate law in Beverly Hills, helping major corporations settle complex disputes.
Shapiro’s generosity extended beyond UCLA as well. His passion for philanthropy led to the establishment of the Shapiro Family Charitable Foundation in support of a range of interests, including the environment, arts, health and education. A particular focus of his attention was support for families affected by cerebral palsy. He and Shirley invested their hearts in this cause, personally giving their time and care to parents and children alike.
Acknowledging Shapiro’s incomparable contributions and lasting impact, UCLA Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt said, “Ralph Shapiro led a truly extraordinary life. Through his passion, hard work and talent, he scaled great heights, and through it all, he kept UCLA near and dear — never missing an opportunity to make our university a better place to learn, to teach, to work or to carry out research. Across the span of a life dedicated to higher education and service, Ralph Shapiro never forgot his alma mater, and the Bruin family will never forget him.”
Shapiro is survived by Shirley and his children, who share his devotion to public service and the greater good.
Gifts in Shapiro’s memory can be made to the Shapiro Luskin School Special Patient Care Fund.