tion created and chaired by David W. Packard, a
former professor of ancient Greek and a noted pioneer in the use of computer technology in
the humanities. The foundation has an endowment of $1.5 billion.
An operating, rather than a grant-making, foundation, PHI supports
scholarly research into the humanities. It has created CD-ROMs containing comprehensive
collections of Latin and Greek texts and is creating an electronic edition of the writings
of the founding fathers of American democracy. It recently broadened its focus to include
archaeology, film preservation, renovation of historic theaters and education,
particularly reading and literacy.
Melis said that, at the State Bar, he is most proud of efforts
leading to the bar’s acquisition of a building in San Francisco, which permitted the
consolidation of different offices under one roof, as well as the consolidation of
operations in Los Angeles.
Gov. Wilson’s 1997 veto of the bar’s funding bill, followed
by two years of turmoil, caused the most stress. “The veto destroyed the
organization,” Melis said. The new job “offered an opportunity I couldn’t
pass up.”
Said his longtime colleague Gersick, who now is working in London for
the state of California: “I fear that no one outside the daily grind of State Bar
operations can possibly appreciate the breadth of Bill’s contributions or what a loss
to the bar his departure represents.” |
