Interview with Mike Boehm
In 2006, Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Boehm conducted a lengthy interview with Henry Segerstrom for a story on the opening of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. During the interview, the Orange County developer talked about his career and his attitude toward philanthropy. Here are three excerpts:
ON EARLY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
“I had started a little enterprise at Stanford, a little publication. I sold advertising on a slick piece of paper, and the idea was that the university was filled with returning veterans who knew nothing about the area around Stanford on the peninsula or in San Francisco, and for their recreational time, just for their fun time, they could use some understanding of what was available to them.
“I started this little ‘publication’ and took it to the student council, and they authorized putting it on bulletin boards of housing units on campus. I enjoyed the artwork. I enjoyed selling the ads. I enjoyed meeting people. So when I graduated — a friend and I had done this together — we wanted to start one at USC and UCLA, which we did. Here I was home in the farming operation, and occasionally I would go to Los Angeles and sell advertising. The Stanford one was called Injun Fun, and the other one was called Bruin Fun … and Trojan Fun.”
ON THE KEY TO FUNDRAISING
“I was at this cocktail party, and somebody said, ‘There’s so-and-so, she’s raising money for the de Young Museum, and she’s raised $125 million by herself.’ I thought, ‘Holy smokes, I want to find out what she’s doing.’ I was introduced to her. I said, ‘What did you do? How did you do it?’, and she looked at me with this quizzical look and said, ‘Do you really want to know?’ I said, ‘Yes.’
“She said, ‘You know, Mr. Segerstrom, it’s very simple. Just ask. I ask at breakfast. I ask at 10 o’clock. I ask at noon. I ask in the afternoon. I ask in the evening.’ And that’s true. About 50% of success in fundraising: just ask.”
ON LIFELONG PHILANTHROPY
“Age makes no difference in commitment. I think you can be committed in your early 20s or in your 90s. It’s a conviction, and the conviction is beyond age and generations, I think. It’s almost as if it’s an instinct that people have.
“I’ve recently been involved with fundraising at Stanford University for my fraternity house that needed to be rebuilt. It’s not a huge campaign, but the man that assumed the responsibility for it has a wonderful saying — he uses ‘pay ahead.’ He says, in life, that we all enjoy benefits that somebody before us has had the grace to give, and it’s our responsibility to do that for future generations, and he calls it ‘pay ahead.’ What a good expression.”