Charles and Louise Travers met in 1930 while both were Political Science majors at the University of California. Charles graduated in 1932 and Louise graduated a year later. The couple's mutual love for the University of California, strengthened by their courtship and marriage, prevailed for their six decades of marriage.
Together they were generous and long-time supporters of the University's academic and athletic programs. In 1995, Charles endowed a program in Ethics and Accountability in Government, established two undergraduate scholarships for students in the Travers Ethics Program, and financed construction of a seminar room for the Department of Political Science. He also provided funding for the creation of a program in new security challenges and U.S. foreign policy in the department.
In 2004, stating his desire to "assist the Department of Political Science and its faculty's dedication and commitment to outstanding scholarship," Charles established an endowment to support in perpetuity undergraduate teaching and faculty research in political science. The endowment provides funding for a range of programs, including graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships in Political Science, and a major annual conference in Public Affairs.
To acknowledge these generous contributions and to honor their longtime commitment to the department, the University officially designated our department to be the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science.