Walter A. Haas, Sr. and Daniel E. Koshland, Sr., both native Californians, earned Bachelor's Degrees in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. They were also awarded honorary degrees by their Alma Mater.

Both of these men were actively involved in the management of Levi Strauss & Co. and were personally responsible for the company's success and for the sensitivity and understanding for which the company is famous in the treatment of its employees.

Their dedication to their community inspired deep involvement in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations and their life-long interest in quality education and young people, in particular, made them well-known and well-respected in the Bay Area and throughout the world. A great deal of their time, dedication and generosity was directed toward the intellectual, medical and social betterment of the community.