A bequest of more than $40 million from the late Lawrence “Larry” Layne, who received his M.B.A. from UCLA in 1977, will benefit multiple areas across the UCLA campus in the future: 

• The largest portion of the gift, $17.3 million, is allocated to the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, with $9.6 million directed to football and $7.7 million to men’s basketball, including programming and services to enhance the mental health of the athletes.

• UCLA Health will receive $11.4 million to advance research in the fields of cardiology and hepatology.

• The UCLA Anderson School of Management will benefit from $5.7 million to support the study of entrepreneurship and real estate.

• Men’s rugby, in which Layne avidly participated during his time at UCLA, will receive $3.8 million.

• A gift of $1.9 million will enrich the offerings of UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.

Layne had a strong connection to UCLA that dated back to the 1970s when he enrolled in what is known today as the UCLA Anderson School of Management. While he had an interest in business, it was UCLA’s top-ranked rugby team — then led by legendary coach Dennis Storer — that first ignited Layne’s desire to become a Bruin.

It was not the last time the sport would play a part in defining the course of Layne’s life. In class and on the rugby field, he built the foundations and relationships that led him to establish Nova Storage, which specialized in the acquisition and brokering of real estate, construction and property management.

As Layne’s business grew, so did his philanthropy to his alma mater. The bequest extends decades of philanthropy by Layne and his widow, Sheelagh Boyd. Over the years, the couple supported the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, Student Affairs, the Chancellor’s Greatest Needs fund and other areas with more than 300 gifts to the campus.

“Larry Layne’s philanthropy demonstrates how UCLA helps our students discover their passions and purpose and build lifelong connections,” said UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk. “We are deeply thankful that he chose to invest in our campus in ways that will touch so many Bruins. His kindness will have a lasting impact.”

From the beginning, UCLA’s sports teams were a consistent focus for Layne, and rugby was the first beneficiary of both his financial support and his time. His first donation was to the UCLA women’s rugby club fund in 1979. He served as the first coach of the Bruin women’s rugby team and helped coach the men’s team for one season. Layne gave nearly $300,000 to the men’s team across three decades — and part of his bequest will build on that support, funding an endowment.

“UCLA Rugby has a long tradition of building men of character — and Larry Layne was a terrific example,” said Harry Bennett, head coach of UCLA men’s rugby. “Larry never forgot his many happy years on the pitch and frequently attended practices and games. Our players are moved by his decision to include our team in his gift plans.”

Away from the rugby field, Layne supported the renovation of Pauley Pavilion and provided an early gift for a state-of-the-art training facility that ultimately became the Wasserman Football Center. Layne also donated to UCLA softball, baseball, women’s tennis and men’s water polo. 

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for Larry’s longstanding history of generosity to both our campus and athletic department, including this transformational gift,” said Martin Jarmond, UCLA’s Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. “I am fortunate to have spent time with Larry and get to know his deep passion for UCLA Athletics, particularly his desire to help our football and men’s basketball programs thrive in the new era of college sports. His investment in our programs positions us, and future generations of Bruin athletes, for long-term success.”

Layne also sought to power breakthroughs in the health sciences, specifically in the fields of cardiology and hepatology, through his philanthropy. UCLA scientists recently developed an approach to improve recovery from heart attacks and identified a new strategy for killing liver cancer cells. Future inquiries in these areas will receive support from Layne’s bequest — and perhaps yield similarly promising results.

“Larry Layne’s gifts for medical research will help teams investigating some of the most serious and preventable heart and liver conditions affecting millions of people worldwide,” said Dr. John Mazziotta, vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences and CEO of UCLA Health. “We are deeply grateful for this funding that will advance the search for new lifesaving treatments.”

The arts were another priority of Layne’s giving. He and his wife enjoyed attending artistic and cultural events across Los Angeles and gave widely to UCLA’s Design for Sharing program for local K–12 students, the Hammer Museum at UCLA and other areas.

Edgar Miramontes, artistic and executive director of UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, said: “Larry Layne’s gift affirms the essential role UCLA plays in the cultural life of Los Angeles. His support will help sustain the performing arts as a dynamic and enduring force — on our campus and throughout the city — ensuring we can continue to bring groundbreaking artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate creativity, invite dialogue and nurture the unique sense of community that only live performance can inspire.”

With a portion of Layne’s gift targeted to UCLA Anderson and the fields of entrepreneurship and real estate, he left a legacy for those keen to follow in his professional footsteps.

“Like many of our alumni, Larry Layne found great success in his career post-graduation,” said Margaret Shih, interim dean of UCLA Anderson and holder of the Neil H. Jacoby Chair in Management. “And as he prospered, UCLA was never far from his thoughts — he was continually giving back to the institution and community that helped set him on his way.”

The sentiment is echoed by Sheelagh Boyd, who shared that, no matter what was happening in Layne’s life, the first and last thing he thought about each day was how his various sports teams were faring — and his loyalty to UCLA never waned.

“Larry’s legacy will enable young athletes to follow their dreams and strengthen UCLA’s scholarly and research programs,” she said. “His intent was to empower future Bruins to be the champions we know and love. He achieved his goal.”