A Legacy of Inquiry
The Leslie S. and Herbert Fingarette Endowment will support philosophy graduate students
Over his 40 years teaching philosophy at UC Santa Barbara, Professor Herbert Fingarette explored subjects ranging from Confucius to criminal insanity. His daughter, Ann Fingarette Hasse, created a legacy gift to establish the Leslie S. and Herbert Fingarette Endowment in honor of her parents, emphasizing the importance of following one’s curiosity.
“That’s exactly what my father did,” said Ann. “He followed the path of what interested him, whether or not it was in the mainstream of philosophic thought. If you teach about what interests you, then you are much more likely to be a good teacher.” Indeed, Professor Fingarette received UC Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1985.
Ann’s current support of the Department of Philosophy helps graduate students travel to conferences or other universities where they can meet colleagues in their field and can share their work. So far, six students have received awards. Ann is expanding this current support by donating the proceeds from the new edition of her father’s ground-breaking 1972 book “Confucius: The Secular as Sacred.”
“I wanted to do something in my parents’ names at UC Santa Barbara, and I thought that donating the royalties would be a wonderful foundation for an endowment,” Ann said.
Ann’s mother, Leslie, attended UCLA in the 1940s, where she served as managing editor of the Daily Bruin — unusual for women at the time. She was also a fierce debater who won statewide competitions, and later, was a keen editor of her husband’s work. Many years from now, Ann hopes the endowment in her parents’ honor will grow into a permanent travel fellowship for graduate students.
“Professor Fingarette was an award-winning teacher who brought prominence to the UC Santa Barbara Department of Philosophy through his influential scholarship on Confucius and significant issues in moral psychology, including alcoholism and the nature of the disease. His work was profound and practical, offering theoretical insights from the history of philosophy to address issues relevant to everyone.
The Leslie S. and Herbert Fingarette Endowment continues this legacy by providing the department’s graduate students with the support they need to present their research to an international community of scholars. This fund not only directly benefits the professional development of our students but also elevates the department and our graduate program within the profession by showcasing the outstanding work our students are presenting at top conferences,” said Professor Aaron Zimmerman, department chair.
Professor Fingarette was known for his wide-ranging interests in moral psychology. He collaborated with Ann, a lawyer, on a book titled “Mental Disabilities and Criminal Responsibility.” Father and daughter would fax draft pages back and forth and debate spiritedly.
Ann has followed her own curiosity in her career. From a clerkship focusing on antitrust laws in a San Francisco federal district court, she moved to a large law firm and later to Southern Pacific Railroad during deregulation when the nation’s railroads had to learn to live and work under the antitrust laws. Her work in transportation law led to an in-house counsel position with an international shipping company, where she used her railroad expertise to advise the company’s logistics division; an added benefit of this move was that she learned about maritime law.
The Leslie S. and Herbert Fingarette Endowment will help graduate students follow their interests, fostering curious and passionate scholars at UC Santa Barbara.
“You have to go with what excites you: that’s where all new ideas come from,” said Ann. “If you follow your interests, you’ve got the best chance of having good things happen.”
Published October 2024
You have to go with what excites you: that’s where all new ideas come from. If you follow your interests, you’ve got the best chance of having good things happen.
Ann Fingarette Hasse
