A Pomona Legacy That Lives On: Honoring Linda Wight Mazur ’81

Members of the Pomona College community, joined by the family of Linda Wight Mazur ’81, gathered outside Mabel Shaw Bridges Hall of Music on April 14 to dedicate a bench honoring a longtime advancement leader whose impact is measured not only in what she helped build, but in the people she changed along the way.

The ceremony included remarks from Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr and Vice President for Advancement Maria Watson, along with reflections from Mazur’s family, colleagues and friends.

Mazur, who died in April 2025 at age 65 after a two-year battle with glioblastoma, is remembered for her professional accomplishments and for the care and intention she brought to her work and relationships.

A transfer student from Florida, Mazur moved to Claremont to join Pomona’s class of 1981. She went on to earn a law degree from UCLA and built a distinguished legal career, becoming a partner at her firm and serving as president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. She also held statewide leadership roles, including as a founding director and chief financial officer of the Conference of California Bar Associations.

Her commitment to service extended beyond the legal field. As board chair of the Valley Community Clinic, Mazur helped secure a permanent home for low-income patients in North Hollywood, expanding access to essential care.

Mazur reconnected with the College in 2009 as a member of the Alumni Board before joining Pomona’s Gift Planning office in 2010. Over the next decade, she played a central role in shaping one of the nation’s leading gift planning programs, eventually serving as assistant vice president for gift planning.

During her tenure, the program oversaw more than $432 million in life‑income gifts, realized bequests and documented future commitments. Colleagues said those figures reflect not only growth, but the strong foundation Mazur helped build.

“These are remarkable numbers. But anyone who knew Linda understands that her impact goes far beyond totals on a page,” Watson said. “She did the exemplary foundational work of drafting critical gift agreements and acceptance policies which will stand as the bedrock of our donor relations for generations to come.”

In her 10 years of leadership, Mazur also oversaw the Pomona Plan, which for more than 80 years has provided participants with lasting financial security while supporting the education and experiences of Pomona students.

“The Pomona Plan is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading charitable life income programs,” Art Landerholm ’92, senior director of the Pomona Plan says. “That reputation reflects not only Linda’s expertise, but her deep love for Pomona — for the mission we advance every day and for the alumni, families, staff and faculty who have passed through its Gates.”

That culture she helped set was rooted in connection to the students. President Starr recalled a tradition Mazur established: each year, her entire team attended Convocation together, followed by lunch at Frank Dining Hall, as a way to stay grounded in the purpose behind their work.

The newly dedicated bench sits along a central campus pathway near Little Bridges, a site tied to both daily campus life and milestone moments such as Convocation. Speakers described the location as a fitting tribute to a life defined by presence, service and a deep investment in others.

“Where new beginnings unfold, Linda now takes her place among them once again,” Starr said. “She will be here at the turn of every academic year, reminding us all that legacies do not end. They simply find new ways to show up.”

Make your own gift in honor or memory of a classmate, faculty or staff member who shaped your Pomona story, or reach out to the Office of Annual Giving to learn more.