His love of history grew as an undergraduate, when Van Houten avidly delved into books and documents in the University Library. A dedicated and well-loved donor and volunteer leader with several campus units, his current philanthropic focus aims to ensure that Berkeley students and scholars will continue to have access to the vast collections for their own learning. In 2025, Van Houten gave $500,000 to the Library Preservation Fund, the latest evolution in his generosity that began when he helped recruit hundreds of fellow Class of 1956 graduates to raise over $1 million for the Library’s Humanities Preservation Endowment.
“The campus wanted us to do an endowed chair, and our group didn’t want to do that,” recalls Van Houten. “They wanted to support the Library.”
“Peter’s ongoing support of preservation has had such an extensive impact on everything we do, from the sheer quantity of material we have been able to preserve for future generations of scholars, to the level of expertise and care we provide the collections.” —Hannah Tashjian, head of preservation
Van Houten, who co-chairs the Donor Relations Committee of the Library Board, had already made a provision for the Library in his estate plan when the idea arose to donate $100,000 per year for five years to fund collections preservation. Last fall, a portion of his contribution launched a challenge match through UC Berkeley Crowdfunding, which met its goal of $10,000 in the first 10 days and ultimately generated more than $36,000.
The Library’s six-person preservation team addresses the inevitable damage and deterioration that come with long-term use of library materials to keep them available to scholars and students. Their work encompasses binding books and journals, repairing or replacing damaged items, and conservation of anything from historic photographs to fragile fragments of ancient Egyptian papyrus. The team also maintains proper environmental conditions for delicate holdings and prepares for potential salvage operations in case of a catastrophe.
Peter Van Houten and Erika Lindensmith, head of conservation treatment, peruse a volume. Photo courtesy of the University Library.
Head of Preservation Hannah Tashjian says, “Peter’s ongoing support of preservation has had such an extensive impact on everything we do, from the sheer quantity of material we have been able to preserve for future generations of scholars, to the level of expertise and care we provide the collections.” Another aspect of the impact from Van Houten’s philanthropy, adds Tashjian, is to “strengthen the public’s trust in our Library as a source for reliable and authentic information.”
Library philanthropy is something of a Van Houten family affair. Peter’s eldest daughter, Wendy Van Houten ’79, helped initiate the Library’s development team during her career on campus. Peter’s previous gifts have included contributions to the Carol T. Christ Center for Connected Learning at Moffitt Library for a study room in memory of his late wife, Betty Jane ’57, and a presentation room named for him where students can prepare for and conduct job interviews. Both of Peter’s parents and two siblings were also Cal alums.
Van Houten first set foot inside a campus library when he arrived as an undergraduate in 1952. He and Betty Jane “…pretty much lived in the North Reading Room” of Doe Library. “Somebody once said to me,” he recalls, “I’ve never seen you outside of the reading room.” Van Houten managed to spend time beyond the library, since the physical education major joined both the baseball team and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and participated in the predecessor to the ASUC Senate. He says, “One of my problems was that I tried to do too many things.”
A few years after graduating, Van Houten returned to Berkeley in 1960 and began a 40-year campus career in several roles, including associate dean of students, dean of orientations, director of Graduate School Services, and chancellor’s representative to the ASUC Senate. His experiences as a student and on staff inspire some of Van Houten’s other campus philanthropy, including a five-year pledge of unrestricted funding for men’s baseball and support for a College of Letters & Science peer advising program. “All I want to do is support Berkeley,” Van Houten says. “That’s my joy in life.”
From his “very blue and gold” perspective, all Berkeley alums have an obligation to give back to the university. “Their successes are in a real sense a result of their experiences at Cal and the widespread fame of the campus.”
Peter Van Houten (center) with Library Preservation staff (left to right) Claudia Prado, Rosemary Sallee, Hannah Tashjian, and Erika Lindensmith. Photo courtesy of the University Library.
