Fund: Barton and Merla Gaut Endowed Award Fund Department: Undergrad Student Financial Aid D02089 Purpose: Undergraduate Student Support Background: Barton and Merla Gaut have resided in Riverside since 1963. They met as high school students at Leuzinger High in Lawndale, California and matriculated onto UC campuses as the first in their families to attend college. After their marriage and subsequent graduations from UCLA, Barton served in the army before attending the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law. He graduated "Order of the Coif", an honor restricted to the top 10% of his graduating class. After moving to Riverside, Barton served as a civil litigator for thirthy years with the law firm Best, Best, and Kreiger. Honored for his excellence and his commitment to law, he was appointed to the Riverside County Superior Court and eventually to the Fourth District Court of Appeals, retiring in February 2010. During his career he served as president of the Riverside County Barristers' Association and the Riverside County Bar Association. He also served in leadership positions at the First Congregational Church in Riverside. In the meantime, Merla attended the needs of their four children - Kevin, Jamie, Brandon, and Andrea - but also earned her teaching credential from UCR. She has volunteered in numerous service organizations and has been honored with awards from the PTA, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside Volunteer Center, National Charity League, Junior League, and Riverside Hospice. She also served as president of the Riverside County Law Alliance, Affiliates of UCR, and Juvenile Hall Auxiliary. She has also served as a docent at the UCR Botanic Gardens. Together, she and Barton have also been active supporters of UCR'S Citizen's University Committee. Barton and Merla believe in contributing to their community. They also believe deeply in the benefits of education, the mission of the University of California, and its important role of access to higher education. They recognize that they were able to meet their academic goals in part because of the benefit of academic scholarships. This fund was established by their children and their spouses in their honor. Purpose and Criteria: This award shall be used to provide undergraduate student support for a student(s) meeting the following criteria: 1. Financial need as determined by the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 2. The recipient has completed one year at UCR with a GPA of 3.0 or higher 3. This award can be renewed up to 4 years so long as the recipient remains in good standing