$1.3M Will Support Stone Center’s Ongoing Study of Latin America

Reaffirming its nearly century-long commitment to Latin American studies at Tulane, the Zemurray Foundation of New Orleans has donated $1.3 million to the Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies.

The $1.3 million gift includes an $800,000 endowment creating the Doris Z. Stone Indigenous Languages of Latin America Endowed Fund, which will assist students and faculty in studying, teaching and researching languages originating in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The gift also includes $500,000 to establish the Elizabeth Hill Boone Program for Scholarly Research in the Art, Ethnohistory, and Culture of Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America Endowed Fund. Named in honor of Tulane professor emerita and art historian Elizabeth Hill Boone, the fund will advance programming in Boone’s academic specialties and support visiting professors, a lecture series, scholarly collaborations and more.

Art historian Elizabeth Hill Boone sits with large open art book

The Zemurray Foundation has donated $1.3 million to create two endowed funds for the study of Latin American Indigenous languages and art. The art-focused fund is named in honor of renowned art historian Elizabeth Hill Boone (above), professor emerita in the Newcomb Art Department. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)

“The Zemurray Foundation’s vision and commitment to Latin American studies have made Tulane a leader in the study of this essential and fascinating part of the world for nearly 100 years,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said. “I’m tremendously grateful to the Zemurray Foundation for its major role in ensuring the Stone Center’s place as one of the world’s leading academic hubs of Latin American studies.”

“These two generous endowments support two pioneering areas of teaching,” said Stone Center Executive Director Thomas Reese, who also holds the Thomas F. and Carol Reese Distinguished Chair in Latin American Studies. “They are a testament to the Zemurray Foundation’s long commitment to Tulane.”