"The word generosity is synonymous with the Collins family,” said Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero. “It is as much a testament to who Jim and Carol are as people as it is to the sheer magnitude of their philanthropy. For more than 50 years, their giving has impacted a variety of programs across the UCLA campus and has touched countless lives. While we are certainly grateful for this exceptional gift, we are even more grateful for people like Jim and Carol who continue to make a difference and redefine what it means to be a Bruin.”
The very example of humanitarians who have dedicated their lives to helping others, Jim and Carol have been actively involved with UCLA for more than 50 years. They met as students at UCLA when Jim lettered in track and field and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Carol was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Jim earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at UCLA in 1950. Two years later, after meeting one of the fast-food pioneering McDonald brothers during a trip to San Bernardino, Jim opened his own hamburger stand in 1952 — a single restaurant that he ultimately built into Collins Food International (now Sizzler International, Inc.), one of the country's major food-service chains. Along the way, Jim also added Kentucky Fried Chicken to his business activities and eventually became the exclusive franchisee for Colonel Sanders in Southern California. Formerly chief executive officer and chairman of the board, Jim now serves as chairman emeritus of Sizzler International, Inc.
“It is gratifying for Carol and me to be able to support the university we love,” said Jim Collins. “Over many years we have enjoyed following and supporting UCLA Football along with all of the great sports programs at UCLA. We hope this gift will allow UCLA to continue to have great success both academically and competitively. We are proud to invest in UCLA Football and be a part of such an important project."
Carol's involvement at UCLA began even earlier than Jim's when, as a child, she attended UCLA's Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School. In addition to her time as a student at UCLA, Carol has served as board member for both Women & Philanthropy at UCLA and the Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School (UES) where, in 1998, her $1.2 million gift to UES set an individual giving record for the school and led to the creation of the Carol L. Collins UES Principal's Chair. Passing their love for the university on to their family, three of the Collins' four children are also alums of UCLA.
From their first UCLA gift in 1963 to today's $10 million contribution to the Wasserman Football Center, over the years, Jim and Carol have supported scores of programs across the entire campus with their philanthropy. From 1982 to 1988, Jim chaired The UCLA Campaign, which substantially exceeded its fund-raising goal. He also served as a member of the cabinet for Campaign UCLA, the most successful fund-raising campaign in the history of higher education, as well as on the Pauley Pavilion Campaign of Champions committee. Jim is currently the Chair Emeritus for the $4.2 billion UCLA Centennial Campaign which was launched in May of 2014 and is the largest fundraising effort ever undertaken by a public university. As part of the UCLA Centennial Campaign, the UCLA Athletic Department is targeting $260 million in funds raised by 2019 and, thanks to the generosity of philanthropists like the Collins family, has already received more than $144 million in commitments.
Jim and Carol also maintain many Southern California community affiliations, chief among them the Westside Family YMCA, Venice Boys and Girls Club and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where they established the Collins College of Hospitality Management.
In fall of 2013, the UCLA Athletic Department announced a campaign to raise private funds for a comprehensive football training facility to be located on the west side of Spaulding Field, the practice field for the Bruin football team. The planned state-of-the-art facility, now named the Wasserman Football Center in tribute to generous support from The Wasserman Foundation and its President, UCLA alumnus Casey Wasserman, will house a locker room, athletic training area, strength and conditioning facility, coaches' offices, team meeting rooms, equipment rooms and video rooms, in addition to several elements that will feature the storied history of UCLA football.
With the Collins' commitment, the UCLA Athletic Department has exceeded its initial goal of $50 million in private funds raised just 16 months after the initial campaign announcement (September 2013) and far in advance of the scheduled fall 2015 groundbreaking. Currently with cash and pledges totaling north of $53 million, UCLA Athletics has now entered phase two of its fundraising plan and is now in the process of working to reach a total of $65 million in private funding. In an effort to complete the Wasserman Football Center by the most comprehensive means possible, the additional monies raised will allow for first-rate finishes, furniture, branding and technology, ultimately securing its place as one of the elite football specific training facilities in the nation.
“Jim and Carol Collins have long known that UCLA is a special place for our student-athletes to compete and pursue their dreams,” said UCLA head football coach Jim Mora. “In fact, they themselves lived it. For them to give back in the manner that they have is a remarkable testament not only to their philanthropy and who they are as people, but to the importance those four special letters carry. Because of the generosity of the Collins family and many others, the Wasserman Football Center has not only become a reality, it is poised to become one of the nation's premier football facilities.”
Additional naming opportunities for the Wasserman Football Center remain. For more information or to become involved in the campaign, contact the UCLA Athletics Development Office at 310-206-3302, or visit www.UCLAFootballFacility.com.