Point Loma residents Bob and Laura Kyle recently donated $500,000 to the Maritime Museum of San Diego to establish the Bob and Laura Kyle Endowed Chair in Maritime History.
“The chair will support a distinguished maritime scholar in the pursuit of research, scholarly publication, and/or the production of museum exhibits in the field of local and pacific maritime history,” said Karen Sowell, the Maritime Museum’s development director.
Museum officials hope that the gift will serve as a catalyst for future donors interested in supporting the museum and its world-famous icon, the 143-year-old Star of India.
“The chair will benefit the museum in that it underscores the educational and research components of our mission,” Sowell added. “In addition, the donation serves as a leadership gift to encourage others to donate to the museum.”
The Kyles are active in the community and are well known for their charitable activities.
“[They] have other choices, but they chose the museum. Their action illustrates their confidence and commitment to the museum in pursuing our educational mission,” Sowell said.
Bob is a maritime history enthusiast, and the couple shares a similar love for the museum.
“We don’t want this to be about us; we want it to be about the museum and what it has to offer us. We think that the museum is an important institution in San Diego,” Laura said. “We have great faith in the administration there and we think that the museum has an opportunity to become even more renowned in the future. Though it is an impressive and wonderful museum as it is, we would like to see it grow and improve.”
The Kyles aim to educate the community about the impact the maritime industry has in the San Diego region. The museum is right on the city’s doorstep and is an important cultural focus for the city.
“Maritime history and the history of the city are closely tied, and it’s important for us to understand that,” Laura added.