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Chris Cornell Endowment Announced At UCLA
John Davisson – Chris Cornell
Performing with Soundgarden at the Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif.
Chris Cornell’s humanitarian legacy will live on with an endowed fund created in the musician’s name to support student scholarships at UCLA School of Law.
The Chris Cornell Scholarship honors the late Soundgarden frontman’s commitment to justice, human rights and advocacy for the needy.
The endowed fund of more than $1 million was created by a coalition led by Cornell’s wife, Vicky Cornell, with members including friends and colleagues of Cornell, along with supporters of UCLA Law.
“My husband and I agreed that given the opportunity of education, people have the power to change the world,” Vicky Cornell said in a statement. “UCLA School of Law is an institution known for its academic excellence and we are proud the Chris Cornell Scholarship will provide funding for future students and future leaders of the world under the leadership of Dean Mnookin and Chancellor Block.”
Cornell, who died in May at age 52, wrote and recorded the title song for the feature film “The Promise,” which highlighted the story of the Armenian genocide. All proceeds from the movie were donated to human rights causes, including the creation of the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law. Cornell gave his proceeds from the song to the International Rescue Committee.
“Vicky Cornell and all the people paying tribute to Chris Cornell’s tremendous legacy are helping to ensure that the law school will extend and strengthen its commitment to our students and to the pursuit of justice,” UCLA Law Dean Jennifer Mnookin said in a statement. “Through the work of the Promise Institute and the scholarships that this fund will support, Chris Cornell’s influence will be felt at UCLA Law and beyond for generations to come.”
The title song for “The Promise” is up for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. Other tracks nominated in the category include “You Want It Darker” by Leonard Cohen, “Run” by Foo Fighters, “No Good” by Kaleo and “Go to War” by Nothing More.