Mr. John Razzano’s grandfather, Giuseppe Razzano.

Mr. Razzano is a third-generation Italian American with ancestral roots in Campania, Italy. In 2018, he met Dr. Federico Pacchioni, the founding director of the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research, while attending the Italian Perspectives series. Impressed by the Italian Studies Program at Chapman, the two men struck up a friendship. After a distinguished career in business, Mr. Razzano retired in 2021 and became more fully engaged in the Italian Studies program as a patron, volunteer, and student. He currently serves as the Chair of the Leadership Board of the Ferrucci Institute.

In making this gift, Mr. Razzano shared: “When my grandparents emigrated here early in the last century, they wholly embraced their adopted country but also instilled in the family a love for and appreciation of our Italian heritage. It is an honor to continue and support the work of my grandfather Giuseppe to promote an appreciation and understanding of Italian language, history, and culture to future generations.”

Mr. Razzano has been a resident of Orange County since 1980, where he raised his family with his late wife, Mary. Currently, Mr. Razzano resides in Newport Beach.