A bequest of more than $9 million from the late Larry Layne ’71 will support ƹƵ’s academic mission and strengthen the rugby program that first captivated Larry as a student nearly 60 years ago.
Once the gift is realized, 50 percent of it will be used for top priorities at the discretion of the president. An additional 30 percent will establish the Larry Layne ’71 Rugby Endowment, providing long-term support for recruitment, staffing, equipment, facilities, and travel for this club sport. The remaining 20 percent will support the overall health of Occidental’s athletics program.
After earning his MBA from UCLA, Larry founded North Valley Development Company (NOVA), building a successful self-storage business with friends from his college and rugby days. From their home in Marina del Rey, Larry and his wife of more than 25 years, Sheelagh Boyd, became noted art collectors and patrons of LA Opera, National Public Radio, and other causes. They also shared a passion for rugby. Larry died in December 2024 at age 75.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Larry Layne,” says Occidental President Tom Stritikus. “Larry and Sheelagh have been champions of academics, arts, and athletics in Los Angeles for decades. The breadth and depth of this future gift will benefit the Oxy community and generations of student-athletes to come.”
“The student-athlete experience is at the center of everything that we do,” adds Director of Athletics Shanda Ness. “A commitment like Larry’s allows us to invest in opportunities that help our student-athletes grow as competitors and leaders.”
A second-generation Tiger, Larry was the son of Howard F. Layne ’45 and Elizabeth (Odell) Layne ’46 of San Fernando. He enrolled at Occidental to play football, as his father had decades earlier, but rugby quickly became his primary passion. “When I finished all my economics major requirements, I then sort of took another major—rugby,” he said in a 2023 conversation with Edgar Hirst. “I had so much fun playing rugby.”
Rugby is Occidental’s oldest active club sport, dating to 1965, when the men’s team went 7-0 in its inaugural season under founding coach Mike Quint ’58, including two wins over UCLA’s JV squad. (A decade later, Larry was part of UCLA’s varsity team that won the national championship at the Monterey Rugby Tournament.)
Larry played under Quint and Mike Luttrell ’67 during his four years at Oxy and served as head coach for two years after graduating. While pursuing his MBA at UCLA, his commitment to rugby deepened; in 1979, he helped found and coach the Bruins’ women’s rugby team. He remained closely connected to Occidental through the Oxy Olde Boys Rugby Club, founded in 1981, and through his support of both rugby and football.
His bequest to Occidental is a final gesture as a community-builder, bridging the past, present, and future of the sport he loved most. At a celebration of life for Larry, lifelong friend John Engle ’72 reflected, “Larry loved bringing people together. Of course, the number of people he most liked to bring together was 15—as in a rugby side.”
Larry’s generous commitment will be recognized at Homecoming & Family Weekend in October alongside the inaugural Larry Layne ’71 Athletic Achievement Award as part of the Occidental Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony.
