Endowed chair in women's basketball honors Brown student Liz Turner

Elizabeth Zopfi Chace '59 and Malcolm G. Chace III of Providence, R.I., have endowed the women's basketball head coaching position in honor of Brown student-athlete Liz Turner '98.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- President Vartan Gregorian announced today that Liz Chace '59 and Malcolm G. Chace of Providence, R.I., have endowed the women's basketball head coaching position with a $1.4-million gift to the University. Brown's new endowed chair in women's basketball is the second in the nation.

The chair is named in honor of Liz Turner '98, a current member of the team. Head coach Jean Burr will be the first occupant of the Liz Turner '98 Coaching Chair for Women's Basketball. As part of their gift to Brown, the Chaces have earmarked $400,000 to provide general budgetary support for women's athletics at Brown.

"Liz Turner embodies all that is good about Brown University and athletics in general," said Liz Chace, a Brown trustee and member of the Corporation Committee on Athletics. "She is a role model for girls and women everywhere and epitomizes the Brown student-athlete - excelling on the playing field, in the classroom and in the real world. My husband and I respect Liz for the commitment she has made on and off the court."

Editors: An inauguration ceremony for the Turner Chair is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 14, in the Joukowsky Room of the Pizzitola Sports Center. Remarks will be made by President Gregorian, Liz Chace, Coach Burr, Liz Turner, Athletic Director David Roach and Sports Foundation Director David Zucconi.

Turner, junior captain of the Brown women's basketball team, is recognized as one of the outstanding forwards in the Ivy League. She was recently named 1997 first-team All-Ivy and was the only player in the Ivy League ranked in the top 10 in the league in points, rebounds and assists this year. Off the court, Turner is an economics concentrator with a 3.3 grade point average, who was recently named a GTE CoSida Academic All-American. She also serves as a member of the NCAA Certification Committee, works on the Brown Student Athlete Advisory Board, conducts basketball clinics with her teammates at the Moses Brown School, and volunteers her time as a tutor for a sixth-grade class at the Fox Point Elementary School.

"I was stunned when the Chaces told me what they were going to do. I didn't know what to say," said Turner, of Indianapolis, Ind. "I am just so thankful for the tremendous contribution they have made to women's athletics and their recognition of the scholar-athlete at Brown."

Head coach Jean Burr, whose 147-89 record in nine seasons at Brown includes three Ivy League Championships and one NCAA tournament appearance, echoed Turner's sentiments. "This is a tremendous honor and a strong reflection on the passion of our alumni and the quality of the student-athletes at Brown," she said. "This will impact the University as a whole, not just women's basketball."

The Chaces have been active supporters of Brown women's athletics. Liz Chace is vice president of the Brown Sports Foundation and president of the Friends of Brown Women's Basketball. She is also the chair and founder of the Brown Women's Athletics Golf Outing, now in its fourth year. She is founder and president of Residential Properties, Ltd., a statewide realty agency.

"Liz Chace has been one of the driving forces behind the ascent of our women's athletics program into national prominence," said David Roach, director of athletics. "Her support and guidance will make it possible for more of our women student-athletes to succeed on the playing field and in their future endeavors."