Alum Kevin Bacon receives 2025 Charles J. Soderquist Award
‘Philanthropy Is a team sport’: Prize money will go to Bohart Museum
On May 1, the UC Davis Foundation presented Kevin Bacon ’72 with the 2025 Charles J. Soderquist Award at a celebratory luncheon.
Named in honor of the widely esteemed UC Davis alum and entrepreneur who was dedicated to advancing the university, the award recognizes Aggies who demonstrate Soderquist’s legacy of exceptional philanthropy, volunteerism and leadership within the UC Davis community.
Bacon, a retired management consultant, has remained deeply committed to UC Davis since earning his degree in political science. He joined the UC Davis Foundation board in 2003, while Soderquist was the chair.
“I only overlapped Charlie Soderquist’s service for a year, but he set a very high bar for everybody who was involved with philanthropy at UC Davis,” Bacon said when accepting the award. “I’m honored to be even in the same league with him.”
The award comes with a $10,000 prize, which the recipient donates to a university program or field of their choice. Bacon and his wife, Kim, have decided to donate the prize to the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
In the past Bacon has served as chair of the UC Davis Foundation and multiple terms in various committee positions; he played vital leadership roles as chair during the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, and as a trustee during the second.
“Giving is very personal; you give because it’s something you care about,” he said. “But philanthropy is a team sport. It requires a lot of people working together to connect individuals who have a particular passion for the subject.”
A proud life member of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association, or CAAA, in 2015 Bacon was honored with the illustrious Jerry W. Fielder Alumni Award for his service to CAAA, the UC Davis Foundation and the university as a whole.
“Kevin’s unparalleled leadership, tireless volunteerism and transformative philanthropy embody the very spirit of the Charles J. Soderquist award,” said Deborah Neff ’76, current foundation chair, at the award celebration.
“His unwavering dedication, impactful leadership and steadfast advocacy for UC Davis have left an indelible mark on the university community.”
Decades of impact
Bacon has more than 40 years of senior executive experience providing consulting services to public sector organizations, including as vice president of business consulting at IBM Corp. and two decades as a management consultant and partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
He holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and taught for 14 years at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.
“I received a superb education from my academic work at UC Davis, studying political science, economics and history,” Bacon said when making a gift in 2007. “I also had some great life experiences. UC Davis gave me a strong foundation, and I owe much of my success to my education.”
Across the university, Bacon served as the inaugural chair of the College of Letters and Science Deans’ Advisory Council and is a member of the Davis Chancellor’s Club and Herbert A. Young Society. He has served as the Robert A. Fox Executive-in-Residence to teach leadership at the Graduate School of Management.
“Kevin is a fabulous ambassador for UC Davis,” said Neff. “He’s passionate and encourages alumni and friends and the broader community to invest in the university’s success.”
The teamwork of philanthropy
The story behind Bacon’s choice for awarding the Soderquist prize money to the Bohart Museum is one that exemplifies the team spirit of philanthropy.
Kim Bacon, a lifelong admirer of the natural world, is a wildlife and fisheries graduate of Texas A&M. Her interest led to meeting several faculty members who made an impact on her and the field of entomology.
These professors included Lynn Kimsey ’75, Ph.D. ’79, who retired last year after leading the Bohart Museum for 34 years, and the late distinguished emeritus professor of entomology and a global authority on bees, Robin Thorpe. Their connection to Kim Bacon’s passion for insects and nature led the Bacons to support the museum.
“That’s what philanthropy is all about — connecting people with an interest with all the things that go on at UC Davis,” said Kevin Bacon.
The Bacons’ philanthropy has also focused on another one of their interests: supporting UC Davis students. In 2007 they established the Bacon Family Graduate Fellowship to support first-year graduate students in economics and political science, and in 2014 they created the Bacon Public Lectureship and White Paper Competition at the UC Center Sacramento.
