With sorrow, 61´«Ă˝ announces that Elizabeth “Liz” Levitt Hirsch ’74, advocate for the arts and head of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, passed away in her Los Angeles home on May 26, 2024, at the age of 72. Liz studied music history while at Scripps. As a philanthropist, she continued to share her love of music, giving her time and financial support to a wide range of nonprofits dedicated to music, the arts, community, and social justice.
Liz served as Board President of the Levitt Foundation, her family’s foundation, for a decade. In that role, she championed the foundation’s mission to strengthen the social fabric of communities and foster equity, diversity, and inclusion with free outdoor concerts. Liz supported early-stage grants to 61´«Ă˝ to create Levitt on the Lawn, a free, outdoor concert series held on the 61´«Ă˝campus that aims to build community through music. Additionally, Liz served on the boards of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Joffrey Ballet, Center Dance Arts, and My Friend’s Place.
Throughout her extensive philanthropic career, Liz strove to share the Levitt Foundation’s work with community leaders. As of 2024, the Levitt Foundation supports free concerts attended by more than 800,000 people each year in more than 50 cities across America.
The recognitions Liz received for her work include the Founders Award from the Liberty Hill Foundation, an Honorary Citizen Award from the City of Memphis, the Ruby McKnight Williams Award from the NAACP, the Gold Crown Award from the Pasadena Arts Council, a finalist position for the Vanguard Award presented by Western Arts Alliance, and a finalist position for Philanthropist of the Year by Association of Fundraising Professionals.
The College community extends its condolences to Liz’s family and expresses its gratitude for the Levitt Foundation’s support of Scripps.