Peacemaker

  CLAIRE ZUGMEYER Bunche Hall is named after Ralph J.
Bunche, a UCLA alumnus who won the Nobel Peace Prize. He died in
1971.

By Bethany Tang
Daily Bruin Contributor

As conflict in the Middle East rages on, the idea of a peace
there may seem remote. Yet, 50 years ago, UCLA alumnus Ralph Bunche
created peace there, at least for a short time.

Dec. 10 marks the 50th anniversary of Bunche’s Nobel Peace
Prize for his peacemaking efforts as former under secretary for
special political affairs.

“I’m sure he would be pained to read today’s
headlines,” said John Sandbrook, assistant provost of the
College of Letters and Science.

Bunche, who died in 1971, received the prize for negotiating
peace in the Arab-Israeli War which started in 1948 and continues
today.

Bunche was the chief U.N. mediator between Palestinians and
Israelis after the former mediator was assassinated in 1948.

“You read about the loss of life,” Sandbrook said
about the Israeli-Arab relations. “It was something Bunche
worked on 50 years ago to establish a framework (for peace)
there.”

Peter Taylor, Bunche’s nephew and former University of
California regent, knows Bunche has made a huge impact in the
world.

“There is daily trouble now in the Middle East,”
Taylor said. “It is nice knowing that once there was an
effort to strive for peace in that area.”

  UCLA Archives UCLA alumnus Ralph Bunche
received the Nobel Peace Prize 50 years ago on Dec. 10 for
negotiating peace in the Arab-Israeli War. Bunche grew up in South
Central Los Angeles and was an orphan who supported himself at
UCLA. He went on to graduate summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa and
valedictorian in 1927. Bunche also wrote for the Daily Bruin and
was a basketball star for the Bruins.

“Bunche is one of UCLA’s most celebrated alumni; one
of it’s most famous black alumni,” said Richard
Yarborough, director of the Center for African American
Studies.

Some of Bunche’s other accomplishments include completing
a doctorate in political science at Harvard and being a professor
at Howard University and serving as U.N. Secretariat.

In honor of the anniversary, the Center for African American
studies will be sponsoring a screening on campus of a documentary
titled “Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey.”

But even with the impact Bunche left at UCLA, the country, and
the whole world, some students either don’t know about or
have forgotten Bunche’s accomplishments

“Honestly, unless the documentary was shown to me I
don’t think I would make time to see it,” said Anna
Park, third-year sociology and psychology student.

“He does not have any personal meaning to me,” Park
continued. “If I knew more about his life I would more likely
go.”

Sandbrook said he hopes people will learn about Bunche and his
accomplishments.

“Anyone at UCLA should understand Ralph Bunche was
important in international relations and world peace,” he
said.

In 1970s, Bunche Hall was named after him, which houses the
history, economics, international studies and oversees programs,
and political science departments.

The Ralph Bunche Scholarship Fund is the second largest
scholarship pool for first-year students. The scholarship is
directed toward underrepresented groups.

There is also going to be an endowment chair to honor
Bunche.

“Half a million dollars will be given to a professor in
political science to do research in the same area that Bunche
studied,” Taylor said.

Even with his accomplishments, Bunche was very humble when he
was awarded gifts.

When he was awarded the Nobel Prize, he turned it down at first
according to Brian Urquhart’s book “Ralph Bunche: An
American Life.”

Bunche did not want to accept an award given because he was
simply doing his job, but eventually his co-workers convinced him
to accept it.

Taylor said even when Bunche went through many different
experiences, Bunche would still talk about his times at UCLA.

“He was very passionate about UCLA,” Taylor said.
“He helped with fund raising and recruited students,
professors and other staff members to UCLA.”

When Taylor was young, Bunche took him on a tour of the U.N. and
told him tales of things he did at work.

Not only was Bunche a huge Bruins fan, he was also a huge
Dodger’s fan, Taylor said. While at the U.N., they would give
him an earphone in order to hear in English what the speakers were
saying. During the Dodger games however, Bunche would change his
earphone channel to the game so he would not miss any of the
action.

The free documentary screening of Bunche will be Jan. 29; a
Q&A with its director William Greaves will follow. The showing
is open to all students, who are required to RSVP.

“We want this to be a large event,” Yarborough said.
“But not just a chance to see the film, but also to come in
celebration of Bunche.”

The documentary will air Feb. 2 on PBS as part of Black History
Month Yarborough said.

Through the documentary Taylor hopes people will learn from
Bunche and his dedication which he talks to his children about.

“He, like Jackie Robinson and Carol Burnett, came in with
the same sense of trepidation coming into UCLA,” Taylor
said.

“But with a lot of hard work and effort, you realize you
can do great things.”