Atherton conservationist wills $3 million to open space trust Atherton conservationist wills $3 million to open space trust (December 17, 2003)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

The Peninsula open Space Trust (POST) is $3 million closer to its goal of raising $200 million to save San Mateo County's rural coast, thanks to a bequest from the late Fred J. Kamphoefner of Atherton.

A Bay Area native, Mr. Kamphoefner was a longtime POST supporter and an ardent conservationist. Although not a rich man, he gave the majority of his estate, including his house, to insure the open space lands he loved were protected.

"His contribution will leave an important legacy of natural beauty for future generations to enjoy," said POST President Audrey Rust.

In 1991, Mr. Kamphoefner retired from SRI International -- formerly the Stanford Research Institute -- where he had worked for 42 years.

At SRI in the 1950s, Mr. Kamphoefner was part of a team that brought banking from the fountain pen and punched card, into the computer age. He was one of the SRI scientists honored for this achievement with SRI's Weldon G. Gibson Achievement Award in 2001. The team developed "ERMA" (Electronic Recording Machine Accounting), the first machine that automated and computerized check handling and posting. Development of ERMA was sponsored by the Bank of America.

After retiring, Mr. Kamphoefner led an active outdoor life. He enjoyed hiking local trails, gardening, keeping bees, and training wild blue jays to come sit on his finger.

The bequest will benefit POST's $200 million campaign to save 20,000 acres on the San Mateo County coast -- the last remaining coast next to a major metropolitan area in the entire world.

For information, call Director of Communications Deirdre Holbrook at 854-7696.

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