According to his grandson, Horace O. Lanza wanted to be an attorney; but at age 20, with a degree from the University of Buffalo he was too young to sit for the state bar exam. He decided to bide his time for a year while working at his brother's winemaking business in New York--thus began a life long passion. Lanza moved to California in 1913, and established himself as a leader in the California wine industry. Lanza was one of the few producers of wine during Prohibition, producing sacramental wines and grape concentrates. Upon Repeal, Lanza bought Italian Vineyard, which he built up and later sold to Garrett & Co. Lanza remained active in the industry until his death in 1983 at the age of 102. Lanza encouraged many in the industry to pursue their eduation in the wine industry and to attend UCD.
This endowment was established in 1987 by John L. Bree, in honor of his grandfather. It is his desire to support scholarships and research assistants in viticulture.