October 06, 2023

ArtCenter College of Design Mourns the Passing of Trustee Peter W. Mullin

Philanthropist, business leader and distinguished ArtCenter College of Design Trustee Emeritus Peter W. Mullin passed away at the age of 82 on September 18. The College offers heartfelt condolences to Merle, his wife, and the family as the community grieves this loss.

“We’re grateful to Peter for his many years of leadership on the board, his passionate support of our students and his extraordinary generosity to the College,” said Karen Hofmann, president and chief executive officer at ArtCenter College of Design. “While we will all miss Peter greatly, he will forever remain with us as part of ArtCenter’s legacy.”

In 2013, Peter and Merle, a fellow Trustee, donated $15 million to ArtCenter—one of the largest gifts in the College’s history.

Sadly, Peter will not see the completion of the Mullin Transportation Design Center set to open on ArtCenter’s South Campus next Spring, but his shared vision for the future of art and design will live on for generations to come. The College will honor his important legacy at a celebration of the collaborative spirit of industrial design in the new transformational space.

"Peter Mullin's multifaceted contributions as a trustee of ArtCenter have been instrumental in shaping the institutions's success, enriching the lives of countless students and advancing the field of art and design education," said Michael M. Warsaw, ArtCenter Board chairman. 

"Peter illuminated the value of beauty in the art of automobile design, as evident in his extensive and exquisite collection,” said Marek Djordjevic, chair, ArtCenter Transportation Design. “His passion for the wonder and awe of the automobile serves as a profound source of inspiration for our students."

Peter’s lifelong passion for automobiles began as a young boy in his hometown of South Pasadena, California. He developed an appreciation for design while attending boat and car shows with his father. Peter’s first car was a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible and he once confessed to having a box full of leftover parts after he and a buddy rebuilt an engine.

Founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, Peter’s deep love of cars is perhaps best conveyed in his own words. “I regard myself as a custodian, not a collector. My aim is always to illuminate, innovate and educate,” he wrote recently about his proposed Mullin Automotive Museum in the West Oxfordshire district in England. “My particular passion for the automobile is not about top speed or horsepower, but about the extraordinary impact that the car has had on mankind; the mobility, the ingenious design, the engineering and the beauty of art in motion.”

The Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery opened at ArtCenter’s South Campus in 2018 and serves as a welcoming point for students, faculty, staff and the public at 1111 South Arroyo Parkway. Extending the reach of the College's exhibition programming, the space accommodates a wide variety of media, reflecting the many disciplines of the College’s curricula.

In addition to supporting new exhibition and academic spaces, the Mullins have long provided financial support to ArtCenter students majoring in Transportation Design through the Peter W. Mullin Endowed Scholarship. Peter explained, “We view our relationship with the College as a natural extension of our passion for vintage automobiles and it is our hope that we can inspire the artists and designers of the future.”

Peter and Merle also sponsored a memorable student project in 2006, with instructor Marek Djordjevic (now chair of Transportation Design), challenging students to design an exciting period-appropriate exterior for Peter’s 1939 Bugatti Type 64 chassis. The student work inspired the Mullins to commission then department chair Stewart Reed to complete the project full scale and it solidified Peter and Merle’s desire to help create a new facility for the College connecting the past with the future of transportation.

Mullin earned his BA in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a business leader, Peter was chairman of Mullin Barens Sanford Financial, one of the nation's largest independent executive benefits services and solutions provider. Previously, he served as chairman of Mullin Consulting, Inc., a leading non-qualified benefits firm he founded in Los Angeles in 1969. He was co-founder and chairman of the board of M Financial Holdings Incorporated, a network of independent firms serving the financial and life insurance needs of corporations, executives and affluent individuals.

Peter served on ArtCenter’s board from 2011 to 2023. He was also a trustee on the boards for Occidental College, St. John's Hospital and The UCLA Foundation. His other involvements include the Guggenheim Foundation Advisory Board, chairman of The Music Center Foundation of Los Angeles, as well as past chairman and a member of the Board of Visitors of the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, chairman of the Peter Mullin Automotive Museum Foundation, and president emeritus of the American Bugatti Club.

A devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend to many, he is survived by his wife, five children and predeceased by his daughter, Courtney. A private memorial service is being planned.