Vari inspires students decades after establishing the study-abroad program

By Caroline Vaughan

In the corner office of Bannan, an 84-year-old Italian professor clad in a pressed blue blazer and Dolce and Gabbana tortoise-shell rimmed glasses, reigns at his desk. With verb conjugation on their minds, Italian 1, 2, and 3 students who stroll in and out are greeted with a "ciao" as he readily retires his red pen, steps over his tweed hat, hook-shaped cane and matured leather briefcase to chat on his aging sofa across the room.

After 58 years of being a Santa Clara legend, Victor Vari's name has become synonymous with the university's Italian culture. As a native of San Francisco who spent his childhood in Italy, Vari's life-long struggle between the Italian and American culture ignited his passion for creating an appreciation among Americans for Italy and vice versa.

It all began at age four, when Vari left California to return with his mother and grandparents to a life of luxury in Anagi, his grandparents' hometown in Italy, where he lived until the age of 16.

"I always felt very American, Vari said. "I turned it into a fantasy that became bigger than life for me."

At 16, he returned to a flat in North Beach, San Francisco, only to feel as though he belonged to a different race. Italians were considered stupid and uneducated, according to Vari.

Even then, as a prideful 17-year-old, he chose not to change his name to a more "American name" or marry into the culture as other prominent Italian families chose to do. Instead he acquired an accent, worked for an Italian radio station and began teaching English to immigrant children.

"The stupidity came from the two cultures not knowing each other," Vari said.

So, for the next 67 years, Vari has done his best to introduce the two cultures to each other in hopes of breaking down the barriers.

Following World War II, in which he served as an intelligence agent, Vari was recruited to teach Italian at Santa Clara from Stanford, where he was studying the romance languages and teaching Spanish. Within two years, he was head of the language department. Two years after that, Vari defied the odds of cost and unpopularity by taking 49 young men on a boat to Europe for three months, marking the first study abroad program Santa Clara every offered.

"The first trip was excellent and a disaster at the same time because the students were practically my age," he said.

Reminiscent chuckles lead him into the memory of trying to get them to bed as they were climbing out the windows.

In 1982, after a 10-year hiatus from leading study-abroad programs, Vari created a cultural immersion summer program to Assisi, Italy. He has since led the trip every year until last year, when he was forced to find a substitute 32 hours before the trip due to hip replacement surgery.

Another accomplishment of Vari's is Casa Italiana, a recently-built residence hall at Santa Clara, which originated from Vari's desire to facilitate a place where students could live in community with other Italians and bring the culture to Santa Clara. Vari made it happen by raising $2.5 million from Bay Area Italian families.

Former student Heather Browne, who recalls Vari always telling Italian factoids, remembers him constantly reinforcing, "If you want culture, go to Italy."

"He doesn't just teach the language, he teaches the culture which is at the base of the culture and therefore brings Italy to life," colleague and fellow professor Carla Riga said.

Cristina Figone, an Italian major (hugely due to Vari's influence), says she aspires to have his absolute passion for all things Italian as Vari does.

Although he is recognized as an honorary member of Assisi and decorated as a knight of Italy for his work at bridging the two cultures, Vari understands that he can't single-handedly break down all the stereotypes that exist between Americans and Italians. But he realizes that "through the little things, I have done just a small part." And he is proud that now there is a growing respect for one another.