$50,000 Pye-Harris Legacy Project Gift
By Nick Vargas Vila and Janet Roth
The Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (BGLM) was established to carry forward the legacy of members of the bonsai and suiseki community. The collection comprises their artistic creations cultivated over their lives: creations that inspire the many thousands of visitors that come to the garden each year. Within each tree or viewing stone at the garden lives a spirit of the original creator, and the core mission of the BGLM is to keep that spirit alive and growing.
Although this special quality of legacy living onward is most often manifested within the many stones, trees, plants, mosses, and other living things at the heart of Lake Merritt, today we have the privilege to share a different form of that enduring spirit; the incredible impact of two men whose generosity will live on through the BGLM itself.
The BGLM has the incredible honor of being a custodian of the legacy of Edward W. Pye and Dr. M. Robert Harris in the form of a $50,000 gift from the Pye-Harris Legacy Project, Inc.
Edgar Pye was a pioneering social worker whose life was devoted to inclusion, advocacy, and public service. His career spanned decades of transformative work, from helping World War II refugees and veterans, to drafting legislation that created California’s Regional Centers for the developmentally disabled. He was a tireless advocate for the aging, the poor, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Dr. M. Robert Harris, Edgar’s partner of nearly 60 years, was a distinguished psychiatrist and educator. Known for his gentle nature and inexhaustible empathy, Dr. Harris believed in helping people return to their lives rather than remain in prolonged analysis. A lifelong gardener, he often tended the Terrace Garden at St. Paul’s Towers in Oakland, where he and Edgar lived for many years. That garden now bears his name, The Harris Terrace Garden—a quiet tribute to a man who cultivated healing and beauty personally and professionally.
Living nearby, they loved and often visited the BGLM and made generous financial donations to support us.
The income from the $50,000 Pye-Harris Legacy Foundation gift will support various important projects relating to both the BGLM’s physical infrastructure and the staff that protect and maintain the collection. Some of the projects that will be supported by this include:
- Provide advanced classes for the curator team from expert bonsai teachers.
- Provide for capital improvements to the infrastructure.
- Design and build new stands for the collection.
As Suzanne Muller, Director of the BGLM, shared: “One of the experiences I appreciate most is being at the BGLM and seeing the look on a first-time guest’s face as they approach the entrance and see the beauty – the joy we see in that moment is priceless. Similarly, the warmth we receive from returning visitors feels like welcoming an old friend. Among those cherished friends were Edgar Pye and Dr. Harris, whose deep love for the BGLM was matched only by their generosity. Their gifts have helped us share that same joy and beauty with countless guests; and with this gift their impact will grow far into the future. We are so grateful for them, and for every guest – new and returning – who walks through our the BGLM’s doors.
This gift reminds us how important it is to protect not just the creative works themselves – the bonsai and suiseki – but the experiences and communities they nourish. For volunteers, docents, and visitors alike, the BGLM is a place of learning and reflection—where people slow down, ask questions, and make meaning. Over time, we’ll share updates as these new initiatives take shape—and spotlight the volunteers and donors who help make it possible.
As the BGLM continues to grow, so too does the legacy of these two extraordinary individuals. Their spirit will live on with every docent-led tour, every educational program, and every visitor who pauses to find beauty, inspiration, and feeling as they walk through the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt.
Dr. Robert Harris left with Edgar Pye, right, at a celebration.
Left is a plaque honoring Dr. Harris for his contribution to the Terrace Garden, renamed Harris Terrace Garden. Right is Dr. Harris in the garden.
Below are images of the Harris Terrace Garden at St. Paul’s Towers.
Credit: Suzanne Muller
