Philanthropist Paul Mellon '29, who died on Feb. 1, bequeathed to Yale not only $90 million to support the arts at his alma mater, but also about 130 oil paintings and works on paper as well as some personal items.

"Paul Mellon's love for Yale was without bound, and his generosity unsurpassed," President Richard C. Levin said.

"Mr. Mellon's gift will ensure that the University's arts programs -- particularly the Yale Center for British Art, which he founded and supported so generously over the years -- will continue to grow and flourish," he added.

Most of Mr. Mellon's gift will go to the Yale Center for British Art, which he built in 1966 to house the collection of British art he donated to Yale.

Specifically, Mr. Mellon left $75 million to the center -- $60 million that will go to the Yale endowment but that will be earmarked to support ongoing operations, and $15 million that will go to the museum's acquisition fund.

Also for the center, the philanthropist bequeathed about 130 oil paintings and works on paper and several personal items. Included in the former category is George Stubbs' "Pumpkin with a Stable Lad" (the first oil painting Mr. Mellon ever purchased), which will give the center the most comprehensive collection of works by the artist.

"Paul Mellon's gift is a magnificent bequest to the Yale Center for British Art," Patrick McCaughey, the museum's director said, adding that he did not know precisely when the works of art would arrive. "It will allow the center to continue operating at its current level of activity without imposing financially on Yale University in any way."

The remaining $15 million of Mr. Mellon's bequest will be divided three ways:

* $5 million for the renovation of University arts facilities.

* $5 million in unrestricted funds for the Yale Art Gallery, which will also receive several works of art under Mr. Mellon's bequest.

* $5 million for the Clare-Mellon Exchange (i.e., the Mellon Fellowship), Yale's student exchange program with Clare College at Cambridge University in England. Mr. Mellon, who earned a B.A. and M.A. at Clare College in 1931 and 1938, respectively, established the program several decades ago in honor of his ties to Yale and the British school. The program is modeled on the Rhodes Scholarship but is limited to graduates of Yale and Clare colleges, and it is now administered by Berkeley College. Each year, the two institutions select one fellow for a two-year term at the other school. The fellows are free to pursue another bachelor's degree or master's or professional degrees.

In addition to his support of the British Art Center and Yale Art Gallery, Mr. Mellon has helped fund numerous Yale programs over the years -- both through direct gifts and through donations by the Old Dominion, Avalon and Andrew W. Mellon foundations.

Mr. Mellon funded the construction of Morse and Ezra Stiles colleges and endowed their masterships, as well as the deanships of all 12 residential colleges. He also endowed the William Clyde DeVane Professorship, awarded each year to a Yale faculty member who then presents a public lecture series. In addition, he funded many of Yale's interdisciplinary programs in the humanities, including Directed Studies, the humanities major and theater studies.

His other gifts supported professorships in the arts and sciences; graduate fellowships; the music librarian post, residential college seminars and libraries; and teaching in the Schools of Medicine, Divinity, and Forestry and Environmental Studies.

In addition to Yale, Mr. Mellon also made generous bequests to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh; Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut; St. John's College in Annapolis; and Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Arts in Great Britain, among many other organizations.

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