The late Elliot S. Jaffe, W’49, and his wife, the late Roslyn Jaffe, established this professorship in 1995. Elliot Jaffe was a member of the Board of Advisors at Penn Arts & Sciences. Among their many contributions to Penn, the Jaffes made possible the renovation of the building at 3405 Woodland Walk, now known as the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe History of Art Building.