Newsletter | Issue 1
A Fortunate Obligation Q&A WITH BILLY WEBSTER ’79 CHAIR, LEADING LIVES OF CONSEQUENCE CAMPAIGN
Billy Webster ’79 has worn many hats at Washington and Lee throughout the years:
student, alumnus, parent, supporter, Trustee and volunteer, to name a few. The stalwart graduate is now taking on, arguably, his most significant role to date — chair of Leading Lives of Consequence, the university’s comprehensive capital campaign. We asked Webster why he felt compelled to lead the charge. did you decide to accept the position of chair Q | Why of the Leading Lives of Consequence Campaign?
When I was a freshman at W&L, I would go every Sunday around lunchtime to have an iced tea with Dean Frank Gilliam. He was an old friend of my family’s and my great-grandmother — his former next-door neighbor in Lynchburg — insisted that I spend as much time as I could with “Dear ole Frank,” as she called him. On my final visit to see Dean Gilliam just before Christmas break, he escorted me to the front door in his wheelchair. He rose, holding the railing by the door and looked out across his magnificent boxwoods to the statue of George Washington atop the Colonnade. He said to me, “One day, son, the university will call on you to help her. That will be your obligation.” I never saw Dean Gilliam again as he passed away just after the turn of the calendar. Washington and Lee has given much to me and my family. As Dean Gilliam predicted, it is my time to do something to help the university. It is an obligation that I feel fortunate to inherit. what ways did W&L teach you Q | In to lead a life of consequence?
What Washington and Lee taught me was the primacy of honor, integrity and civility. To the extent those enduring attributes lead any of us to a ‘life of consequence,’ I believe — and I would guess that my fellow alumni believe — that these values are the foundation for success as each of us define it.
“IT IS MY TIME TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP THE UNIVERSITY. IT IS AN OBLIGATION THAT I FEEL FORTUNATE TO INHERIT.” BILLY WEBSTER ’79
“WASHINGTON AND LEE, LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD, HAS CHANGED.” DR. SIDNEY COULLING, 1973
is it important for alumni, parents and the entire Q | Why W&L community to participate in the campaign?
The word “university” comes from medieval Latin, meaning “the whole or the aggregate.” For a university to be successful — indeed, for a capital campaign to be successful — it takes the commitment and participation of all aspects of that “whole” — alumni, parents, faculty, administration and the entire W&L community. do you think this is a crucial time for Q | Why W&L to launch a capital campaign?
A friend of the university passed along to me a speech that Dr. Sidney Coulling delivered in 1973. When I think about the need for a capital campaign, some of his words resonate: “Washington and Lee, like the rest of the world, has changed. The helpful response to this fact, however, is not to lament for times past, but a willingness to understand the changes that have taken place and to make whatever additional changes may be desirable for the future.” The Board’s strategic plan sets out those bold initiatives that focus on things that matter: the student experience, the quality of our academic and co-curricular programs, and the spaces in which those programs occur. The rest of the world is moving along and changing, as Dr. Coulling stated. We cannot rest on our past accomplishments. Each generation of W&L alumni has an opportunity — an obligation, as Dean Gilliam characterized it — to ensure that subsequent generations of students have access to the experiences at W&L that prepare them to be leaders in their personal and professional lives… to lead lives of consequence.
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CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS
More than
$266.7m raised to date* More than
20,300
Campaign donors to date*
27
Members of the campaign executive committee and council
2024
Public launch and kickoff of Leading Lives of Consequence Campaign *As of 11/14/23
CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
Additional initiatives will be announced throughout the campaign. COMMUNITY
•S cholarship funding to enroll the strongest undergraduate and Law School applicants •S upporting the full W&L experience for every student CURRICULUM
•S trengthening interdisciplinary teaching, study and inquiry •C reation of DeLaney Center to explore Southern race relations, culture and politics •E nhancing teaching and learning opportunities in the Law School CITIZENSHIP
Leading Lives of Consequence Campaign
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ashington and Lee students develop a profound and personal understanding of what it means to lead a life of consequence. Each generation learns to connect their individual beliefs and aspirations to the greater good by drawing on the skills and habits of mind they cultivate during their time on campus. Leading Lives of Consequence, W&L’s new comprehensive campaign, will help ensure we can provide an even more extraordinary education that empowers our students to shape the future of our world. Washington and Lee’s Board of Trustees adopted a new strategic plan for the university in 2018. The plan calls for the university to build upon and strengthen W&L’s distinctive curricular structure, to continue to emphasize the institution’s historic goal of cultivating engaged citizenship and to develop several new facilities while enhancing existing ones in support of the university’s mission. The plan serves as a blueprint for the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign, which encompasses five priorities: community, curriculum, citizenship, campus and continuity.
•E ndowment for programmatic support of the new Museum of Institutional History •E nriching Leyburn Library’s Special Collections CAMPUS
•N ew and upgraded facilities for the Williams School and the Science Center •A new Admissions, Financial Aid and Events Center to attract top students •S upport for the Lindley Center for Student Wellness •A new Museum of Institutional History to highlight the university’s connections to American history for the campus community and public • Upgrading and enhancing Lewis Hall CONTINUITY
•G rowing the Annual Fund to sustain W&L’s mission, programs and initiatives
Scan to learn more about the Strategic Plan.
THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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“IT’S AN IMPORTANT STEP IN FOSTERING A STRONG COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A HALLMARK OF THE W&L EXPERIENCE. IT’S W&L AT ITS BEST.” ROBERT COVINGTON ’97
Giving All Students a Leading Edge W&L’S CLASS OF 2027 TAKES PART IN ORIENTATION EXPERIENCES AT NO ADDITIONAL COST
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ashington and Lee alumni who have participated in the university’s pre-orientation programs, known as Leading Edge, often recall the experience as one of their best college memories. This year, those experiences were available to all incoming undergraduate students, thanks to two key endowments created to support the program. Leading Edge provides first-year students with an introduction to W&L and an opportunity to meet new friends before classes begin. The trips are designed as bonding experiences in an environment where students can engage with people from diverse backgrounds, learn about themselves and begin building the necessary skills to thrive in college. For several years, the university has offered optional pre-orientation programming for students for an additional fee. For Ella Van Wyk ’27, a first-year student from Eugene, Oregon, the opportunity to participate in Appalachian Adventure as part of Leading Edge was a factor in her decision to attend W&L. “This is such a unique opportunity that no other school I was 4
considering offered,” she said. “It’s really special to be able to meet other students right off the bat who share my interest in hiking and backpacking.” In 2021 the Board of Trustees voted to dedicate the earnings on $40 million of the university’s endowment to curricular and programmatic enhancements to the student experience. This commitment, along with the Class of 1997 Endowment for Pre-Orientation Programs and the Rogowski Endowment for Pre-Orientation Programs, has allowed the university to offer Leading Edge to students at no additional cost. Robert Covington ’97, whose daughter Nell Covington ’24 participated in Appalachian Adventure, said several other members of his class have had children participate in the program and were excited to support its expansion. “Leading Edge offers an opportunity for incoming students to meet one another and to present themselves in a sincere way. It’s an important step in fostering a strong community, which is a hallmark of the W&L experience. It’s W&L at its best,” Robert said. The Class of 1997 Endowment for Pre-Orientation Programs was established by the class in honor of its 25th reunion; it provides support for program expansion, financial assistance for students and other related expenses. The class committed more than $680,000 to the Leading Edge Endowment. Katie McGinley ’97, who served on the reunion committee, said the program presents an opportunity to connect students from diverse geographic locations and backgrounds. “We need more
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of these types of equalizing experiences in the space of private to practice leadership and gain experience in team building and education,” McGinley said. project management. Sophia Taylor ’26 recalled that she was McGinley is the parent of Madison McGinley ’24 and Barclay inspired to become involved as a trip leader after her own Leading McGinley ’26, both of whom she said made lasting connections on Edge experience. “Becoming a trip leader was an easy ‘yes’ for me,” campus through their Leading Edge experiences. “This program Taylor said. “Some of the people that I am closest to on campus creates a very welcoming, trusting environment — the environment I met through my Leading Edge trip, and we supported each that I associate with W&L,” McGinley said. other throughout the year.” “LEADING EDGE The Rogowski Endowment for Pre-Orientation Taylor said she wanted to provide the same positive TRIPS KICKSTART Programs provides support for initiatives that equip experience that she had as a first-year student to this INCOMING STUDENTS’ incoming students with the skills to thrive while year’s incoming class. “W&L is full of students who INVOLVEMENT BY building the deep sense of community inherent in want to get involved and make a difference,” she said. ACCLIMATING THEM TO the W&L experience. Ellen Fitzsimmons Rogowski “Leading Edge trips kickstart students’ involvement WHAT IS AVAILABLE served on the W&L Board of Trustees from 2017–2021; by acclimating them to what is available on campus.” ON CAMPUS.” she and her husband, Greg, are former co-chairs of Sidney Evans, Vice President for Student Affairs, SOPHIA TAYLOR ’26 the Parents Leadership Council and their son, Greg, said the expansion provides all students with an is a Class of 2017 alumnus. opportunity to engage with W&L in new ways. “We Ellen said one of the reasons her family chose to support Leading know these experiences are the foundation for building commuEdge is that it provides an opportunity to introduce new students nity and are vital for first-year students, but the upper-division to what truly makes W&L special. “This program invites people students who serve as trip leaders are also learning lessons in into the W&L experience faster and cements them as part of the leadership and team building,” said Evans. “This program is not community earlier.” just for the first-year students; it serves as a great model for how For upper-division students, the program provides opportunities we approach student leadership.”
Choksi Family Endowment Enhances First-Year Experience Mary and Armeane Choksi ’P11 knew
nothing about Washington and Lee University until their son, Nico, visited during high school. “He immediately said, ‘I really like this place,’ which was surprising to us because boys don’t say much about their college campus visits,” Mary said, laughing. When Nico became a General, Mary and Armeane realized what makes W&L special. “I felt from Washington and Lee a spirit of gratitude, like the school was happy you decided to join their community,” Mary said. “Whether you were a
student, parent or donor, there was gratitude for your willingness to get involved.” Mary and Armeane helmed the Parents Leadership Council as class co-chairs in 2009–2010 and chairs in 2010–2011. Their university involvement continued even after Nico graduated; in May 2012, Mary was sworn in as a trustee and served on the board for 10 years. Through her work with the board, Mary became aware of the Advanced Research Cohort (ARC), a summer program that pairs incoming students with professors and current students for original research projects. In addition to helping students get a head start in the classroom, Mary noted that the program also gives them a window into campus life and university resources. “The program just seemed to me well-thought-through and a way to position students for success,” she said. “It focused on not only academic success but also social and emotional success — all those things that you need to have for a great college experience.” ARC was renamed the Advanced
Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) Program in 2018. Following their immersive summer program, all AIM students participate in FYE 100: General Success, a course that assists with the transition from high school to college. The class is designed to give first-year students the best chance of success from the beginning of their W&L journey. According to Mary, AIM successfully demonstrates how exposing incoming students to community engagement, leadership education and career and professional development fosters a sense of confidence and belonging. In 2021, Mary and Armeane established The Choksi Endowment for the AIM Program with a $500,000 pledge. “It’s a wonderful program — especially for those who may not have had much opportunity earlier in their lives to be on college campuses,” Mary said. “AIM gives these students a chance to get their bearings, have a great research experience, and kick off the year with a running start.” THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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“I RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP THAT HELPED ME IN LAW SCHOOL. IT CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE, AND I AM ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO PAYING IT FORWARD.” MELANIE WILSON
Fostering Success for First-Generation Law Students
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ttending law school is difficult enough, but for first-generation students, there are additional roadblocks to overcome. One of the most daunting is the prospect of accumulating significant debt. Melanie Wilson began her tenure as Dean of Washington and Lee’s Law School in July 2022. She immediately recognized the importance of scholarships and financial aid as crucial components to attracting top students from a wide range of backgrounds. To that end, she has established the Endowment for First Generation Success in Law to provide scholarship assistance for first-generation students. As a first-generation student herself, the endowment is very personal for Wilson. “Neither of my parents had the means or opportunity to go to college,” Wilson said. “I received a scholarship that helped me in law school. It changed the trajectory of my life, and I am absolutely committed to paying it forward.” Dean Wilson noted that acquiring less debt means graduates will have more flexibility to practice in fields that may not be as lucrative but are more fulfilling. “It is so important to be able to 6
provide grants and scholarships to students so that upon graduation, they have the option to choose not only high-paying corporate and law firm positions, but also work in nonprofit organizations, government agencies and other public interest work,” she said. In 2022–2023, 12% of W&L Law School students were the first generation in their families to attend college. Thanks to the philanthropy of alumni and friends, the average law school debt for members of W&L’s Class of 2022L was $105,520, much less than students at comparable private law schools. Ninety percent of Law School students receive some form of financial aid. There are 122 named scholarships, with an average scholarship award of $27,500. Taylor Roberson ’24L helped establish the First-Generation Student Union at the Law School last year and served as its inaugural president. “In my family, the thought of debt was a huge no-no,” said Roberson. “My generous scholarship helped alleviate some of that concern.” Roberson started a similar affinity group as an undergraduate student at the University of Alabama, but she found there were different issues facing law students. She noted that many firstgeneration students come from homes where there are no professionals to model ways to network or to prepare polished applications. “Law students need to learn about managing student loans and navigating finances once they start earning money,” Roberson said. “Also, they need to learn how to leverage the experience they already have.”
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Law School faculty and alumni wasted no time jumping on board with their support of the new student union. When the formation of the group was announced, Roberson immediately received 30 emails from faculty who wanted to offer their expertise, and students also got involved. “We were able to pair 1L students with 2L and 3L students to do mentoring based on what they needed,” she said. “It also gave them someone to reach out to with questions. W&L already has a lot of programs to help first-years, but in this group, they don’t have to feel embarrassed to ask for additional help. The first-generation student entering law school has already proved themselves to be resilient and resourceful. They just don’t have the connections others might have.” Roberson reached out to W&L Law alumni across the country for advice when she was applying for internships the summer between her first and second years. In total, she talked to 85 alumni who helped her hone in on her job interests. “I was very aggressive,” she laughed. “I just sent cold emails, and many of the alumni responded. I asked questions, and if the interview was going well, I would ask how they liked their work. In the end, I had a clear idea of what my life would look like in different cities.” Dean Wilson is grateful for the level of alumni engagement as donors, adjunct faculty and student mentors. “They make a real difference,” Wilson said. “Our close-knit culture brings people back, and it comes from the pride of our graduates who want to convey what a special place this is.”
Law School Scholarships By the Numbers
$100,000
Minimum donation required to establish a scholarship
5
Number of years a scholarship pledge can be fulfilled
4-5%
Traditional annual payout on endowments
$5,000
Typical scholarship amount awarded from $100,000 gift
“IN MY FAMILY, THE THOUGHT OF DEBT
$53,120
Current Law School tuition
WAS A HUGE NO-NO. MY GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIP HELPED ALLEVIATE SOME OF
For more information about Law School scholarships, contact Law School Advancement at 540-458-8587.
THAT CONCERN.” TAYLOR ROBERSON ’24L
THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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“WASHINGTON AND LEE IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN PROMOTING THIS RESEARCH, TEACHING AND PROGRAMMING.” CHRIS DYSON ’00
Honoring a Mentor’s Legacy DYSON FOUNDATION ENDOWS DIRECTOR POSITION AT THE DELANEY CENTER
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stablished in 2021, the DeLaney Center at Washington and Lee explores Southern race relations, culture and politics through various disc iplinary approaches and theoretical perspectives. The center provides unique opportunities for students and faculty in the College, School of Law and the Williams School to examine the racial issues that have defined and continue to shape the U.S. South. Named in honor of the late professor of history emeritus Theodore “Ted” DeLaney Jr. ’85, the center serves the university by encouraging the creation of new courses, facilitating faculty scholarship, and advancing original research and creative work by students. Co-curricular programming not only educates but also fosters community among students, faculty, staff and university neighbors. The DeLaney Center builds on the work of its namesake who taught courses on colonial North America and African American, civil rights, and gay and lesbian history. DeLaney’s scholarship focused on the untold histories of African Americans in Virginia, 8
including John Chavis, who studied at Liberty Hall Academy and is the first known African American to receive a college education in the United States. Much of DeLaney’s research found its way into the courses he taught and the presentations he developed for W&L Alumni College, class reunion programs, neighboring universities, museums and historical societies. During his time on faculty, DeLaney worked tirelessly to make the university a more welcoming and inclusive place, and he encouraged the institution to thoughtfully examine its complex history. A wise and caring teacher with a passion for justice, he was a mentor to numerous faculty and students, including Chris Dyson ’00, who graduated from W&L with a degree in history, magna cum laude. Dyson and his family held DeLaney in very high regard during his years as a student. Now that he is a member of the W&L Board of Trustees, Dyson has a greater appreciation for DeLaney’s leadership and impact on the university. “Ted was an amazing man in every respect. He was an incredible teacher and student adviser,” said Dyson. “He was a superb listener who took a keen interest in our lives and made a huge impact on me and generations of students. Ted’s own personal connection to the university and his deep understanding of the history of the institution was second to none. His devotion to our learning and his drive for progress was unstinting; he was simply one of the greatest figures in Washington and Lee’s history and cannot be honored enough, in my opinion.” In addition to his work on W&L’s Board of Trustees, Dyson
COMMUNITY CURRICULUM CITIZENSHIP CAMPUS CONTINUITY
is vice chairman and treasurer of the Dyson Foundation, a pri- funding to establish the center in 2021 and through the Dyson vate, grant-making organization in Millbrook, New York, that Foundation, it will be propelled even further in the years to come.” focuses on nonprofits in the Mid-Hudson Valley. It also enhances Additionally, the university will raise $24 million to endow the educational institutions in its backyard and beyond. At Dyson’s work of the DeLaney Center including support for faculty positions, recommendation, the foundation awarded W&L a $3 million postdoctoral fellowships, one-year fellowships for current faculty, grant to endow the DeLaney Center director position. Michael and funds to bring visiting scholars, artists and practitioners to Hill, professor and chair of Africana Studies, was campus to enrich the curriculum. Endowments will “TED WAS AN named the inaugural director of the DeLaney Center also fund research and leadership opportunities AMAZING MAN IN in April 2022. Funding from the Dyson Foundation for DeLaney Undergraduate Fellows and DeLaney EVERY RESPECT. HIS will enable Hill to engage the W&L community in Center programs, student and faculty participation DEVOTION TO OUR vibrant new programming and position the center in conferences, and other events. LEARNING AND HIS as a national leader among liberal arts institutions. In addition to supporting transformative projects DRIVE FOR PROGRESS The opportunity to honor his former professor by that improve the lives of its beneficiaries, the Dyson WAS UNSTINTING.” supporting the DeLaney Center financially is just one Foundation serves as a catalyst in improving orgaCHRIS DYSON ’00 of the reasons Dyson recommended a grant for this nizations’ capacity to better fulfill their missions. new initiative. In his leadership role at the university, “Washington and Lee is uniquely positioned to Dyson recognizes the important impact the center will have on play a major role in promoting this unique research, teaching enhancements to the curriculum and enriching the experience and programming — not only at the university, but also among for all W&L students and faculty. its alumni community and higher education more broadly,” said “The DeLaney Center will allow Washington and Lee to be a Dyson. “It is the hope of the Dyson Foundation that serving as an leader in this work, to attract top scholars, and to energize students early supporter of this initiative signals its importance and that who are eager to learn more about the university’s rich history and our backing will encourage other foundations and donors to join identity,” said Dyson. “I am pleased the Board of Trustees provided us in investing in this important work.”
Butler Endowment Boosts DeLaney Center Endeavors
When Landon “Lanny” Butler Jr. ’63 read an article about the launch of the DeLaney Center at Washington and Lee, he knew it was a university priority he wanted to support. In 2022, the longtime W&L volunteer and donor, along with his wife, Carol, made a stock transfer of nearly $250,000 to create an endowment to support the center. The Butlers view the work of the DeLaney Center as central to fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus, and they wanted their support
to signal the importance of this burgeoning program. Earnings from the Carol and Landon Butler ’63 Endowment for the DeLaney Center will fund endeavors including student research and collaborations with other Virginia colleges and universities, symposia and conferences that showcase student and faculty research, and internship opportunities for undergraduate and law students. A lifelong learner, Butler is enthusiastic about the work of the DeLaney Center in part because of his career as a public servant. He served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation, and after attending Harvard Business School and moving to Atlanta in 1970, Butler worked part-time for then-Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. He followed the newly elected U.S. president to Washington and served as deputy chief of staff during the Carter administration. For the ensuing 30 years, Butler was chairman and founder of Landon Butler & Company, LP, a commercial real estate advisory firm.
In April, Butler and his daughter Sarah Butler Stettinius, who graduated from W&L in 1994, experienced DeLaney Center programming firsthand. They were among 20 students, community members, faculty and staff who visited the Booker T. Washington National Monument in Hardy, Virginia, as part of DeLaney Center Saturdays. These trips to sites that focus on race and Southern identity take place three times a year and feature encounters with on-location experts, a shared meal and debriefing conversations. The experience confirmed to Butler that his and Carol’s investment in the program is money well spent. “The DeLaney Center offers the university a great opportunity to build on its long tradition of providing a terrific liberal arts education,” said Butler. “Carol and I are pleased to support W&L students and faculty in exploring the issues of Southern race relations, culture and politics. It is important work that embraces the university’s motto — not unmindful of the future.” THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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“IT IS DEEPLY MEANINGFUL TO US TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM AND TO ASSIST OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE IN FINDING JOY AND PURPOSE IN THEIR STUDIES.” KATHELEN AMOS P’13
An Evergreen Gift W&L PARENTS ENDOW DIRECTORSHIP IN MEMORY OF THEIR SON
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n 2018, Kathelen and Dan Amos established the John Kyle Spencer Endowed Directorship for Environ
mental Studies — the first of its kind for an interdisci
plinary program at Washington and Lee University. The fully funded endowment has allowed the environmental studies program to flourish, not only by establishing the directorship held by Professor Robert Humston but also by funding collaborative research opportunities and creating a new tenure-track position. The endowed directorship is named in memory of Kathelen Amos’ son, John Kyle Spencer ’13, who was passionate about environmental stewardship and sustainability. Humston recognized Spencer’s unwavering commitment to restoring the earth’s natural systems and had a formative influence on him. The Amoses’ transformational gift celebrates Spencer’s legacy and W&L’s impact on his life, as well as Humston’s dedication to his students and his craft. “I think every student in our program has been impacted by this gift,” Humston said. The endowment has provided the leadership and resources needed to expand faculty, coursework, research projects and
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student enrollment. It has allowed for the creation of a central position that shapes, guides and runs the program. Since its inception, a new environmental studies faculty member and a program coordinator have joined the staff, resulting in an array of new course offerings ranging from environmental archaeology to the impact of food systems on the environment. In turn, the expanded interdisciplinary courses have attracted more students, doubling enrollment since 2017. Additionally, students majoring in environmental studies now have the opportunity to focus their coursework around themes that draw upon faculty’s strengths in areas such as climate change, sustainable commerce, conservation biology, environmental economics, environmental humanities and water resources. Humston noted that the opportunity to pursue interesting research projects is another benefit of the endowment. Last year, he worked with a colleague at the University of Maryland’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratory to help advise one of his graduate students studying microplastics in fish stomachs. “This gave a W&L student the chance to collaborate with a scientist at James Madison University to determine the plastic compounds
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that were found. That research experience inspired the student’s capstone thesis in environmental studies,” Humston said. The program is now able to equip students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to tackle the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, nurturing a new generation of leaders who are unafraid to challenge conventions, drive innovation and champion a more sustainable future. But the John Kyle Spencer Endowed Directorship for Environmental Studies is more than just a testament to academic advancement. It is a living tribute to Spencer’s memory — a reminder of his ideals and dedication to creating a greener and more sustainable world. “Our son John found true inspiration during his Spring Term Chesapeake Bay program with Robert Humston,” Kathelen said. “For John, everything changed with that trip. His varied academic interests coalesced, and his passion to pursue environmental work was ignited. For his remaining time at Washington and Lee, and through his earning an M.S. degree from the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, John had clearly found his calling. It is deeply meaningful to us to support the work of the environmental studies program and to assist other young people in finding joy and purpose in their studies.” Humston values the connection he made with Spencer and remembers him fondly. “John sought to spend his life showing others that it is still possible for us to repair our relationship with the earth,” he said. “This endowment is a celebration of his experience at W&L and in environmental studies, and a gift to the students following in his footsteps.”
“I THINK EVERY STUDENT IN OUR PROGRAM HAS
Endowed Support for Faculty By the Numbers
$4M
Minimum gift to establish a new faculty position in an identified and approved strategic priority area within the curriculum
$3M
Minimum gift to name an existing faculty position
$100K
Minimum gift to support faculty initiatives like new course development, curriculum innovation and faculty development
BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS GIFT.” ROBERT HUMSTON
112
Number of faculty support funds currently established
THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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“THE LESSONS OF W&L REMAIN WITH ME, AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE LEARNED THEM AS A STUDENT AND ALUM.” ROY BURNS ’99
The Business of Giving Back ALUMNI FROM THE ’90S AND ’00S MAKE A COLLECTIVE IMPACT ON WILLIAMS SCHOOL EXPANSION
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ashington and Lee’s Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics continues to thrive, with about half of all under graduates majoring in one of its four disciplines. Programs in economics, politics, business administration and accounting are augmented by exceptional opportunities that help students acquire and grow skills that will translate into meaningful careers. Expanding and enhancing the Williams School’s facilities is a priority of the university’s strategic plan, which calls for strengthened interdisciplinary programs like Entrepreneurship as well as increased offerings for non-majors in the Williams School. “The statistics alone make this a natural priority,” said Ward Davenport ’01, a member of the campaign’s executive leadership committee. Davenport and many fellow alumni who majored within the Williams School have stepped up to make lead gifts supporting a new building on Washington Street. “Serving on the campaign committee has reinforced for me how 12
committed W&L alumni are to giving back, and it has been great to see that in action,” he said. Davenport is managing director of Pointer Management, where half of the partners are W&L alumni. Preparations to begin construction on the new building are underway, and many alumni have supported the project. “Now is the moment to take a step forward,” said Reuben Munger ’95, a member of the campaign council. “There are multiple generations of students who have benefited from the Williams School, and now is the opportunity to help future students benefit in the same way.” Munger triple-majored in the Williams School, earning degrees in politics, economics and business administration. He is the founder and managing partner of Vision Ridge Partners, a sustainable real assets investor. Roy Burns ’99 and his wife, Emily, made a lead gift and will name the lower level of the new building Burns Bunker. “This gift is the largest we’ve made to date, and it reflects the importance that W&L had on my life as a scholarship kid from rural Louisiana,” Burns said. “The lessons of W&L remain with me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have learned them as a student and alum.” When asked about the inspiration behind the name, Burns joked that it sounded better than Burns Basement. “It’s a reminder to not take oneself too seriously, and hopefully the name will bring a smile to a student’s face when they most need it,” he said. Burns is managing director and co-head of North American financial services investing efforts at TA, a private equity firm.
COMMUNITY CURRICULUM CITIZENSHIP CAMPUS CONTINUITY
Rob Straughan, Crawford Family Dean of the Williams School ability to access information quickly really leveled the playing and professor of business administration, explained that classroom field in the business world, and now you gain the edge by how space has been heavily utilized for the last two decades. It has well you can use today’s technology,” Crawford said. presented scheduling challenges for faculty and administrators, While the needs for the Williams School expansion are clear, the both in securing appropriate spaces for course instruction and main impetus for this group of alumni to give back was because maintaining low student-faculty ratios. Renovating Huntley Hall of the people who helped shape their overall W&L experience, and constructing a new, modern facility will increase classroom both as students and now as alumni. spaces by 50% and offer more multifunctional and collaborative The W&L network is alive and well in the Williams School, spaces. “These projects will provide 21st-century keeping alumni and students connected through spaces for what is already a 21st-century program,” numerous events such as the Entrepreneurship “MY EXPERIENCE Straughan said. Summit and the Real Estate Forum. This network PROVIDED ME WITH The new building on Washington Street will have a has helped many graduates launch their careers, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE central hub, which will be an open community space. but community building occurs well beforehand AROUND PEOPLE WHO “What excites me most about this project is helping and continues indefinitely. MADE ME BETTER…” the university provide an enhanced environment for “My experience provided me with the opportunity RYAN DUFFY ’04 students to further their understanding of business to be around people who made me better,” said through collaborations with each other and with Ryan Duffy ’04. “It shaped how I thought about my faculty,” Andy Crawford ’01 said. Managing director and global future and inspired me to figure out what I wanted to do.” Duffy head of General Atlantic’s consumer sector, Crawford double now serves as president of Greater Washington and global partner majored in business administration and accounting at W&L and of Lockton Companies, the world’s largest privately held corporate was a member of the Williams Investment Society. insurance brokerage firm. Davenport agreed, noting that the design better fits the expec“The culture, the people, the shared values, the ability to contations of the modern workforce. “Collaboration is an important nect with fellow alumni, to find mentors out in the world — that’s part of my job today, and I am glad it is a key feature of the new what makes W&L different,” Duffy said. “These are people you facility,” he said. have a lifetime connection with, even if you didn’t go to school Technology upgrades will also factor into the project. “The at the same time.”
Nathan Urquhart ’01 Investing in the Future
When Nathan Urquhart ’01 visited with some W&L professors on campus, he saw the need for the Williams School facilities expansion firsthand. “Huntley Hall is bursting at the seams,” he said. “I remember when we had a large library, lively with people working on group projects. That room is half the size now, and classrooms are packed. While it is exciting to see the
C-School’s growth, it struck me that more space was needed.” Urquhart was motivated to make a lead gift to the Williams School expansion project for several reasons. He majored in accounting and was inspired by his classroom experience. “The combination of a traditional business program within a broader liberal arts education is powerful,” he said. “W&L students leave with technical skills, but they also gain critical thinking skills, as well as a sense of history and perspective that come from the ability to cross disciplines.” In his role as a W&L volunteer, Urquhart has deepened his relationship with the institution. “Helping to shape the school’s future has been the best way to engage with the community and contribute to its development,” he said. “Financial giving comes next and is easy once you are excited about the priorities.” Urquhart was sworn in as a W&L
Trustee in February 2023 and has also volunteered as a member of the Williams School Board of Advisors and his reunion class committee. As an engaged alumnus, he visits campus frequently, which continues to fuel his passion for the university and its strategic priorities — including expanding the Williams School to support student demand and continued growth. President of Coatue, an investment firm focused largely on technology, Urquhart oversees investor relations and fundraising efforts. Even with a busy career and a packed schedule, he contributes to W&L gladly and with a clear passion. “I am impressed with the university’s ability to maintain traditions and values while evolving to meet new priorities and provide modern technologies and approaches,” Urquhart said. “I want to be part of W&L’s continued evolution.” THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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“I TALKED ABOUT WHAT FREEDOM WE GET FROM THIS SUPPORT. IT IS NOT JUST A FINANCIAL BENEFIT.” TAHRI PHILLIPS ’23
A Bridge to the Future FRIENDLY COMPETITION IGNITES
Tahri Phillips, Rex Riefler, Melissa New and Colin Connolly celebrate during Alumni Weekend.
A LIFELONG BOND BETWEEN GENERATIONS
A
s the Class of 1998 25th reunion committee was racing toward the finish line to reach their goal for their reunion gift, Jess Cohen had a sudden inspiration. Cohen, who provides staff support for the committee, approached co-chairs Melissa New ‘98 and Colin Connolly ‘98 with the idea of challenging the Class of 2023 to see which class could achieve the highest participation rate in last year’s Annual Fund. The committee immediately embraced the idea. “We wanted to start this because when the Class of 2023 is in their 25th reunion, the Class of 1998 will be in their 50th,” Cohen said. “They will experience those major milestones together. We were thinking of ways to create continuity, for these alumni to start a lifelong connection.” Tahri Phillips and Rex Riefler, co-chairs of the Class of 2023 senior gift committee, were all in. “Tahri and Rex responded and got everyone fired up. They are youthful, fun — and competitive,” New recalled. “It really came out of nowhere for us. We were excited about the chance to interact with students. It was fun to think about the student experience today and to secure that experience for students in the future.” 14
The challenge was launched with a video featuring New, who asked the Class of 2023 to take up one last challenge as seniors and to engage with her class to reach 50% participation. The seniors rose to the occasion. “A huge part of our success was the energetic and enthusiastic senior gift committee,” said Riefler. “We had 35 agents doing the outreach. The students didn’t need much buzz. It was the culmination of outreach throughout the year. We sent two class-wide emails introducing the challenge, and then it was mostly accomplished through social media and talking to friends.” Phillips reached out to her fellow Johnson Scholars to donate to the challenge, emphasizing the significant impact philanthropy has on student opportunities. “I talked about what freedom we get from this support,” she explained. “It is not just a financial benefit; you don’t have to second guess whether you can go on a career trip or take an internship. I had an incredible internship that was the impetus for my career. It was unpaid the first summer, and I’m not sure it would have been as feasible for me without support from W&L.” Phillips’ career path is now taking her to Oxford University, where she began her studies this fall as W&L’s 18th Rhodes Scholar. An added incentive for the students to participate was an invitation to meet members of the 25th reunion class at a special event during Alumni Weekend. “At the event, the first people I saw was a group of adorable seniors,” New recalled. “They talked
COMMUNITY CURRICULUM CITIZENSHIP CAMPUS CONTINUITY
about life on campus. They were very similar to who we were 25 Fund and 44% overall, including their class gift to the Williams years ago. We will see them at every reunion from now on. It is School expansion. fun to think we’ll be able to follow them, as we met them just as Even though the competition was all in fun, the outcome served they were getting started as alumni.” as an important factor in the success of the Annual Fund campaign, Connolly was also pleased to see the connections that devel- which met its $10.25 million goal for 2022–23. “The Annual Fund oped. “One of the hallmarks of W&L is how engaged the alumni is the way most people participate in philanthropy at Washington base is with current students,” he said. “This event helped build and Lee each year,” said Sydney Cross, director of Annual Giving. a bridge for students as they graduate from college into profes- “It reaches all levels. Whether it is a $5 gift or a $25,000 gift, it sional roles. A lot of comradery was quickly established between is important. The gifts have collective impact on our operating us and the students. W&L is always evolving and budget and the W&L experience. These unrestricted innovating, but one thing is consistent — the quality gifts give us the ability to respond immediately “IT IS APPROPRIATE of the people. There is a shared culture and core and flexibly to changing needs. The Annual Fund TO START GIVING NOW values, which are consistently positive trademarks is the foundation of everything we do to sustain WHEN WE ARE MOST of W&L students.” excellence at W&L.” DIRECTLY TIED TO OUR The students were equally impressed. “Interaction The senior gift provides the first opportunity to EXPERIENCE AT W&L.” with the alums was awesome,” Riefler said. “They had educate many students about the power of philanREX RIEFLER ’23 great energy, and it was fun to hear their stories. We thropy. Riefler added that although the majority of didn’t talk philanthropy, just our love for the school.” seniors don’t have the resources to make an impact The question of which class won the challenge has generated like alumni, it is all about instilling good habits. “We all love this some good-natured debate. The Class of 1998 was the winner place,” he said. “It is appropriate to start giving now when we are as of Alumni Weekend, partly because they were able to count most directly tied to our experience at W&L.” pledges and were awarded medals to prove it. However, as New Love for the university carries through the generations and is puts it, the university development office “moved the goal post” one reason W&L has one of the highest Annual Fund participation to include gifts made by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. rates in the country. “My father and grandfather went to W&L, “As I understand it we won the challenge as of Alumni Weekend, too,” said New, whose husband’s family also has deep W&L roots. but we may have to return our medals. The seniors reached 64% “This place is so meaningful to me. There is a spiritual element participation, and I am thrilled for them,” she noted. The Class to me when I walk on campus knowing that my family members of 1998 achieved 38% participation in the 2022–2023 Annual stood on that same hill.”
Long-Term Investing: More than 80 years of Annual Fund Support Thomas Brockenbrough ’41 is the oldest
and most loyal donor to Washington and Lee’s Annual Fund. Writing his check each year allows the 103-year-old alumnus to remember and pay homage to the school that means so much to him. “Investing in the interest of both the students and the university warms
my heart,” Brockenbrough said. “It’s my way of expressing thanks to W&L.” Growing up in Buena Vista, Brockenbrough attended many W&L athletic events with his family during childhood, which made the university an easy choice for college. Inspired by his father, who was a construction superintendent, he decided to transfer to Virginia Tech in 1939 to earn a degree in civil engineering. After graduation, Brockenbrough put his engineering skills to work by helping to design airplanes for the Glenn L. Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland, as a way of supporting his country during World War II. Additionally, he took night classes for graduate school. Once the war ended in 1945, he enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a
Master of Science in civil engineering in just one year. Brockenbrough worked for Douglas Aircraft Company in California for three years before changing careers and returning to Virginia Tech as an associate professor. In 1953, he accepted a job at the University of Delaware, where he served for 35 years in various roles, including two terms as department chair and one term as assistant dean of the College of Engineering. Brockenbrough said his time as a W&L student is what inspired his teaching career. “I had outstanding professors who took the time to get to know students and were invested in student success, both in and out of the classroom,” he said. “To feel like you’ve had an impact on the lives of so many students is a very rewarding experience.” THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE
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