A DVA N C E M E N T
Nagler Leaves Nearly $2 Million to Alma Mater A former scholar-athlete designated his estate gift to support student scholarships and the tennis program. by Karen M. Jones
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ashington College recently accepted a bequest of $1.86 million from William M. Nagler ’42, a manufacturing executive who passed away in 2016. The gift is designated for student scholarships and the College’s tennis program. A resident of San Diego, Nagler was retired from his job as president and CEO of The Pate Company, a manufacturer of roofing products. He held two patents from his work there: one for a pipe flashing unit and the other for a roof penetrating curb, a device that prevents leaks around roof openings. After graduating from Washington College with degrees in mathematics and physics, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a radar officer during World War II on the USS Yorktown in the Pacific. He earned an MBA from UCLA in 1951 and worked as a Gallup Poll taker, recording audience reactions to themes in movies, and for an advertising company in Philadelphia. As an undergraduate, Nagler was a member of the tennis team, Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. He was also president of the College’s chapter of the YMCA, vice president of the Literary Society, and president of the Society of Sciences. He was married to Betty Lohmuller Story Van Allen-Nagler ’44, who died in June 2017. The two met at Washington College and married after reconnecting later in life. Throughout his life, Nagler’s best friend was Bill Johnson ’40, whose philanthropy gave rise to the Johnson Fitness Center. Nagler gave annually to The Washington Fund for 33 years, was a member of The 1782 Society, and served on the Reunion Committee. Fifty percent of Nagler’s bequest will support full or partial scholarships for students who demonstrate academic 46
WASHINGTON COLLEGE MAGAZINE
As an undergraduate, William Nagler was a “Big Man on Campus,” an ambitious student and varsity tennis player who was active in several student organizations,
excellence, with preference given to students from Oregon. The other half will fund the highest priority needs of the tennis program. “More often than not, when you use the word ‘game changer’ in athletics, you are talking about a recruit—one who will redefine your program,” says Thaddeus Moore, director of athletics. “But there is no better word to describe Mr. Nagler and his generosity. This gift will greatly enhance our programs and our student-athletes’ experiences.” “I am continually impressed and humbled by the accomplishments of our alumni,” says College President Kurt Landgraf. “William Nagler is a quintessential example of the best of Washington College, and because of his loyalty and generosity, many more young people will have a chance to broaden their own horizons with a Washington College education.”
New Professorship Honors Trustee’s Mother When Young Ja Lim emigrated with her husband and four sons from rural South Korea to Philadelphia in 1973, she couldn’t have imagined how their lives would unfold. After working for more than a decade in a clothing factory, with her husband toiling in a steel mill, the couple opened a dry cleaning business that they ran for more than 30 years. They retired to a Pennsylvania farm, both at age 75, after watching their sons graduate from top schools, including Washington College. Jim Lim ’91, an economics major, is paying tribute to his remarkable mother, who passed away last November, with a $1 million gift to the College to establish the Young Ja Lim Professorship in Economics. Young Ja Lim was born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1937 to South Korean parents. The family was in Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped in 1945 but moved back to Korea when Young Ja, the eldest of six siblings, was 8. Her education ended after junior high school, and she worked the fields in rural Korea to help support the family until her marriage in 1964. “When I think of my mom, many positive attributes come to mind, but sacrifice and service to others come to the forefront,” Lim says. “My mom always put other people’s needs ahead of her own. It gives my family and me great pride to endow a chair in economics in her name, an honor she never thought possible, given her own limited academic background. What she lacked in academic degrees, she was rich in credentials that really mattered.” In addition to his economics degree from Washington College, Lim has an MBA in finance from Indiana University. He is a managing general partner with Greenspring Associates, a venture capital firm. He was previously a director at Commonfund Capital and managed the private capital portfolio at Pfizer. Lim serves on WC’s Board of Visitors & Governors and on the limited partner boards of more than a dozen financial firms. He also currently serves on the board of Kareo and is a board observer of Exinda. He and his wife, Ann, live in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, with their two children. The recipient of the Young Ja Lim Professorship will be named this fall.