LEADING LIVES OF CONSEQUENCE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON AND LEE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES
On Oct. 25, 2024, Billy Webster ’79, chair of Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee, addressed alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends during the campaign launch celebration on campus. Below is an excerpt from his remarks.
Most of us would say that W&L changed our lives in a profound and sometimes unexpected way. I say it all the time. It’s something that my children, Will ’20 and Lily ’22, say. It’s something I hope their children will say one day.
A large part of that impact on my life came from my professors. The list is long: Sid Coulling ’46, Bill Jenks ’39, Ted DeLaney ’85, John Gunn ’45, Pam Simpson and Norm Lord. I think it’s safe to say that anyone who’s gone to Washington and Lee will have at least one professor who made a difference in their lives and whose influence was carried forward long after they graduated.
Former President Ken Ruscio ’76 used to talk about the student-faculty relationship by saying students don’t major in the subject as much as they major in a professor. How true. I majored in John Evans, a superb English professor but also a friend, a mentor, a father and a confessor. I love John as if he were a part of my family. We’ve remained in touch over the last 45 years, and we’ve spoken on the phone at least every two weeks across that span of years. I know of no other institution in the United States where these kinds of relationships are commonplace.
We also know there are some folks who look at Washington and Lee and think that, as of late, it has changed too much, and perhaps there’s some truth to that. There are also some who think Washington and Lee has not changed enough, and perhaps there’s
Kelly N. Evans ’07 served as master of ceremonies during the campaign kickoff gala on Oct. 25, 2024.
some truth to that. But as professor Sid Coulling put so eloquently and directly: 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 in the future.
I would add some wisdom from Dean Frank Gilliam ’17. In 1971 — several years after his retirement — Dean Gilliam was asked what he would tell alumni if he could gather them all together. And here’s what he said:
When everything is considered, Washington and Lee is as fine an institution now as it was when you were here, even though, thank goodness, it is different in many respects. I see no likelihood of Washington and Lee losing its essential distinction of excellence. I would say that if you were inclined to complain, try to analyze what has happened in education in America, and look where we are today at Washington and Lee. Many of you think you’re paying the university a tremendous compliment when you say you don’t want a single thing changed from the way things were when you were here. But if you had that institution unchanged, most of you would be ashamed of it.
By launching the Leading Lives of Consequence capital campaign, we are saying publicly for everyone to hear that we support the university’s strategic plan and the university’s priorities. We are committing ourselves to provide the essential support necessary — the change necessary — to continue to offer future generations the same, or better, educational opportunities and life-changing experiences that we were privileged to enjoy.
As stewards of this university, it is our “collective obligation” — in Dean Gilliam’s words — to see that our students get the full value of a worldclass liberal arts education that is bound together by the common values of honor, civility, integrity, respect and character. We are making the necessary changes to ensure that the students of tomorrow glory in Washington and Lee in the same way that we all do.
We have the most loyal, most generous, most supportive and most involved alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends on the planet. Not only am I confident we will achieve the campaign goal, but as our campaign chairs, Warren Stephens ’79 and Phil Norwood ’69, said in the last capital campaign: ‘We’re going to crush it once again.’
Enjoy more photos from the campaign kickoff weekend at bit.ly/WLUcampaignkickoff or scan the QR code.
Watch Campaign Chair
Billy Webster’s full remarks at bit.ly/WLUcampaignkickoffremarks or scan the QR code.
President Will Dudley, along with Campaign Chair
Billy Webster ’79 and Rector Wali Bacdayan ’92, announce the goal for Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee
“AS STEWARDS OF THIS UNIVERSITY, IT IS OUR ‘COLLECTIVE OBLIGATION’ — IN DEAN GILLIAM’S WORDS — TO SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS GET THE FULL VALUE OF A WORLD-CLASS LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION THAT IS BOUND TOGETHER BY THE COMMON VALUES OF HONOR, CIVILITY, INTEGRITY, RESPECT AND CHARACTER.”
BILLY WEBSTER ’79
From Lectures to Legacies: Faculty Who Invest in Students
Washington and Lee University’s faculty are dedicated to helping their students reach their potential. They invest their time, energy and passion in and beyond the classroom to mentor young people on campus. There is no question that this level of commitment is a significant contribution to W&L, and, yet, there are professors who also choose to add the role of philanthropist to their legacy. Since the university began counting gifts for the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign in 2020, 67 faculty members have contributed more than $200,000 collectively across a wide range of priorities.
John T. Perry Professor of Biology and Research Science
Helen I’Anson and her husband, Jeff Turner, created the STEM Student Opportunities Endowment in 2020 and have continued to contribute to the fund annually. The endowment is on track to be fully funded in 2025 and will provide financial
assistance for students to attend scholarly conferences in the STEM fields to present their research.
“I have often told my students there is no point in doing the work if you don’t tell anyone about it,” I’Anson says. “These conferences welcome between 25,000 to 40,000 scientists, and it gives students a chance to see how their work relates to the field in a larger context.”
Academic conferences are expensive, involving registration fees and travel expenses. With exposure to so many experts and a wide array of topics, students have the opportunity to explore other areas of interest and to make connections that could be beneficial in their future careers or post-graduate studies.
“A great education entails more than just taking the right courses,” I’Anson says. “Students need research and presentation experience to get into good graduate and medical schools.”
John T. Perry Professor of Biology and Research Science Helen I’Anson teaches a class in Howe Hall.
Jeff Turner and Helen I’Anson
“AS WE WORK HERE, WE REALIZE THAT THE RESOURCES PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE ALLOW US TO OFFER EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OTHERWISE.”
ELIZABETH
OLIVER, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE WILLIAMS SCHOOL AND LEWIS WHITAKER ADAMS PROFESSOR IN COMMERCE
I’Anson was a first-generation student and recalls working every summer to help pay for college. “I want students to have advantages that will help them in their future,” she says.
Turner, a retired partner with Squire Patton Boggs law firm, shares his wife’s passion for fostering opportunities for talented students.
“Having seen students expand their horizons by traveling to scientific conferences with Helen, I joined her in wanting to make sure that travel expenses didn’t stand in the way of STEM students being able to take advantage of the opportunities she and her colleagues have offered them,” Turner says. “This is especially important at a time when our nation desperately needs more individuals in the sciences.”
I’Anson joined W&L’s faculty in 1995 and has taught a range of biology courses, often with a focus on physiology and neuroscience. She served as department chair and as acting chair, was a co-director of the Advanced Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) Program and helped establish the IQ Center. In 2019, she was recognized by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia with the Outstanding Faculty Award.
Even though I’Anson retired at the end of the 20232024 academic year, she is still conducting research with six students on the role of snacking in childhood obesity. They check in weekly and hope to write a paper on the project by the end of the academic year.
“I have been so blessed to have amazing students, and I like welcoming first-years and sophomores into the fold,” I’Anson says. “People learn on the job, and it’s the same with research. My students have such enthusiasm and are working at a master’s level.”
Associate Dean of the Williams School and Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor in Commerce Elizabeth Oliver joined W&L’s faculty in 1991 and was the first woman professor in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics. Oliver teaches courses in accounting research and corporate social responsibility, runs the
W&L London Internship Program and serves as a faculty adviser for Washington and Lee Student Consulting (WLSC) — a student-led group that provides pro bono consulting services to businesses and nonprofit organizations. She recently made a commitment to join the Lettie Pate Evans Society, a new philanthropic group celebrating W&L’s women donors. “I am honored to be able to join and to be in the company of these very successful women,” she says. Oliver has generously supported W&L through the years, giving to the W&L Fund, the Katherine Harris Storer Endowment, which helps fund experiential learning opportunities in the Williams School, and, most recently, the Williams School expansion project. “As we work here, we realize that the resources people contribute allow us to offer experiences for our students that we wouldn’t be able to provide otherwise,” she says. “These resources empower us to do amazing things — I see it in the students who get financial aid for the Spring Term class I teach, and I see it in the students who go to London and would not be able to without that support.”
With the Williams School close to her heart for many reasons, Oliver has contributed to both the new building under construction on Washington Street and to the renovation of Huntley Hall, which will begin after the new building opens next academic year.
“We have utilized every square inch in Huntley that we possibly can, and the possibility of adding innovative new spaces is something I definitely wanted to be a part of,” she says. “This expansion will be such a blessing, not just for the Williams School but for everyone at W&L.”
Both I’Anson and Oliver have a passion for their students and for the university that is apparent to anyone who interacts with them; Oliver believes this is W&L’s modus operandi.
“There’s this feeling that you are part of this community that makes everyone better, and there’s not much that is more rewarding than that,” she says.
Elizabeth Oliver
Parents Find Lifelong Connections Through W&L Leadership Council
RICHARD AND WIMBERLY MCPHAIL P’24 SHARE THEIR JOURNEY OF GIVING, LEADING AND FORMING BONDS AT WASHINGTON AND LEE.
Richard and Wimberly McPhail P’24 expected their son, Walker, to make lifelong friends when he joined the Washington and Lee Class of 2024. They did not expect that they would do the same.
“IT IS EASY TO SUPPORT WHEN YOU FEEL PART OF A FAMILY. THERE IS SUCH A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY.”
Last June, the McPhails completed a two-year term as co-chairs of W&L’s Parents Leadership Council, a select group whose generosity is an integral part of philanthropy at the university. PLC members are invited to campus each spring for a weekend that includes updates on the university from senior administrators and faculty as well as opportunities to spend time with their children and their friends and socialize with other parents.
WIMBERLY MCPHAIL P’24
They had assumed Walker would attend her alma mater, the University of Virginia, but when he was recruited to play golf at W&L, he took one look at the campus and knew it was the place for him.
“He told me right there. It was definitely the right decision,” Richard recalls.
The couple became aware of the PLC through word of mouth. “As soon as Walker was accepted, a number of our friends called to tell us we had to join the PLC,” Richard says. The main draw initially was the PLC Spring Weekend and the contact with administration and faculty.
The McPhails quickly became leadership donors to the Parents Fund (now the W&L Fund Parent Giving).
“After we gained a better understanding of how W&L provides one of the best liberal arts educations in the country, we wanted to support the school,” Richard says. “It seemed unique how positive the experience was for students from the first moment. There was so much energy. Walker was involved in so many ways — the golf team, Mock Con, the Williams Investment Society, his fraternity. He loved all his professors.”
Wimberly believes W&L sells itself. “It is easy to support when you feel part of a family. There is such a strong sense of community.”
Walker’s first year was a challenge, as COVID-19 restrictions curtailed most activities, including the PLC Spring Weekend. Even so, Wimberly notes that the PLC helped parents stay in touch. “As it turned out, in the following year when things started to open up, there was so much pent-up demand to come to Lexington to see the students and meet each other,” she says. By the time the McPhails became PLC co-chairs during Walker’s junior year, everything was pretty much back to normal. “We were lucky to lead the PLC when we did — we feel like we saw a truly happy two years on campus,” Richard says.
“Annual support from parents at W&L is vital. It ensures that we can meet the evolving needs of our students and provide them with the transformative, unique experiences that shape their futures,” says Tara Hackenberg, director of parent giving. “Alongside their generous financial support, Richard and Wimberly have dedicated time and energy to our programs. Their enthusiasm to engage with W&L leadership, staff, parents and students has cultivated strong relationships within our community, showcasing the remarkable impact of philanthropy and service.”
Not only did the McPhails visit during Parents and Family and PLC Spring
weekends, they traveled around the country to watch the golf team compete and became close with Walker’s teammates and their parents. They attended Mock Convention 2024, which they had also supported financially. And they visited campus four additional times during the last semester of Walker’s senior year. “Now that he has graduated, we miss it. Maybe we need a PLC emeritus,” Richard laughs.
Walker is now working at Bank of America as a first-year investment banking analyst in New York City, where he had an internship during the summer before his senior year. His parents were amazed by the level of support students receive, not
only from university faculty and staff but also from alumni and their fellow students.
“I didn’t think I would make so many friends at my child’s school,” Wimberly remarks. “There are some parents with whom we will remain friends forever, and not just parents of Walker’s friends. We were surprised at what we got out of it. We hadn’t expected to get anything out of it personally.”
“We are grateful we were able to be a part of PLC. We gained so much from our relations with the school, President Dudley and his staff and students. We were lucky to have a chance to be part of it. W&L will always be part of our lives,” Richard says.
Parents Leadership Council Welcomes New Co-Chairs
Anne
Fred Beaujeu-Dufour and Anne Faircloth P’26 kicked off their two-year term as Parents Leadership Council (PLC) chairs in fall 2024. The volunteer role promotes parent engagement and philanthropy to support W&L and connects families to strengthen the university’s sense of community.
With a deep-rooted commitment to service, Faircloth and Beaujeu-Dufour were happy to answer the call to serve as PLC chairs. The couple have consistently supported their children’s educational institutions, and their passion for W&L is infectious. “We believe in the mission and see it lived every day,” Beaujeu-Dufour
Faircloth and Fred Beaujeu-Dufour P’26
says. “Truly, every faculty encounter we have had has far exceeded expectations.”
Citing W&L’s welcoming community, exceptional educational events like Mock Convention and its attentive faculty as major strengths, Faircloth says the intellectual environment packs a powerful punch.
“The collegial atmosphere and idyllic setting belie a real drive to take students out of their comfort zone and push them into new ways of thinking and interacting with the world,” she says. “W&L pushes boundaries every day while remaining true to its legacy.”
Faircloth is a North Carolina native and graduated from Duke University. She met Beaujeu-Dufour in Paris, where he was studying hospitality. Beaujeu-Dufour is from Pontoise, France. After marrying in 1997, Beaujeu-Dufour earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina, and Faircloth earned a master’s degree in English and creative writing from Hollins University. They decided to settle in Clinton, North Carolina, taking over the farm Faircloth’s father managed. Faircloth and Beaujeu-Dufour have two children,
Julian ’26 and Nancy, who graduated from Duke in 2023.
The couple actively serve their local community and engage in a number of ways. Faircloth has been involved in numerous historic preservation projects in Clinton and received the Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award from Preservation North Carolina in 2021. Beaujeu-Dufour is a talented photographer and enjoys participating in local art projects and exhibits.
“We try very hard to support our community and be good neighbors — whether that be our hometown, our home state or the academic communities we are connected to,” Beaujeu-Dufour says. “Supporting our children’s schools has always been a top priority, so joining the Parents Leadership Council was a logical step after Julian came to W&L.”
Faircloth and Beaujeu-Dufour have enjoyed meeting people through the PLC and are excited to lead as chairs. “We are eager to continue the university’s tradition of fostering connections and experience an even greater sense of community at W&L,” Faircloth says.
Fred Beaujeu-Dufour and Anne Faircloth P’26
Learning Environments
JOHN ’64 AND NELL MCDANIEL HAVE A FAR-REACHING IMPACT ON GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS
“IT’S EVIDENT THAT MANY PEOPLE SEE THE VALUE IN ARCHAEOLOGY AT WASHINGTON AND LEE AND WANT TO INVEST IN IT.”
ALISON
BELL
’91,
PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Professor of anthropology emeritus John McDaniel ’64 and his wife, Nell, have made a significant impact on generations of Washington and Lee students who have benefited from the A. Paul Knight Internship Program in Conservation, created by the McDaniels and the parents of the late Paul Knight ’85. McDaniel first met Knight during a lunch break on an archaeological dig on W&L’s campus, and the two men bonded over a mutual interest in fly-fishing. During the summers of 1983 through 1985, Knight visited the McDaniel family at their summer home on Henry’s Fork of Idaho’s Snake River, a premier fly-fishing spot. Then, in June 1985, Knight went missing during a backpacking trip at Yellowstone National Park. Two days later, rangers discovered the 22-year-old had suffered a fatal fall. To honor Knight’s memory, his parents and the McDaniels created the Knight Internship Program.
The program placed its first intern in 1988, and in the past 36 years, more than 135 W&L students have landed summer internships in environmental protection and conservation organizations in Eastern Idaho, and many have gone on to work in those fields. And now, thanks to the efforts of many of McDaniel’s former students, the McDaniel name will also have a far-reaching impact on W&L students interested in doing fieldwork in archaeology and anthropology.
John McDaniel ’64 speaks at the Celebration Dinner during W&L Archaeology’s 50th Anniversary and Reunion in 2024.
The John and Nell McDaniel Endowment received an outpouring of support this year, thanks to the efforts of Parker B. Potter Jr. ’79, a former student of McDaniel’s who spearheaded fundraising efforts after attending a celebration of the archaeology program’s 50th anniversary on campus in spring 2024.
In coordination with the Office of Alumni Engagement, the Sociology and Anthropology Department invited current students and alumni back to campus last April to reflect on their experiences and interests in archaeology while honoring the foundational efforts of the McDaniels and their research teams. Former students and athletes who knew McDaniel as an assistant coach for the W&L men’s lacrosse team also returned to campus to express their appreciation for the McDaniels’ contributions. Alison Bell ’91, professor of anthropology, says it was clear the weekend reminded many in attendance of the McDaniels’ impact on their lives.
“It’s evident that many people see the value in archaeology at Washington and Lee and want to invest in it,” Bell says.
That investment has been to the tune of a 400% increase in the McDaniel endowment since April, fueled by Potter’s outreach to alumni, donations from W&L’s lacrosse alumni network and responses from all corners of the W&L community, including a $25,000 anonymous matching gift. Bell says the funds will support the work and teaching of archaeological and anthropological researchers within the department, particularly by providing funding for technological upgrades.
“The state of the field today is technology-based archaeology — everything from ground-penetrating radar to photogrammetry and X-ray fluorescence,” says Bell. “One of the main things this endowment helps us do is build that suite of technological specialties here on campus. Students will be able to learn technologies that are in demand in terms of employment opportunities.” She adds that the endowment will also help expand fieldwork and conference opportunities for archaeology students.
The McDaniels have sparked opportunities for archaeological and anthropological research since early in their time at W&L. McDaniel credits his wife with encouraging him to establish the James G. Leyburn Scholars Program in Anthropology. Since 1979, the program has provided stipends to more than 150 students, allowing them to author or co-author articles in anthropology, present papers at anthropological meetings and participate in fieldwork in archaeology, anthropology and cultural resource management projects. The newly named John and Nell McDaniel Endowment, formerly the John M. McDaniel Fund, is a permanently endowed fund established in 2014 by classmates, friends and alumni.
Jon Eastwood, professor of sociology and chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department, says the support for the John and Nell McDaniel Endowment has set students up for future success.
“We’re so grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support that recognizes what John, Nell and others built and helps ensure that top-notch archaeological work will continue at W&L in the years to come,” Eastwood says.
Top: John McDaniel, Arielle Langhorne, Henry Langhorne ’83, Olivia Langhorne ’25 and Nell McDaniel at the archaeology reunion weekend’s welcome reception in 2024.
Middle: Paul Knight ’85
Bottom: John McDaniel (second from left) and one of W&L’s early archaeology teams in the winter of 1978.
International Exposure
STUDYING ABROAD OPENS UP NEW WORLDS.
Chris Busbee ’85’s first trip abroad set the course for a lifelong love of international travel and learning about other cultures. At the age of 16, he accompanied his father on a business trip to Munich and filled his time sightseeing and exploring various places. The most impactful moment of the trip came when Busbee visited the Dachau concentration camp, where the magnitude of the devastation from the Holocaust became clear. That singular experience has played a large part in Busbee’s life, including influencing his college studies, career path and overall world view.
Growing up in Dallas, Busbee always wanted to attend college outside Texas. He applied to several schools, but after a two-hour phone conversation with Jefferson Davis Futch III, Washington and Lee University professor of history, Busbee knew he couldn’t go anywhere else. It was evident that a school so dedicated in connecting with prospective students would provide the closeknit, supportive environment he was seeking.
He joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity — “the best friends in my life” — and formed deep relationships with his fellow students and professors. His relationship with Futch morphed into a mentorship; the two met for dinner every Wednesday night for three years.
“The relationships I’ve made at W&L are the second most important to me, other than my family,” he says.
Above: Chris Busbee ’85 and his family hiking in the Grand Canyon with their dog, Traveller.
Right: Busbee and his family traveling to the Great Wall of China.
“STUDYING ABROAD WAS THE BEST AND MOST IMPACTFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE I HAD. THE PERSON I AM TODAY WAS FORGED IN
THE EXPERIENCES I HAD ABROAD.”
CHRIS BUSBEE ’85
While a student, Busbee studied abroad in Germany for a year. He spent the first half in Berlin (when the wall was still up) and the second half in Munich. Although he took German at W&L, he says he didn’t really learn the language until he was fully immersed in the German culture.
“Studying abroad was the best and most impactful educational experience I had,” he says. “The person I am today was forged in the experiences I had abroad.”
Study abroad opportunities at W&L now include a variety of global education experiences, including semester- to year-long opportunities (including a program for juniors at Mansfield College in Oxford, England), a four-week Spring Term Abroad and a host of international summer internships. The university averages about 100 students abroad in each Fall and Winter Term, about 300 for Spring Term and another 100 students in the summer.
“Study abroad adds to the breadth and depth of university education in numerous ways,” says Mark Rush, Director of International Education and Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professor of Politics. “It offers unique, immersive cultural experiences and the opportunity to engage fellow students from across the globe who are also studying abroad. Washington and Lee makes it possible for students to study pretty much anywhere. This is a tremendous part of the W&L experience.”
As a testament to his own W&L experience and the transformative power of exposure to different cultures, Busbee made a $500,000 commitment to W&L’s study abroad program.
“It’s a pleasure to be in a position to give back,” Busbee says. “My experience at W&L exceeded beyond my wildest imagination, and I feel good about being able to, in a small way, make a difference in students’ lives.”
After graduating from W&L with a degree in European history, Busbee received his MBA in international finance from The University of Texas at Austin. He began his career working in finance at Citibank Securities, which required him to travel internationally, most frequently to Central America and Germany. He has enjoyed an extensive career in investment banking, management, renewable energy, oil and gas and cattle ranching, and he recently retired as president of European operations for Prytime Medical Devices Inc., a Boerne, Texas-based company that designs, develops and commercializes minimally invasive solutions for vascular trauma.
Busbee also serves as managing partner of the Sue and Richard Carter Charitable Trust, a family trust focused on investments to aid in the health, welfare and education of children and young adults. Each year through the trust, Busbee takes 15 high school students (about 100 to date) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the San Antonio, Texas, area on an experiential learning trip to visit Germany and its concentration camps. Before they embark, the students spend 150 hours studying the Holocaust and learning about its history. The goal is to encourage students to think critically about past and current events, especially related to prejudice, racism and discrimination, and instill confidence in them to stand up for their beliefs and become leaders in their communities. He often gets emails from students years later about how that trip changed their lives — just like his own formative trip at that age.
“You never know who will walk through the door that you open,” Busbee says.
Busbee, who lives in Telluride, Colorado, and owns a ranch in Webb County, Texas, says the most important thing he can do is expose his children to international travel. He and his wife, Erin, and their two children travel internationally every year, even living in Spain for a year in 2021.
“Getting out of your comfort zone and being exposed to new cultures, religions and languages is life-changing,” Busbee says.
W&L Law Increases Campaign Goal After Record-Breaking Fundraising Year
MAJOR GIFTS AND MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES FUEL THE LAW SCHOOL’S VISION FOR ACCESSIBLE, TOP-TIER LEGAL EDUCATION.
Following Washington and Lee University School of Law’s record-breaking fundraising year, the Board of Trustees approved a new goal of $55 million for the school last October for Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee . The Law School surpassed its original goal of $40 million ahead of the campaign’s public launch last fall.
This accomplishment was fueled in part by an all-time high in fundraising for the Law School in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, during which the school
raised just over $12 million in gifts and pledges. Major sources for this philanthropy included several significant estate gifts, as well as outright gifts. The majority of the fundraising, more than $10 mill ion, was designated for law student scholarships.
“The commitment to current and future generations of W&L Law students is inspiring,” says Melanie Wilson, dean and Roy J. Steinheimer Jr. Professor of Law. “In today’s highly competitive market for the most exceptional law students, scholarships are critical. Our alumni support ensures that we are able
to provide access to one of the nation’s finest law schools to anyone who meets our high standards regardless of their financial situation.”
Motivated by the $2.5 million matching gift for scholarships from an anonymous philanthropist, numerous donors have stepped forward to contribute to existing scholarship funds or to create their own. Law Council President Neil Millhiser ’11L, along with his wife, Emily, established the Emily and Neil Millhiser ’11L Law Scholarship that will support law students who, like Emily, are the first in their family to graduate from
college. The couple was inspired to establish the scholarship by the anonymous matching gift.
“Emily and I value greatly the educations we received that have allowed us to become successful in our professions and engaged members of the Richmond community,” says Neil. “And as a first-generation student herself, Emily was able to pursue higher education through the generosity of others. We are excited to pay it forward by providing this support to future law students.”
The total fundraising goal for Law School scholarships during the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign is $55 million, of which over $27 million has already been raised. Key to this ambitious goal is the anonymous donor who will match every new gift designated to Law School student scholarship endowments through the conclusion of the campaign in July 2027. W&L Law School alumni and friends can also establish scholarships with a minimum gift of $100,000 or contribute to one of the school’s existing scholarships. The Law School currently has 127 named scholarships.
To learn more about the challenge or how to fund a scholarship, contact Sarah Hughes, assistant dean of Law School advancement, at shughes@wlu.edu or 540-458-8191.
“EMILY AND I VALUE GREATLY THE EDUCATIONS WE RECEIVED THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN OUR PROFESSIONS AND ENGAGED MEMBERS OF THE RICHMOND COMMUNITY.”
NEIL MILLHISER ’11L
Motivated by the anonymous $2.5 million matching gift for law scholarships, alumni like Neil Millhiser ’11L and his wife, Emily (pictured above center), have established their own endowed scholarship funds.
A Virtuous Circle
THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF GIVING BACK
In September 2024, the Classes of 2014 and 2019 made history at Washington and Lee University as two of the youngest classes to create scholarships as part of their reunion giving projects and the first to do so through gifts to the W&L Fund. Thanks to the collective generosity of these classes, seven W&L students will receive a scholarship award for each of their four years at the university.
Class of 2014 Steering Committee members Nate Hayes, Nathan Kelly, L.B. Ellis Telep, Anna Thomas and Victoria Van Natten Waddail and Class of 2019 Steering Committee members Hannah Dewing, Jackson Ellis, Stephen McCaffrey, Elizabeth Mugo and Heeth Varnedoe led the effort with the help of more than 50 class volunteers. Far surpassing their fundraising goals, the Class of 2014 raised $246,544, and the Class of 2019 raised $80,737. More than 70% of the money raised supported annual giving through the W&L Fund, directed to financial aid, benefiting four Class of 2014 Scholarship recipients and three Class of 2019 Scholarship recipients from the Class of 2028.
Steering Committee member Anna Thomas ’14, who was recognized with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award during the weekend’s events, revealed that she and her fellow committee members were shocked by the overwhelmingly positive response in the first few months of their fundraising efforts and that success created momentum for the group. “Supporting a scholarship encouraged more multi-year pledges because we are tying it back to students who need renewable support over four years.”
“I never had any doubt that we would meet our goal to support one student, but the fact that we were able to surpass the goal many times over was exciting,” says
“OUR SUCCESS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE STRENGTH OF THE W&L NETWORK AND TO THE DEDICATION OF OUR ALUMNI.”
PEPE ESTRADA HAMM ’19
Bottom row: Nate Hayes ’14, Victoria Waddail ’14, Anna Daccache ’19, Emma Batty ’28, Harrison Smith ’28, Elizabeth Mugo ’19 and Teresa Aires ’19.
Top row: Nathan Kelly ’14, Jackson Ellis ’19, Hannah Dewing ’19, President Will Dudley and Stephen McCaffery ’19.
Pepe Estrada Hamm ’19. “Our success really speaks to the strength of the W&L network and to the dedication of our alumni.”
All seven scholarship recipients from W&L’s newest class were invited to a meet-and-greet to connect with some of the alumni donors before Young Alumni Weekend officially started.
Estrada Hamm enjoyed the opportunity to interact with student recipients. “Seeing their energy and passion and remembering those first few weeks of college in my own life was really special,” he says.
Lead donor and fellow classmate Anna Daccache ’19 found her inspiration to support the effort in the intimate, rigorous academic environment at W&L. “I would never want a student’s financial situation to get in the way of receiving an education as great as the one W&L provides,” Daccache says. “For me, creating a scholarship felt true to the core of what I think W&L is — a place that values intellectual curiosity and encourages lifelong learning.”
Scholarship recipient Whitney Obialor ’28 hails from just outside of Houston and plans to major in neuroscience. After finding out that she was a recipient, she called her mother so that they could celebrate together. “I am extremely honored and thankful — the Class of 2014 helped make W&L a reality for me.”
When Nate Hayes ’14 visited with scholarship recipients at the breakfast, one student asked him what advice he would give to his former self as a first-year.
“I replied that W&L is like a playground of opportunity, and as a student, you have access to all of it. Explore it all, and if you know of something you want to see, build it,” Hayes says.
Having stayed actively involved in class fundraising efforts since his senior year at W&L, Jackson Ellis ’19 praised this new model.
“Annual giving can seem nebulous, but a scholarship is something people understand, as so many students benefit from financial aid,” he says. “It is really rewarding as a young alumnus to support multiple students and to feel like we are helping give them a head start for their future.”
Ellis enjoyed meeting and learning about the scholarship recipients at the breakfast event. “It reinforced what I already believe about the university attracting and supporting some of the best students across the country and the globe,” he says.
Harrison Smith ’28, a Class of 2019 Scholarship recipient, says he had a great time meeting some of the alumni from the Class of 2019 and enjoyed learning how W&L had benefited them. “I have so much respect for what they are doing as a class,” says Smith.
Recipient Emma Batty ’28 reflected on the close relationships she observed among young alumni during the event. “It really showed me how the friendly, supportive community W&L builds lasts for years after graduation,” she says.
Thomas is proud of the strength and momentum her class delivered for its 10-year milestone.
“At W&L, it is such a virtuous circle — the people who gave before and while I was there had such an important impact, and now I am on the other side, and that lasting impact means paying it forward,” she says.
The Impact of Young Alumni Reunion Giving
$246,544 raised by the Class of 2014
$80,737 raised by the Class of 2019
7 students will each receive a four-year scholarship through these reunion initiatives
Class of 2014 and Class of 2019
5th and 10th reunion classes achieved the highest number of five-year pledges in the last five years.
More than 70% of 2024 Young Alumni Reunion giving supported the W&L Fund, directed to financial aid
Washington and Lee University | 204 W. Washington Street | Lexington, VA 24450-2116
learn more
Contact the Office of University Development at 540-458-8410 or development@wlu.edu.
“I cannot overstate the impact of Bill’s gift on the future of W&L and our students. It allows us to admit, now and forever, the most talented applicants who are drawn to Washington and Lee’s distinctive values and educational opportunities. Bill’s gift places W&L among the top dozen colleges and universities positioned to compete for the strongest students around the world.”
President Will Dudley on William H. “Bill” Miller’s ’72 historic $132 million gift to fund need-blind admissions
