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Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University

Endowed Professorships

Endowed professorships recognize major benefactions to the University in support of its academic program, according to standards set by the Board of Trustees. These named chairs honor the donor or donors, or persons designated by them. The chairs enable the University to recognize distinguished faculty members for their high academic attainments and accomplishments in the field of teaching.

Visit the Gift Guide to learn about the minimum gifts required to endow Professorships.

The Lewis Whitaker Adams Professorship in Commerce:
The Lewis Whitaker Adams Professorship in Commerce was established in 1981 by Lizinka M. and F. Fox Benton Jr. '60, in honor and memory of Dr. Adams, former Dean of the School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics.

  • Edward C. Atwood, who retired from teaching in 1993, and John M. Gunn, who retired from teaching in 1994, are Lewis Whitaker Adams Professors of Economics, Emeriti, and Philip L. Cline, who retired from teaching in 2009 is the Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor of Management and Economics, Emeritus.
  • Elizabeth G. Oliver is the current Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor of Accounting.

The William P. Ames Jr. Professorship in Sociology and Anthropology:
The William P. Ames Jr. Professorship was established in 2000 under the will of Mrs. Mary Farley Lee in honor and memory of her brother, a 1941 graduate of Washington and Lee University.

  • O. Kendall White Jr., who retired from teaching in 2008, is the William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Emeritus.
  • Krzysztof Jasiewicz is the current William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology.

The Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professorship:
The Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professorship was created in 1999 in honor of Washington and Lee's bicenquinquagenary celebration. Mr. Ballengee was a member of the Law Class of 1948 and was a Rector Emeritus of the Board of Trustees.

  • William Lad Sessions, who retired in 2011, is the Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus.
  • Marc C. Conner is the current Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professor of English.

The Robert O. and Elizabeth M. Bentley Professorship in Science, established in 2009 by Elizabeth M. Bentley in honor and memory of Robert O. Bentley, Jr., Class of 1926 Law, is a permanently endowed fund at Washington and Lee University providing support for a faculty member in science.  This award is administered by the Provost or his/her designee in consultation with the Dean of the College.

The Robert O. Bentley Professorship in Law:
The Robert O. Bentley Professorship in Law was created in 1994 in Mr. Bentley's honor and memory by his wife, Elizabeth M. Bentley of Lexington, Virginia. Mr. Bentley was a member of the Law Class of 1926.

  • Lyman P. Q. Johnson is the first Robert O. Bentley Professor of Law.

The John K. Boardman Jr. Professorship in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics: The John K. Boardman Jr. Professorship was created in 1999 to honor former President John D. Wilson and Anne Wilson and in recognition of the W&L 250th Anniversary celebration.

  • William F. Connelly is the first John K. Boardman Jr. Professor of Politics.

Vincent L. Bradford.  This Philadelphia lawyer endowed a professorship of law, and left to the University his private collection of paintings.

  • James Edward Moliterno is the current Vincent L. Bradford Professor of Law.

The Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professorship:
The Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professorship was created in 1999 in Mr. Broadus' honor and memory by his wife, Elizabeth H. Broadus of Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Broadus was a member of the Class of 1959 and a member of W&L's Board of Trustees from 1990 to 1998.

  • Heather Ross Miller, who retired from teaching in 2003, is the Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English, Emerita.
  • Suzanne Keen is the current Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English.

The J. Donald Childress Professorship in Foreign Languages, established in 2008, supports a distinguished professor who is both an accomplished scholar and exceptional teacher in one of the foreign languages offered in the College, preferably Spanish.  The Professorship is managed by the Provost in consultation with the dean of the College.  The endowment is the gift of J. Donald Childress '70.  Mr. Childress established the Professorship through a gift announced on the first day of the  University's new campaign in 2008 in response to the Lenfest Challenge for Faculty Support.

  • Kevin M. Crotty is the first Childress Professor of the Classics.

The Sidney Gause Childress Professorship in the Arts:
The Sidney Gause Childress Professorship in the Arts , established in 2008, supports a distinguished professor who is both an accomplished scholar and an exceptional teacher in one of the departments in the visual or performing arts in the College, preferably art, with a further preference for art history. The Professorship is managed by the Provost in consultation with the dean of the College. The endowment is the gift of J. Donald Childress '70. Mr. Childress established the Professorship through a gift announced on the first day of the University's new campaign in 2008 in response to the Lenfest Challenge for Faculty Support.

  • George R. Bent is the first Sidney Gause Childress Professor of Art History.

The Cincinnati Professorship:
The Cincinnati Professorship recognizes the gift of the Society of the Cincinnati of Virginia to Washington Academy, a predecessor institution to Washington and Lee University. The Society, a group of former officers of the Continental Army, influenced by George Washington's gift to the Academy, voted in 1802 to turn over its assets to the school, a gift that helped the institution survive.

  • Erich S. Uffelman is the current Cincinnati Professor of Chemistry.

The Jessie Ball duPont Professorship in Religion:
The Jessie Ball duPont Professorship in Religion was established in 1983 by the Jessie Ball duPont Religious, Charitable and Educational Fund in memory of Mrs. duPont and in recognition of her support of higher education.

  • Winston B. Davis, who retired from teaching in 2006, is the Jessie Ball duPont Professor of Religion, Emeritus.
  • Alexandra R. Brown is the current Jessie Ball duPont Professor of Religion.

The Henry S. Fox, Jr. Professorship:
The Henry S. Fox Jr. Professorship was established in 1956 under the will of Mrs. Mamie Fox Twyman Martel of Houston in memory of her brother, Henry S. Fox Jr., Class of 1894.

  • Edwin D. Craun, who retired in 2011, is the Henry S. Fox, Jr. Professor of English, Emeritus.
  • Lesley M. Wheeler is the current Henry S. Fox, Jr. Professor of English.

The Roger D. Groot Professorship of Law is a newly established chair created by the generosity and cumulative effort of almost 400 alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the Law School to honor Professor Roger D. Groot, who died in 2005.  Professor Groot taught Criminal Law and Procedure and Property to thousands of students during his 32 years at the School and was a much beloved and respected member of the faculty.  He embodied fully the personal and institutional values that distinguish W&L and the legal education W&L Law students receive.

  • Joan M. Shaughnessy is the first Roger D. Groot Professor of Law.

The John F. Hendon Professorship:
The John F. Hendon Professorship endowment was begun by John F. Hendon '24 during his lifetime and completed by his widow, Mila Shropshire Hendon, in 1987. The professorship stands in the Ernest Williams II School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics.

  • James R. Kahn is the current John F. Hendon Professor of Economics.

The John T. Herwick, M.D., Professorship in Biology:
The John T. Herwick, M.D., Professorship in Biology was created in 2008 by Dr. John T. Herwick, Class of 1936, and his wife, Mary T. Herwick, as a memorial to Oscar E. and Edith D. Herwick, Dr. Herwick's parents. The donors' gift honors William Dana Hoyt, Ph.D., professor of biology from 1920 to 1945, who was Dr. Herwick's teacher from 1932 to 1936.

  • Lawrence E. Hurd is the first John T. Herwick, M.D., Professor in Biology

The John T. Herwick, M.D. Professorship in Chemistry:
The John T. Herwick, M.D. Professorship in Chemistry was created in 2008 by Dr. John T. Herwick, Class of 1936, and his wife, Mary T. Herwick, as a memorial to Mrs. Herwick's parents, Charles M. and Isabelle Thrasher. The donors' gift honors Lucius Junius Desha, professor of chemistry from 1920 to 1955, who was Dr. Herwick's teacher from 1933 to 1936 in analytic and organic chemistry.

  • Marcia B. France is the first John T. Herwick, M.D. Professor of Chemistry.

The Robert E. R. Huntley Professorship in Law:
The Robert E. R. Huntley Professorship in Law was established in 1982 by the University's Board of Trustees. The professorship honors Mr. Huntley's 15-year presidency of Washington and Lee.

  • Roy L. Steinheimer, who retired from full-time teaching in 1987, is the Robert E. R. Huntley Professor of Law, Emeritus.
  • Douglas R. Rendleman is the current Robert E. R. Huntley Professor of Law.

The Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. Professorship in the College:
The Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. Professorship in the College, established in 2010, supports a distinguished professor in the College of Arts and Sciences whose scholarship and teaching are driven by an interest in how individuals and ideas shape the course of history.  The professorship is endowed by a gift from Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. '62, and administered by the Provost in consultation with the Dean of the College.

  • Nicolaas A. Rupke is the first Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. Professor of History.

The Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Leadership:
The Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Leadership, established in 2008, supports a distinguished professor in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics with teaching and scholarly interests grounded in the business world and a passion for the critical role that entrepreneurs play. The chair is endowed by a gift from Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. '62, and administered by the Provost in consultation with the Dean of the Williams School.

  • Jeffrey P. Shay is the first Rupert H. Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

The William R. Kenan Jr. Professorship:
The William R. Kenan Jr. Professorship was established in 1971 by a generous grant from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust of New York and honors the memory of Mr. Kenan.

  • William A. Jenks, who retired in 1983, and Lamar John Ryan Cecil Jr., who retired in 2000, are the William R. Kenan Jr. Professors of History, Emeriti.
  • William L. Patch Jr. is the current William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of History.

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Professorship in Journalism Ethics:
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation created this distinguished professorship with an emphasis on journalism ethics in 1997 as a part of the Knight Chair in Journalism initiative. The Knight Foundation was established in 1950 and makes national grants in journalism, education and the field of arts and culture.

  • Louis W. Hodges, who retired from teaching in 2003, is the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Professor of Journalism, Emeritus.
  • Edward Wasserman is the current John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Professor of Journalism Ethics.

The Sydney and Frances Lewis Professorship in Law:
The Sydney and Frances Lewis Professorship of Law was established in 2001 by the University's Board of Trustees. The professorship honors the generous contributions of the Lewis family to Washington and Lee University. Sydney Lewis was a member of the undergraduate Class of 1940 and the Law Class of 1943. The Lewises funded Sydney Lewis Hall and endowed the Law Center, as well as several University scholarships.

  • Erik G. Luna is the current Lewis Professor of Law.

The Mamie Fox Twyman Martel Professorship:
The Mamie Fox Twyman Martel Professorship was established in 1956 under the will of Mrs. Martel and is supported annually by the Mamie F. Martel Trust of Houston. The professorship honors the memory of Mrs. Martel, whose brother, Henry S. Fox Jr., was an 1894 graduate of the University.

  • George W. Kester is the current Mamie Fox Twyman Martel Professor of Business Administration.

The S. Blount Mason Jr. Professorship:
The S. Blount Mason Jr. Professorship was established in 1973 in memory of Mr. Mason, Class of 1905, a Baltimore insurance executive, who died in 1969. The endowment for the chair came from trusts created by Mr. Mason and his wife to benefit, after their deaths, certain charities in which they were interested.

  • Sidney Mathias Baxter Coulling, who retired from teaching in 1991, and Dabney Stuart, who retired in 2002, are the S. Blount Mason Jr. Professors of English, Emeriti.
  • James P. Warren is the current S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English.

The James P. Morefield Professorship in Law:
The James P. Morefield Professorship in Law was established in 1994 through a gift from the estate of James P. Morefield '52L of Houston, Texas. The Morefield Professorship supports the teaching and scholarship of a member of the Law School faculty who has distinguished himself or herself both in and out of the classroom.

  • Andrew W. McThenia Jr., who retired from teaching in 2001, is the James P. Morefield Professor of Law, Emeritus.
  • Mark H. Grunewald is the current James P. Morefield Professor of Law.

The Edwin A. Morris Professorship:
The Edwin A. Morris Professorship was established in 1993 by a grant from Edwin A. Morris '26 of Greensboro, N.C. Mr. Morris was the chairman and chief executive officer of Blue Bell, Inc. of Greensboro.

  • H. Thomas Williams, who retired in 2011, is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Physics, Emeritus.
  • Gordon P. Spice, who retired in 2012, is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Music, Emeritus.
  • Domnica V. Radulescu is the current Edwin A. Morris Professor of Romance Languages.

The Fund for the Roger Mudd Professorship in Ethics and the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics, established in 2010, is a permanent endowment at Washington and Lee University dedicated to two primary purposes under the leadership of its director:  initiating and leading curricular efforts at the University to enhance and expand the study of ethics; and serving as a national resource for the study of ethics in contemporary life.  The centerpiece of the fund as part of the Center is the endowment of the Roger Mudd Professorship in Ethics to support a creative, reputable, distinguished senior scholar in ethics who is also the director of the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics.  The fund also helps provide annual support for the programs and administration of the Center.

The Elizabeth Lewis Otey Professorship in East Asian Studies:
The Elizabeth Lewis Otey Professorship in East Asian Studies was established in 1994 under the will of Elizabeth Otey Watson in memory of her mother. The endowment provides support to a distinguished member of the faculty, using the Reeves Center and Watson Pavilion collections as an integral component of teaching responsibilities and academic research.

  • Roger B. Jeans, who retired in 2006, is the Elizabeth Lewis Otey Professor of East Asian History, Emeritus.

The Ruth Parmly Professorship:
The Ruth Parmly Professorship was established in 1986 in memory and honor of Ruth Parmly and in recognition of the magnificent gift she made in her estate to Washington and Lee University. Other gifts in her lifetime supported the construction of the Leyburn Library and the building housing the biology, physics, and engineering departments. That building is named Charles Howard Parmly Hall in honor and memory of her father.

  • Edgar W. Spencer, who retired from teaching in 2001, is the Ruth Parmly Professor of Geology, Emeritus.
  • Tyler S. Lorig is the current Ruth Parmly Professor of Psychology.

The John T. Perry Jr. Professorship in Research Science Endowment, established July 1, 2011, by John T. Perry, Jr., is a permanently endowed fund at Washington and Lee University administered at the direction of the President by the Provost in consultation with the Dean of the College.  This fund supports the John T. Perry, Jr. Professorship in Research Science, and the teaching and research activities of the holder of this distinguished faculty appointment.

The William E. Pritchard III '80 Professorship in Geology, established in 2010, supports a distinguished professor who is an accomplished scholar and exceptional teacher in the Geology Department at Washington and Lee University.  The professorship is administered by the Provost in consultation with the Dean of the College.  The endowment is the gift of William E. Pritchard III '80 and Susanne B. Pritchard.  They established the professorship in response to the Lenfest Challenge for Faculty Support.

  •  Christopher D. Connors is the first William E. Pritchard III '80 Endowed Professor of Geology.

The Rupert and Lillian Radford Professorship in Mathematics:
The Rupert and Lillian Radford Professorship in Mathematics was created in 1982 as the result of a generous gift from the Rupert Radford Trust, created by the late Rupert Radford of Houston, Texas.

  • Henry Sharp Jr., who retired from teaching in 1991, is the Rupert and Lillian Radford Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus.
  • Michael J. Evans, who retired from teaching in 2012, is the Rupert and Lillian Radford Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus.
  • Nathan S. Feldman is the current Rupert and Lillian Radford Professor of Mathematics.

The Reynolds Professorship in Business Journalism:
The Donald W. Reynolds Professorship in Business Journalism was established in 1999 by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. The professorship supports a program linking courses in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, as well as introductory and capstone courses in business journalism.

  • Pamela K. Luecke is the first Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism.

The Charles S. Rowe Professorship in Law:
The Charles S. Rowe Professorship in Law was established in 2002 by Charles S. Rowe, a member of the undergraduate Class of 1945 and of the Law Class of 1950 from Fredericksburg, Virginia, to promote interdisciplinary work between law and journalism. The holder of the chair possesses expertise in the law relating to the media and works with the journalism department to enhance research in the relation of the law to the practice and principles of journalism.

  • Brian C. Murchison is the first Charles S. Rowe Professor of Law.

The Robert E. Sadler, Jr. Professorship was established in 2007 to support a distinguished professor who is an accomplished scholar and exceptional teacher in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics.  The Professorship is managed by the Provost in consultation with the dean of the Williams School.  The endowment is the gift of Robert E. Sadler, Jr. '67.  He established the Professorship in response to the Lenfest Challenge for Faculty Support.

  • Michael A. Anderson is the first Sadler Professor of Economics.

The Martin and Brooke Stein Professorship was established in 2007 to support a distinguished professor who is an accomplished scholar and especially an exceptional teacher, with a first preference for a faculty member in the Department of History and a secondary preference for a faculty member in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics. The Professorship is managed by the Provost in consultation with the deans of the College and the Williams School. The endowment is the gift of Martin E. Stein '74 and his wife Brooke in honor of esteemed faculty members the Steins consider model teachers and scholars who have been influential in the lives of countless Washington and Lee students: William A. Jenks, H. Marshall Jarrett, and Henry P. Porter, Jr. The Steins established the Martin and Brooke Stein Professorship in response to the Lenfest Challenge for Faculty Support.

  • J. Holt Merchant, Jr. is the first Martin and Brooke Stein Professor of History.

The Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professorship in Law:
The Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professorship in Law was established in 2004 by alumni and friends of Roy L. Steinheimer Jr., who served as Dean of the Law School from 1968 to 1983 and as the Robert E. R. Huntley Professor of Law until 1987.

  • Dean Nora V. Demleitner is the Roy L. Steinheimer, Jr. Professor of Law.

The Jackson T. Stephens Professorship in Economics:
The Jackson T. Stephens Professorship in Economics was established in 1996 by Warren A. Stephens, a member of the Class of 1979 from Little Rock, Arkansas, in honor of his father. The purpose of this endowment is to recognize a member of the faculty who has been involved in teaching macroeconomics and the free market system.

  • Arthur H. Goldsmith is the first Jackson T. Stephens Professor of Economics.

The J. B. Stombock Professorship in Law:
The J. B. Stombock Professorship of Law was established in 2001 by the estate gift of Mary Louise Walker in honor of her first husband, Julius B. "Gus" Stombock '41, '47L, who was a lawyer and civic leader in Waynesboro, Virginia.

  • David K. Millon is the first J.B. Stombock Professor of Law.

The Robert Lee Telford Professorship:
The Robert Lee Telford Professorship was established in 1991 by the estate gift of Robert Lee Telford of Naples, Florida, Class of 1922. The principal supporting the professorial endowment is in the form of a trust held by others.

  • Leonard E. Jarrard, who retired from teaching in 2001, is the Robert Lee Telford Professor of Psychology, Emeritus.
  • Kenneth Van Ness, who retired in 2011, is the Robert Lee Telford Professor of Physics and Engineering, Emeritus.
  • Michael A. Pleva is the current Robert Lee Telford Professor of Chemistry.

The Fletcher Otey Thomas Professorship in Bible:
The Fletcher Otey Thomas Professorship in Bible was established in 1977 in memory of Mr. Thomas, a lifelong resident of Bedford County, Virginia, by his sons, John Newton Thomas of Richmond, Class of 1924, Rector Emeritus of the University Board of Trustees, and the late William O. Thomas of Bedford, Class of 1931. Fletcher Otey Thomas was a prominent religious, business, and civic leader in Bedford.

  • Harlan R. Beckley, Professor of Religion, is the current Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Bible.

The Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professorship:
The Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professorship was established by action of the Washington and Lee Board of Trustees in 2008 in recognition of the philanthropy of Mr. Waxberg as expressed through a generous testamentary gift. The Trustees in honoring this legacy to Washington and Lee University will designate the endowment to support a distinguished professor who is an accomplished scholar and an exceptional teacher. The Waxberg Professor may be bestowed on any member of the University's faculty deserving of this high honor when it is available, regardless of the department or school. This professorship is managed by the Provost in consultation with the academic deans and the President and appointed with the approval of the University's Board of Trustees.

  • Mark E. Rush is the first Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professor of Politics and Law.

The Robert L. Willett Family Professorship in Law:
The Robert L. Willett Family Professorship of Law was established in 2001 by Robert L. and Crystal Willett, parents of Gregory D. Willett '92L. The professorship supports a legal scholar in the field of health law policy and ethics. Robert Willett enjoyed a distinguished career in health care as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kettering Health Systems in Dayton, Ohio.

  • Timothy S. Jost is the first Robert L. Willett Family Professor of Law.

The Ernest Williams II Professorship:
The Ernest Williams II Professorship was established by an endowment gift in 1992 by Ernest Williams II, Class of 1938, and by Mr. Williams' wife, Marjorie O. Williams. Pamela Simpson was the inaugural Williams Professor of Art History until her death in 2011.

  • Ellen C. Mayock is the current Williams Professor of Romance Languages.

The William Lyne Wilson Professorship in Political Economy:
The William Lyne Wilson Professorship in Political Economy was created in 1991 by a bequest from William Lyne Wilson II '27, in memory of his grandfather, who served as president of the University at the turn of the century. This bequest was added to a smaller fund honoring the former president, which was created soon after his death to establish the economics department at Washington and Lee. Wilson professors will be selected from faculty serving in either the Department of Economics or the Department of Politics.

  • Robert A. Strong is the first William Lyne Wilson Professor of Politics.