A Historic Weekend at W&L

To: The W&L Community 
From: President Will Dudley
Date: October 28, 2024

I write today with exciting news following a beautiful fall weekend here in Lexington, during which the university celebrated the public launch of our $650 million comprehensive capital campaign, Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee. The campaign, which is the most ambitious fundraising effort in W&L’s 275-year history, has already raised more than $475 million from over 21,500 individual donors towards its $650 million goal.

On Thursday during an event in University Chapel, I had the privilege of announcing a historic $132 million gift from alumnus Bill Miller ’72, which allows Washington and Lee to adopt a need-blind admissions policy for all undergraduate students.  W&L becomes one of a small number of highly selective colleges and universities to practice need-blind admissions while also meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with aid packages that do not include loans. Bill’s extraordinary gift allows us to realize our important aspiration to enrich our community by enrolling the most talented students from all walks of life who are drawn to Washington and Lee’s distinctive liberal arts education. His gift will have a profound impact on W&L and its students for generations to come.

I presented Bill Miller with the university’s highest honor, the Washington Award, which recognizes extraordinary acts of philanthropy in support of W&L and other institutions and distinguished leadership and service to the nation. Previous recipients of the Washington Award are Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest ’53, ’55L, former U.S. Senator John Warner ’49, Maryellie and Rupert Johnson ’62, Roger H. Mudd ’50, Richard L. Duchossois ’44, and Letitia Pate Whitehead Evans.

The Leading Lives of Consequence campaign represents a powerful investment in Washington and Lee, and in our students and teachers, who contribute to and benefit from our educational excellence. The campaign is funding the critical priorities in W&L’s Strategic Plan that will advance our mission.

Much has already been accomplished. In addition to implementing need-blind undergraduate admissions, we have already raised nearly $30 million to endow scholarships at the School of Law; created the Houston Harte Center for Teaching and Learning, the Class of ’94 Center for Inclusion and Engagement; added new interdisciplinary minors in Data Science, Entrepreneurship, and Law, Justice, and Society; established the DeLaney Center for the study of Southern Race Relations, Culture and Politics; expanded and renovated Elrod dining; and redone Wilson Field and the Field Hockey turf. Construction is well underway on the new Williams School building and the Lindley Center for Student Wellness, both of which will open in the fall of 2025.

On the horizon are a new Admissions building on the corner of Washington Street and Lee Avenue, which will serve as the front door to campus and make the best possible first impression on prospective students and families; a new Museum of Institutional History which will be an educational resource not only for the campus community but also for the public; further support for the full W&L experience, which will ensure that all students can participate in everything the university has to offer, including study abroad, summer internships and research projects, and public interest legal work; ongoing investments in the scope and quality of W&L’s interdisciplinary curriculum, which teaches students to develop creative solutions to complex problems; additional rehearsal spaces for the performing arts in the Lenfest Center; expansion and upgrades to the Science Center; a renovated golf course that can serve as an athletic facility for our varsity teams and physical education classes; and a softball field and program that increases opportunities for female athletes.

While much has been done and much is in progress, there is a lot of work yet to do. The Leading Lives of Consequence campaign will allow us to accomplish all of it — in the service of our mission and to the benefit of our amazing students and our incredible university, Washington and Lee.

Learn more about Leading Lives of Consequence on the campaign website at campaign.wlu.edu.