‘After Class’ Podcast Features Tom Camden "W&L After Class" invites listeners to join conversations with W&L's expert faculty about their teaching, research and passion projects.

By Kelsey Goodwin
August 10, 2023

Washington and Lee University invites listeners into a conversation with Tom Camden ’76, W&L’s outgoing head of Special Collections and Archives, in its latest episode of the “W&L After Class” podcast. In this episode, hosted by associate director of Lifelong Learning Ruth Candler, Camden details how W&L ignited his career as a historian, then takes the audience on a tour of what has come to be known as “the vault” to showcase some of the university’s extensive collection.

Camden, a Rockbridge County native, majored in religion with an emphasis on eastern thought at W&L and went on to earn a master’s degree in library and informational science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He served as director of Special Collections at the Library of Virginia for 12 years before returning to his alma mater to serve as the head of W&L’s Special Collections and Archives for the last decade, as well as an associate professor. He has served as a member of the university’s working group on the history of African Americans at W&L, co-chair of the Native American and Indigenous Cohort, and the University Museums Committee, in addition to teaching a variety of courses and workshops.

The podcast series, which began in the spring of 2020, invites listeners to experience conversations with W&L’s expert faculty, giving listeners worldwide a chance to experience a visit to campus from the comfort of their homes. In each episode, W&L faculty members discuss their teaching, research and special interests. Previous topics include poetry, witches, cybersecurity, theater and free speech. The podcast’s fourth season launched on Feb. 14, 2023, with an episode featuring James Dick, W&L’s director of outdoor education and recreation, discussing his experiential education and leadership development work on campus. The most recent episode featured Rob Fure, outgoing director of Lifelong Learning, who recently retired after 46 years of service to the university.

Listeners can access the “W&L After Class” episode archive here or wherever they listen to podcasts.