2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Alumni News Archive (60 Stories)
W&L Alumna Lane Johansen ’22 Selected for Fulbright to Poland
Johansen has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English to students in Poland.
Phillip Sampson Jr. ’90 and William Toles ’92, ’95L Named Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers
The College is one of the premier legal associations in North America.
W&L Celebrates Return of Five-Star Generals to Campus
Alumni enjoyed one another's company and a variety of weekend festivities.
Honoring a Mentor’s Legacy
Dyson Foundation endows director position at the DeLaney Center.
W&L After Class Podcast Begins its Fifth Season
“W&L After Class,” now entering its fifth season, invites listeners to join conversations with W&L’s expert faculty about their teaching, research and passion projects.
Love Generally
W&L holds a special place in the hearts of its alumni.
Alumni and Students Connect Through Choreography
The W&L Repertory Dance Company’s alumni-student dance performance in New York City’s Center for Performance Research returned after a four-year hiatus.
W&L a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students for Sixth Straight Year
Washington and Lee was ranked third among the baccalaureate institutions recognized by the Fulbright Program.
Life After Fulbright
W&L alumni’s Fulbright experiences expand their worldviews and shape their post-graduate careers.
Wangdali C. “Wali” Bacdayan ’92 Sworn in as Rector of Washington and Lee University
The board elected Bacdayan as the university’s 32nd rector during its October 2023 meeting.
Jack Sharman ’83, P’20 ’22 to Join W&L Board of Trustees
Sharman will be sworn in at the board’s spring meeting.
W&L Welcomes Young Alumni to Campus
Alumni enjoyed one another's company and a variety of reunion festivities honoring the classes of 2013 and 2018.
Wangdali C. “Wali” Bacdayan ’92 Named Next Rector of Washington and Lee
Wangdali C. "Wali" Bacdayan '92, a current trustee of Washington and Lee University, will be the next rector of W&L’s Board of Trustees. The board unanimously elected Bacdayan as the university's 32nd rector during its meeting in Lexington on Oct. 21, 2023. He will assume his duties at the conclusion of the February 2024 meeting, succeeding Michael R. McAlevey '86, who has been rector since 2020.
W&L Welcomes New Trustees Cindy Hauser ’92, Charlie Prioleau ’82 and Michael Spencer ’96L
All three were sworn in as trustees on Oct. 20.
W&L After Class Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Rob Fure
"W&L After Class" invites listeners to join conversations with W&L's expert faculty about their teaching, research and passion projects.
In Memoriam: Farris Hotchkiss ’58, former Vice President of University Relations and Secretary of the University
Hotchkiss worked at his alma mater for 35 years. After retirement, he was an active W&L volunteer and alumni ambassador.
W&L Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Jeff Schatten
"W&L After Class" invites listeners to join a conversation with W&L’s expert faculty on their teaching, research interests and passion projects.
Ehsan ’13 to Give Public Lecture on the Algorithmic Imprint
Washington and Lee’s Philosophy Department will host a talk by Upol Ehsan ’13 on Monday, March 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
In Memoriam: Joseph Thompson, Professor of Psychology Emeritus
Thompson taught at W&L for more than 30 years.
In Memoriam: William McHenry ’54, former athletic director
The former W&L Athletic Director, chair of the department of physical education, and member of the W&L Athletics Hall of Fame, died Jan. 4, 2023.
Science Advisory Board Funds New Student Opportunities Endowment
The STEM-focused endowment will support internships, research opportunities, academic conference costs and other student experiences.
W&L Celebrates Return of Alumni to Campus for Reunion Weekend
The weather might have been slightly damp, but spirits were high as alumni enjoyed one another's company.
2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award winners.
Reeves Museum Unveils Green-Glazed Stoneware Acquisitions
The two recent acquisitions, a large dish and a small jar, allow the museum to better represent the global reach of Chinese ceramics.
Making Space for Mindfulness
Washington and Lee students can now explore the Headspace app’s mental health and wellness features thanks to the generous support of alumni Greg and Kelly Golub.
Black Alumni Celebrate SABU and the 50th Anniversary of the First Black Ball
The on-campus events took place March 3 – 5.
Beau Dudley to Retire as Executive Director of Alumni Engagement
Dudley will continue working at W&L in a half-time capacity as senior advisor to the vice president for University Advancement handling various alumni affairs-related duties.
W&L Celebrates Three Distinguished Alumni at the 2022 Five-Star Festival
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year’s Distinguished Five-Star Alumni Award winners, Preston C. Manning Jr., '52, Henry Coke Morgan Jr., '57,'60L, Charles E. Commander '62.
Samantha McLemore ’02 and Lee Hollis ’86 to Join W&L Board of Trustees
McLemore and Hollis will be sworn in at the board’s spring meeting.
‘A Constant Friend’
Ahead of Black Alumni Weekend 2022 and the 50th anniversary of the Black Ball, founding members of the Student Association of Black Unity are reviving an emergency student fund in memory of their late mentor and friend Marjorie Poindexter.
Welcome Home, Alumni!
W&L grads who came back for Young Alumni Weekend caught up with friends, visited favorite spots on campus, and reminisced about their time in Lexington.
‘Committed to This Cause’
Against a national backdrop of mental health concerns, Washington and Lee's University Counseling Center recently rolled out new programs to increase the ways in which students can reach out for help.
Brooklyne Oliveira ’21 Awarded Marquand Scholarship to Yale
The award covers full tuition and includes a $10,000 stipend toward living expenses.
Lorig Explains Science of Smell in Latest Podcast Episode
The new episode of "W&L After Class: The Lifelong Learning Podcast" features Tyler Lorig, professor emeritus of cognitive and behavioral science, who has spent his career studying the olfactory system.
A Lifetime of Giving Back
Dick Stuart '37 celebrated his 88-year relationship with W&L by making his leadership gift to the Annual Fund.
New W&L Podcast Episode Features Lenfest Director Rob Mish
In the latest episode of the Lifelong Learning podcast, Mish talks about his passion for theater, how musicals can be reinvented to account for changing times, and his experiences connecting students and alumni.
In Memoriam: Roger H. Mudd ’50
The award-winning journalist covered some of the most important stories of the 20th century.
W&L Celebrated Four Distinguished Alumni at the 2021 Five-Star Festival
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year’s Distinguished Five-Star Alumni Award winners, Bob Feagin '60, Holt Merchant '61, Blaine Brownell '65, and Dave Redmond '66, '69L.
W&L Graduate Returns to Teach Dance Master Class
Elliot Reza Emadian ’17 will teach a virtual master class in screendance, a form that merges cinematography and choreography.
In Memoriam: Jack Vardaman ’62
He served on the board of trustees from 2005-2014.
In Memoriam: W. Hayne Hipp ’62
Hipp served as a trustee from 1985-1995.
J. Hagood Ellison Jr. ’72, Trustee Emeritus, Dies at 70
Ellison served on the board from 2004 to 2011.
Jared Nickodem ’20 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship in Austria
Nickodem’s USTA position with Fulbright Austria starts in September 2020.
Hannah Denham ’20 Wins National Journalism Award
The recent graduate of Washington and Lee University won a combined scholarship of $8,500 for her second-place win and article of the year award in the 60th Annual Hearst National Writing Championship.
Snapshot of a Pandemic
Chris Johnson ’00 uses his camera to document the COVID-19 crisis.
Alumna Shares Coronavirus Story
Kaylee Hartung '07, a graduate of the W&L journalism program, contracted the virus that causes COVID-19 while covering the outbreak in Washington State
W&L Welcomes New Trustee John Robinson
Robinson ’94 joined the W&L Board of Trustees on Feb. 14.
W&L’s Rossella Gabriele Among 2020 Class of Rhodes Scholars
Gabriele, a 2019 graduate, is the university’s 17th Rhodes Scholar.
W&L Honors Veterans at Annual Event
Veterans gathered in front of Lee Chapel on Veterans Day to share details of their service and join in a prayer for all service members.
Fostering an Inclusive Community
Jim Early ’59 and his husband Garland Tillery established the James R. Early ’59 Endowment for LGBTQ Programming to help W&L's LGBTQ students engage fully with the wider university community.
W&L Updates Climate Action Plan
Washington and Lee University has already exceeded carbon-reduction goals for 2013 and 2020. The latest updates keep the university on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Thank You!
The numbers say it all. During the 2018-19 fiscal year W&L received $31,541,754 in new gifts and pledges towards a total of $50,143,773 in philanthropic cash.
W&L Recognized for Excellence in Educational Fundraising
Washington and Lee has received a 2019 CASE Educational Fundraising Award for Overall Performance from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Student Experience Fund Exceeds Goal
Black Alumni Contribute Over $13,000.
Donors Fund Named Athletics Positions
Three donors have recognized the role coaches play in educating and mentoring W&L students, both in the competitive arena and in the classroom.
Student Experience Fund
A Special 2019 Giving Opportunity for Washington and Lee Black Alumni
President Dudley’s Response to the Report of the Commission on Institutional History and Community
Today, President Dudley shared his response to the Commission on Institutional History and Community's report.
A Message from President Dudley Regarding the Report of the Commission on Institutional History and Community
In August 2017, I appointed the Commission on Institutional History and Community and charged it with examining how the ways that we teach, discuss and represent our history shape our community.
A Message Regarding the Commission on Institutional History and Community
President Dudley sent a message to the W&L community regarding his appointment of a Commission on Institutional History and Community.
