Celebrate and Give Back at W&L Alumni Weekend 2025 Alumni from the classes of 1975-2010 are invited to return to campus May 1-4 for a weekend of celebration and the presentation of the 25th and 50th reunion gifts.

Alumni Weekend 2024

Washington and Lee University invites alumni from the classes of 1975-2010 to return to campus May 1-4 for Alumni Weekend. This year’s annual spring reunion weekend is an opportunity for alumni to reconnect with classmates and relive cherished memories from their days on campus.

Registration is open and can be accessed online.

“We are thrilled to welcome alumni back to campus to celebrate together, and we have a great weekend planned,” said John Jensen, executive director of Alumni and Career Services. “Our team works to create thoughtful and engaging programming that gives alumni opportunities to reminisce, socialize and stay up-to-date with everything happening on campus. Alumni Weekend perfectly showcases the strength of the W&L community and our vibrant alumni network.”

The weekend’s programming will include Thursday welcome receptions, an Opening Assembly in University Chapel, an Alumni Picnic for all reunion classes, academic open houses, networking receptions, a student panel, an Admissions seminar Friday afternoon, class receptions and dinners, the annual Alumni Association Awards Ceremony and a Kentucky Derby viewing party. Alumni Weekend celebrations will close on Saturday night for the Grand Finale event on Cannan Green.

A full schedule of events, as well as frequently asked questions and additional details, are available online.

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This year’s Alumni Weekend will also celebrate the longstanding tradition of reunion giving with class gifts to the W&L Fund from all milestone classes, with various trophies acknowledging exemplary giving and participation handed out on Saturday at the Generals Assembly.

Another highlight is the presentation of the 25th and 50th reunion gifts. Each year the 25th and 50th reunion committees select a project that is a high priority of the university and is particularly meaningful among their classmates. These projects are an opportunity for alumni to express gratitude, reinvest in their alma mater and leave a collective philanthropic legacy.

Class of 2000: A Legacy of Care

W&L’s Class of 2000 chose to establish an endowment for the Lindley Center for Student Wellness as their 25th reunion class project. The class is seeking to raise $1.5 million for the endowment, which will provide sustained financial support to meet medical, programming and staffing needs in the facility.

The Lindley Center is named in memory of beloved pediatrician Lindley Spaht Dodson ’99. The center has been supported by gifts from the Class of 1996 and Class of 1999 — among other foundations and donors — and the project has been an important way to preserve Dodson’s memory for her husband, Drew Dodson ’00, and their three young children.

“The Endowment for the Lindley Center was the unanimous and obvious choice for our class project,” said Tasha Blair ’00, co-chair of the 25th reunion. “We all wanted to show support for our classmate, Drew, and his family while doing something that would have a significant impact on all future students at W&L. The response has been extraordinary, and the project has brought our class closer together.”

For the Class of 2000, giving to the Lindley Endowment is an opportunity to invest in the health and wellness of every current and future student. W&L has 11 staff members who provide care in the health center as well as five full-time therapists, who together oversee 8,000 medical care visits and 3,000 counseling sessions each year. In building a state-of-the-art wellness center, W&L is able to bring the Student Health and University Counseling centers under one roof and better meet the ever-evolving needs of its students. By contributing to the Lindley Endowment, Drew’s classmates are helping Lindley’s legacy of care live on and have a meaningful impact on the W&L community.

Learn more about the Class of 2000’s reunion gift and make your donation.

Class of 1975: Creating Lifelong Learners

The Class of 1975 chose the renovation of Huntley Hall for their 50th reunion gift and will be recognized for their generous support in the Huntley Hall Plaza, a new outdoor space nestled between Huntley, Newcomb and Holekamp. The renovations to Huntley Hall are a strategic university priority and will facilitate hands-on learning, allow for smaller class sizes and enhance networking and professional development opportunities for students.

“Helping donors craft a lasting legacy — one that pays forward the opportunities they once received — is one of the most meaningful aspects of what I do,” said Jacqueline Painter, director of gift planning at W&L. “I have the privilege of bringing these visions to life, ensuring their generosity continues to inspire and support students for years to come. Together, we build something enduring, something that echoes the spirit of those who came before and lifts up those who will follow.”

W&L’s campus has changed since the Class of 1975 last walked across the Colonnade as undergraduates, and Huntley Hall currently occupies the space where the university library was once housed. However, the Class of 1975 recognizes the changes to campus – including the upgrades to Huntley – as a way for the university to better align with its mission to create lifelong learners. Through their 50th reunion gift, they can play a role in supporting the academic careers of all current and future students and give back to an institution that gave them so much.

“For our class, renovating Huntley Hall and the adjacent plaza means renovating the space we all knew as the Library – the epicenter of student traffic on the Hill,” said Guy Kerr ’75, who is serving as one of the 50th reunion chairs. “While we don’t have memories of the current usage of the building, what we do have our fond memories of our highly respected President Robert E.R. Huntley [University President from 1968-1983]. Our class gift honors the man whose leadership and service were absolutely critical to the longevity and success W&L has enjoyed for the last 50 years.”

W&L’s Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics is the only internationally accredited, undergraduate business program among top liberal arts institutions. The Huntley Hall renovation will create a more welcoming and functional space for students from across the Williams School and the College, featuring additional classrooms with new technology and community spaces that will facilitate collaboration between students, faculty and community and business leaders.

Learn more about the Class of 1975’s reunion gift and make your donation.

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