Kreitler Scholarship Honors a Life Well-Lived Through a Legacy of Opportunity

Amanda Minix
February 25, 2026

“Dick deeply believed in the school and had a lifelong love affair with W&L, from the time he stepped on campus in the ’60s until the end of his life.” – Burt Staniar ’64

When Richard Kreitler ’65 arrived in Lexington in 1961, he was well aware of the opportunities that would be afforded to him at Washington and Lee University through his lifelong friend Burt Staniar ’64, but he could not have foreseen how significantly he would enrich the university for future generations. Kreitler created the Richard R. Kreitler ’65 Scholarship through a bequest in 2003, along with his wife, Robin. He passed away in 2018, but his legacy — and his passion for life and for W&L — live on by providing significant support for promising students who demonstrate strong leadership skills.

Kreitler’s gift is among the largest contributions to Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee University and is the 13th-largest gift for endowed scholarships — undergraduate or law — in the school’s long history.

“There was never any question that Dick’s legacy would go to W&L,” said Robin Kreitler. “He loved W&L and began giving back at an early age.”

Raised in Short Hills, New Jersey, Kreitler came to W&L at the recommendation of Staniar; the two became friends in elementary school. As a W&L student, Kreitler’s zest for life was clear. He became avidly involved in university life, serving as editor of the Calyx, president of Fancy Dress, vice president of the Commerce Fraternity and a contributor to the Ring-tum Phi. Kreitler was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, the Sigma Society and the Student Service Society.

“Dick brought his exuberant personality to his relationship with the school,” Staniar said. “I can clearly picture him holding court at a fraternity dinner. He would expertly debate a political science professor and seamlessly transition to discussing what band would be playing that weekend.”

Staniar has fond memories of joining Kreitler and W&L history professor Ollie Crenshaw, Class of 1925, (nicknamed “Jolly Ollie”) for a beer at the Paramount Inn and engaging in terrific debates over states’ rights, among other issues. “Dick had opinions and expressed them freely, always with a twinkle in his eye,” Staniar recalled.

After earning a bachelor of arts in history from W&L in 1965, Kreitler took inspiration from Crenshaw and completed a master’s degree in United States diplomatic history at George Washington University. He taught for one year at Pembroke Country Day School in Kansas City, Missouri. While his passion for history never waned, he became fascinated by Wall Street, with many of his friends working there.

“He started out by feeding trades into the New York Stock Exchange system in Kansas City,” Robin Kreitler said. “It piqued his interest, and then he decided he would go to Wall Street.”

Kreitler immersed himself in Wall Street and relished the challenge of following the stock markets. By the age of 31, he rose to the head of equity trading for Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ). He went on to White, Weld & Co. in New York City before becoming vice president and senior trader for Goldman Sachs.

A lifelong sports enthusiast and outdoors-man, Kreitler decided he could follow the markets and provide financial services just as well in Idaho as he could in New York, so, in 1980, he moved west and founded Dakota Partners, a successful hedge fund. Kreitler previously described his decision, stating that it required “some good fortune in the market and a lot of courage.” His vision was innovative in bringing hedge fund management to Idaho, shaping the region’s investment landscape.

“Dick loved Idaho, partly because of his passion for skiing,” Staniar said. “He could get up early in the morning to follow the markets, and when they closed, he could go skiing every afternoon.”

Indeed, Kreitler had previously said that he moved to Sun Valley to “ski and be a cowboy.” In addition to skiing, he golfed, played tennis and was a baseball fan. In 1990, he helped build Founders Field baseball stadium in Hailey, Idaho.

In 1993, Kreitler purchased and restored Midway Farm in Charlottesville — a Virginia Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places property. Soon after returning to Virginia, he met Robin.

“Some mutual friends asked if I would play golf with him,” Robin Kreitler said. “We played and really got along. I went to Greenbrier College, and we were allowed to travel to Lexington to visit either W&L or VMI once a month, and our time would have overlapped. Dick said he recalled seeing me in Red Square.”

The couple married in 1994 in the garden at Midway Farm and spent 25 happy years together. They enjoyed travelling and split time between their homes in Charlottesville, Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Gulf Stream, Florida. In 1998, Kreitler partnered with friend and golf architect Rees Jones to create RedStick Golf Club in Vero Beach, Florida.

An engaged and proud alumnus, Kreitler served as a class agent and reunion volunteer, co-chairing his 50th reunion. He also hosted numerous events for W&L, including memorable gatherings at Midway Farm and Farmington Country Club. He generously supported the university from the time he graduated, making loyal gifts to the W&L Fund and lead gifts to the Class of 1965 Endowment for Excellence in Teaching. While his two children did not attend W&L, Kreitler’s experience was a significant factor in his nephew Peter Goodwin’s decision to enroll. Goodwin graduated cum laude with a degree in business administration in 2007.

After Kreitler passed away on May 7, 2018, his bequest established the Kreitler Scholarship, which he scrupulously planned for years in advance. Staniar was not surprised by his friend’s philanthropy.

“Dick deeply believed in the school and had a lifelong love affair with W&L, from the time he stepped on campus in the ’60s until the end of his life,” he said.

Kreitler expressed himself in writing to W&L regarding his support: “It is my plea-sure, indeed, to make worthwhile contributions to Washington and Lee, as I feel I still owe a great deal to the university.”

Kreitler was posthumously recognized as an honored benefactor, with his name engraved on the prominent wall in Washington Hall in May 2025. Robin and her daughter, Shannon Worrell, were in attendance. Jeremy Fyrer ’28, a Kreitler Scholarship recipient, was also there for the celebration and to thank the family for their extraordinary support.

“Meeting Mrs. Kreitler was a full-circle moment for me,” Fyrer said. “Our conversation reminded me that behind every student is someone who believes in them and that it is important to make the most of the opportunities we are given. Mr. Kreitler’s story and his generosity are incredibly inspiring, and I am very grateful for the scholarship he established.”

For Robin Kreitler, the ceremony was bittersweet: “I just kept thinking how much Dick would love to meet this young man and how I wished they could be shaking hands,” she said. “It was a touching celebration of Dick, and I know he would be proud to see how his scholarship is benefiting students.”