W&L to Publicly Launch its Leading Lives of Consequence Capital Campaign Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend a free luncheon Oct. 24 on Cannan Green to celebrate the campaign’s kickoff.

By Brian Laubscher
October 17, 2024

Washington and Lee University will officially launch the public phase of its capital campaign, Leading Lives of Consequence, with a series of campus events Oct. 24-25.

The two-day celebration includes programs for the campus community and many of our generous supporters, university leadership, volunteers and guests. It begins Thursday, Oct. 24 with a festive luncheon for students, faculty, staff and our campaign guests from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Cannan Green. All members of the W&L community are encouraged to attend the free luncheon, featuring a DJ, games, raffle prizes and campaign-themed swag. The Marketplace in Elrod Commons will close from 10:15 a.m. through 2 p.m. to facilitate the activities. All other campus dining venues will maintain their normal operating hours.

“W&L is blessed with a long history of philanthropy and alumni engagement,” said Susan Wood, vice president for university advancement. “The Leading Lives of Consequence campaign builds on that long history. I hope the entire W&L community will join us to celebrate the generosity of our donors and the leadership of countless alumni volunteers committed to W&L’s success.”

The university began fundraising for Leading Lives of Consequence in July 2020. The campaign’s priorities and initiatives are derived from the university’s strategic plan, which was adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2018. Leading Lives of Consequence celebrates W&L’s ideals and represents a powerful investment in current and future students who will carry those values forward.

This campaign funds the following critical priorities in The College, The Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, and The School of Law that will allow the transformative power of a W&L education to endure for generations to come.

• COMMUNITY – The campaign directly supports students who live and learn every day at W&L. Initiatives include, among others, scholarships to enroll the strongest applicants and programs that allow for the full W&L experience for every student.

• CITIZENSHIP – Leading Lives of Consequence enhances the university’s ability to educate students about their roles and responsibilities within the wider world, empowering them to make consequential impacts on their communities after graduation. Initiatives include support for the recently announced Museum of Institutional History and Leyburn Library’s Special Collections.

• CURRICULUM – The campaign supports programs to ensure W&L continues to offer one of the best educational experiences in the country. Initiatives include strengthening interdisciplinary teaching, study and inquiry and the Theodore “Ted” DeLaney Jr. ’85 Center to explore Southern race relations, culture and politics.

• CAMPUS – The campaign supports necessary improvements to the university’s facilities to help W&L remain competitive and unlock new academic, athletic and artistic opportunities for our faculty and students. A few of the initiatives include the new Williams School building, the Lindley Center for Student Health and Wellness and a new Admissions and Financial Aid building.

• CONTINUITY – The campaign significantly bolsters the W&L Fund, allowing the university to remain agile and react quickly when immediate needs arise. Annual giving through the W&L Fund provides almost 8% of the university’s operating budget each year and subsidizes a portion of every student’s education.

For more information about the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign,
please reference the online editions of the January and July campaign
newsletters.