W&L University Magazine - Fall 2025

TheW&LNetwork

It’s the place that laid the foundation for learning and inspiration as students — and that provides lifelong relationships for W&L alumni. NO PLACE LIKE HOME

At The Ready

W&L’s famed network is evident through ample alumni-driven opportunities for students. 16

Invested Interest

The Williams Investment Society has continued an upward trend of success since its founding.

20

Words To Live By

One of the strongest ties among W&L graduates is the foundation of integrity, civility and honor.

22

Origin Story

Four decades of research from W&L biology professor emeritus Cleveland Hickman was the genesis of the Galapagos Marine Life app.

DEPARTMENTS

3 Columns

28 Office Hours

Law professor Tim MacDonnell directs the Black Lung Clinic.

30 Lives of Consequence

Burr Datz ’75 is a longtime pillar of support for the W&L community.

32 Alumni

56 Chronicles

Cover: Photo by Christopher Moore

Ransom James ’96, founder of Grove Mountain Partners, is one of the alumni mentors who welcomed W&L student interns during the summer. Read more on p. 10.

This page:

by Shelby Hamelman

SPEAK

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I just received my copy of the magazine and wanted to tell you how great it looks. The cover is beautiful. What a terrific photograph! And I think the opening page of the piece, the photos and layout are all wonderful! BRAVO!!

ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY

From incoming first-year students to recent graduates to alumni long established in their fields, W&L alumni chapters welcome all and offer a slice of Lexington and its close-knit community across the United States. For the Class of 2029, the Summer Send-Off events are their first taste of the famed W&L network, allowing them to establish relationships with alumni

first term. On the other end of their time at W&L, Welcome to the City events offer recent graduates and transplants a familiar taste of home while they get to know a new place. Whether it is a special event or a casual happy hour after work, alumni chapters are one of the best examples of the W&L network in action. Learn more about the chapter closest to you by alumni@wlu.edu.

The South Carolina Piedmont chapter hosted a Summer Send-Off event for incoming first-years.

SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH US!

The next issue of the W&L magazine will feature iconic mentors, both current and from years past, who left their mark in countless ways on students, turned alumni, turned lifelong friends. This is the professor who always went the extra mile; the coach who encouraged success on and off the field; the staff member who recognized your interests and connected you with your future career path. We’ll be featuring many of these beloved members of our W&L community and want to hear your stories of how they impacted your lives. Email your memories and stories (400 words or fewer, please) to magazine@wlu.edu .

n In the article titled “Shenandoah Celebrates 75 Years,” it should have stated that Tom Wolfe ’51 won the National Book Award for “The Right Stuff” in 1980.

n The photograph on p. 21 should have been credited to Patrick Hinely ’73.

A Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Washington and Lee University

Volume 101, Number 2 Fall/Winter 2025

Jessica Luck Editor

Laura Lemon ’16 Assistant Editor

Jamie Lipps Director of Design

Billy Chase Kolton Cannon Designers

Shelby Hamelman Kevin Remington University Photographers

Barbara Elliott Kelsey Goodwin

Jeff Hanna Amanda Minnix Contributors

Jessica Willett ’95 Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives

Drewry Sackett ’93 Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs

Published by Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450. All communications and POD forms 3579 should be sent to Washington and Lee University, Alumni Magazine, 7 Courthouse Square, 204 W. Washington St., Lexington VA 24450-2116. Periodicals postage paid at Roanoke, VA.

UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Susan Wood Vice President for University Advancement

John Jensen ’01 Executive Director of Alumni and Career Services © 2025 Washington and Lee University

Columns

NOTEWORTHY NEWS AND IDEAS

INNOVATE AND ELEVATE

The new building that serves the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics held its first classes with the start of the 2025-26 academic year. Construction on the 44,500-square-foot building on West Washington Street began in June 2023 and features 10 classrooms, two innovation labs,

52 offices and extensive spaces for studentfaculty collaboration. Washington and Lee University held an official dedication ceremony on Oct. 24. The collective generosity of hundreds of donors helped bring the building to fruition, including alumni spanning 60 years, from the classes of 1961 to 2021.

2

LINDLEY’S LEGACY

The Lindley Center for Student Wellness opened its doors this fall, bringing health services and counseling together under the same roof for the first time at W&L. On Oct. 18, over 200 people gathered for the official dedication of the building, which honors the legacy of the late Dr. Lindley Spaht Dodson ’99.

3. INSPIRING DONATION

An anonymous donor gifted W&L $30 million to create Founders Hall, a new state-of-the-art building that will bring together the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid and the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity, with a $10 million challenge for the project. Founders Hall will be constructed on the corner of Washington Street and Lee Avenue, replacing the Early-Fielding building.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

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NEW TRUSTEES

Jason W. Aiken ’94 and Courtney Camp Enloe ’97L joined the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees on May 9, with Thomas J. Sheehan ’90 and Andrew W. Tate ’98 joining on Oct. 17. Aiken is executive vice president of technologies for General Dynamics Corporation. Enloe leads the global legal function and serves on the executive leadership team in her role as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for BioRad, a life science and clinical diagnostics company. Sheehan is chair of Global Corporate and Investment Banking (GCIB) for BofA Securities, Inc. And Tate is a private advisor and managing director for Tate Wealth Partners at Rockefeller Global Family Office.

a Kameliya Atanasova , assistant professor of religion, published “Sufism and Power in the Ottoman Empire: The Writings of Ismail Hakki Bursevi (1653–1725).”

b Stu Gray, associate professor of politics, published “The Political Theory of the Bhagavad-Gita: Deep Ideology, Nationalism and Democratic Life on the Indian Subcontinent.”

c Jeff Kosky, professor of religion, published “From the Heart: A Memoir and a Meditation on a Vital Organ.”

d Seth Michelson , associate professor of Spanish, published “Hope on the Border: Immigration, Incarceration and the Power of Poetry.”

e Marcos Perez , associate professor of sociology, published “¿Qué tienen los piqueteros en la cabeza?”

f Domnica Rădulescu , Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature, published “Tu viens du pays des vampires.”

g Jeff Schatten , associate professor of business administration, and W&L alumna Teresa Aires ’19 collaborated on and published “AI Will Take Your Job (and it’s for the Best): Embracing the New Social Contract for the Age of AI.”

International Renown

Warren Stephens ’79 and Thomas Grove ’02 earn prestigious distinctions.

By Laura Lemon ’16

TRUSTEE EMERITUS

of Washington and Lee University Warren Stephens ’79 was selected by President Donald Trump to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Stephens is chair, president and chief executive officer of Stephens Inc., a privately owned, Arkansasbased financial services firm. The company, which serves corporations, state and local governments and institutional and individual investors, has locations throughout the U.S. and Europe. When Stephens became CEO in 1986, the company had 125 employees; today, it employs more than 1,200 people in three countries.

Stephens serves on the board of directors of Dillard’s Inc. and also was chairman of the National Association of Securities Dealer District

Conduct Committee. He served on the W&L Board of Trustees in 1997 and from 2007-2015. His other philanthropic work includes stewardship of the Harriet and Warren Stephens Family Foundation.

He also acted as co-chair of W&L’s Honor Our Past, Build Our Future capital campaign from 2009-2015. The Warren A. Stephens Colonnade Walk at W&L is named in honor of Stephens and is a gift from his wife, Harriet, and their children, Laura Stephens Brookshire ’12, John Stephens and Miles Stephens. The Stephens family made significant gifts to renovate and restore the Colonnade and established an endowment to ensure its preservation.

Stephens received his bachelor’s degree in economics from W&L and his MBA from Wake Forest University.

As part of a larger Wall Street Journal (WSJ) team, Thomas Grove ’02 won a Pulitzer Prize in national reporting in May 2025 for the newspaper’s series investigating Elon Musk. The Central and Eastern European correspondent wrote “Elon Musk’s Secret Conversations with Vladimir Putin” with four other reporters, which became a part of a WSJ series chronicling the billionaire called “Musk Above the Law.” Grove joined the WSJ as a Russian reporter in 2015, after working for Reuters for nine years.

“It’s a huge honor, and I’m totally blown away that the work that we did was chosen for such a tremendous award,” Grove said. “I’m in a spot where I feel like I can do my best and help people understand what’s happening here. As a journalist, you couldn’t win more than that.”

“It’s a huge honor, and I’m totally blown away that the work that we did was chosen for such a tremendous award.”

— THOMAS GROVE ’02

THE TIES THAT BIND

BY WILL DUDLEY, PRESIDENT

,,The common denominator here is the quality of our community. We are a small school that emphasizes personal relationships and personal character.”

I TRAVEL FREQUENTLY on behalf of the university, and I’m consistently struck by the powerful connection people feel to Washington and Lee. Always wearing the trident on my tie, shirt or hat, I am eagerly greeted in airports, hotels, restaurants — even on the beach — by folks excited to spot a fellow General. At alumni chapter events around the country, they share stories, with pride and gratitude, about their memorable experiences in Lexington and the lifelong relationships they built here.

We don’t take these extraordinary connections, which distinguish Washington and Lee from other schools, for granted. We help students begin to cultivate them from

the day they set foot on campus, through Leading Edge trips and other orientation activities. We hire talented professors who are devoted teachers and are eager to know and mentor their students beyond the classroom. Many of our alumni remain friends with their favorite faculty members for life. We encourage students to seek out alumni for career advice and internships that often lead to employment opportunities. And we bring alumni together to develop professional connections that benefit them throughout their careers.

The common denominator here is the quality of our community. We are a small

school that emphasizes personal relationships and personal character. Throughout four years at Washington and Lee, our students cherish, participate in and sustain a culture that emphasizes honor, integrity, civility and self-governance. Our graduates recognize our students and each other as ethical leaders and citizens, part of a community of trust that extends beyond the boundaries of campus to wherever Generals gather.

In the following pages, you’ll read stories about the many ways that we build and nurture the Washington and Lee network. The ties that bind us are uncommonly strong, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

IN THE LEAD

Linking Community and Career

From a public health Volunteer Venture trip to alumni mentorship, the W&L network opened doors and supported dreams for LIV ULLMANN ’25.

WHEN FIRST ARRIVING at Washington and Lee University, I was struck by the sincerity of the community — not just among students, but faculty, staff and alumni, too. My experience began with a public health-themed Volunteer Venture trip, where upperclassmen introduced me to the Shepherd Program and welcomed me into a network of bright individuals who would shape my next four years. That trip sparked a lasting interest in health equity and service. As a Bonner Scholar, I volunteered with Campus Kitchen to promote food security and mentored peers through the LEAD Program. In the classroom, I explored

public health courses through science and humanities — studying human capability of genetics in biology while dissecting systemic poverty through my poverty and human capability studies minor.

After a research position fell through my first year, Fran Elrod, associate director of the Shepherd Program, connected me with the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty. I spent that summer working as a pediatric medical assistant at Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta, where I saw firsthand the health care barriers facing underserved urban communities. During an alumni dinner, my network

expanded when I met Dr. Jonathan Wortham ’04, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) physician who became a mentor and, later, a research collaborator.

W&L’s support also opened doors to global health opportunities. With funding from the Center for International Education and the Johnson Program, I conducted tuberculosis and HIV research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute and later pursued a comparative health program in India, South Africa and Argentina, focusing on maternal and child health. These experiences deepened my appreciation for diverse community-based

“From day one to graduation, it ’s the people of Washington and Lee — and their belief in me — that have made all the difference.”

— LIV ULLMANN ’25

health solutions. Thanks to continued mentorship from Dr. Wortham, I interned at the CDC the following summer to conduct domestic tuberculosis research. That project led to my first publication and reaffirmed my goal to unite clinical medicine and public health.

This fall, I began a twoyear Medical Career Design Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a path made possible by pre-med adviser Brittany Carr and the W&L network. From day one to graduation, it’s the people of Washington and Lee — and their belief in me — that have made all the difference.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Top spots in national rankings plus an unparalleled alumni network bolster W&L’s reputation.

94% of the Class of 2024 was either employed or attending graduate school within six months of their graduation Source: Princeton Review 2026 Best Colleges

and Engineering at W&L Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD)

152 CPD events and programs in career exploration, industry preparation and professional development in 2024-25

97% of the student body in 2024-25 had a 1-1 advising appointment, attended a CPD program or enrolled in the CPD Canvas course

“W&L’s network is almost unfair to anyone else in the world … our alumni are

always happy to help.”

JOEL KUEHNER Professor of Physics

5 School for Job Placement and Network Strength Top Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S.

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INTRODUCING AUSTIN TERM

A

new Spring Term course brought students to Texas for alumni mentorship and career exploration.

By Kelsey Goodwin

Students who participated in Austin Term during the spring of 2025, co-taught by Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English Genelle Gertz and Barnett Family Dean of Career and Professional Development Molly Steele ’04, became the first cohort to experience the course’s unique blend of literary analysis, career exploration, design thinking and mentorship — all centered on Mary Shelley’s classic novel, “Frankenstein.”

“The whole idea behind the course was to provide visibility to the arts and humanities,” Gertz says, adding that Austin, Texas, was chosen as

a “creative, entrepreneurial city” where Washington and Lee University alumni are working in a wide variety of career fields. The course integrated literary study with real-world mentorship by W&L alumni living and working in Austin; Bailey Brilley ’18 (a policy project manager for trust and safety at Google), Carolina Rubio Regalado ’22 (a web strategist at IBM) and Kelly Nichols ’00 (founding partner at Woollard Nichols Torres Consulting) met with students to guide their final projects, share their own career journeys and ideate with students as they synthesized the course’s objectives into their own creative masterpieces.

The first two weeks of the Spring Term course were spent on campus, followed by a full week onsite with alumni in Texas. In Austin, students were hosted by alumni at their companies, participating in mentor meetings and industry tours throughout the week. Alumni mentors then joined the class on Zoom as students presented their final projects that took inspiration from “Frankenstein” and other course readings, with an emphasis on weaving in the skills of their mentors, creativity and career development. Along the way, they also broadened their understanding of practical skills such as networking, project

design and the variety of career paths available to arts and humanities majors.

“As someone who studied English — that was always my first love — and then ended up working in tech, I thought it would be great to get involved with a program that helps students see that you’re not limited to just working in academia as a student from the humanities and that you can develop a broad range of skills and apply them to careers across the board,” says Brilley. “I’ve honestly found it inspiring in terms of reflecting on my own career. Working with the students helped me recenter what I enjoyed about my own work.”

CAREER CONNECTIONS

The W&L network is perhaps most illustrative in the early-career assistance and opportunities our alumni provide to current students.

BY JESSICA LUCK

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER MOORE

WHEN MOLLY STEELE ’04, Barnett Family Dean of Career and Professional Development, stepped into her role three years ago, when the offices of Career Services and Alumni Engagement combined, her team faced two big strategic hurdles:

One was the fact that banks had started recruiting students earlier for internships the summer after their junior years. That accelerated timeline meant that Washington and Lee University students (about 20% pursue a career in the banking industry) were having to make decisions sooner — sometimes about 18 months in advance and before they had even taken enough classes to determine their right career path. Second, the Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD) wanted to build more internship opportunities for the other 80% of students so that they, too, could make informed career choices.

To aid in this goal, Steele and her team turned to their main source of student recruitment: alumni. Because W&L has a long history of a robust chapter program, especially in New York City and Washington, D.C., Steele wanted to leverage those connections in additional cities. Atlanta naturally fit as the launching pad of a ramped up CPD internship program, with its diverse industries and organizations and large alumni base.

For summer 2025, the Atlanta-based internship opportunities numbered 41 from 36 alumni, and CPD hosted a networking reception in June for both interns and alumni mentors. Steele hopes to build momentum for an internship program among other chapters, and so far has met with chapter leadership in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, with Denver on the horizon. She envisions creating a friendly rivalry among chapters with each one vying for the crown of hosting the most internships each year.

“It’s an opportunity for alumni to connect with the university and current students — it fosters volunteerism in a new way,” Steele says. “This is a tangible opportunity to showcase the value of the liberal arts in that students really can pursue any career they want, and now we’ll be able to connect them with actual, real-life opportunities in a way that we hadn’t before.”

Ransom and his team make a clear effort to allow their interns to immerse themselves in professional settings.”

Spencer Furman ’27

GROVE MOUNTAIN PARTNERS

Ransom James ’96, a business administ R ation major at W&L, has spent the last 20 years in private equity, focused on investing in the home services and specialty business services sectors; he founded his own firm, Grove Mountain Partners, in 2020. James oversees an eight-person staff that does “buy and builds” of home services companies such as those in HVAC, plumbing and paving. The goal, he says, is to help the companies with better marketing, sales, operations and purchasing.

“We’re a growth-indexed private equity firm that is especially focused on employee engagement at our portfolio companies,” he says. “We’re trying to help these companies provide a better customer experience and a better experience for the employees.”

James has remained connected to W&L over the years through multiple committees (currently serving as chair of his class’s 30th reunion), and, through his internship opportunities, he wanted to give back in another way. Caroline Colavito and Spencer Furman, both members of the Class of 2027, joined Grove Mountain this summer and focused on a new vertical for the company: the remediation industry. They presented their research findings to the whole team at the end of their internships.

“They were smart, prepared and hardworking,” James says.

Colavito, an accounting major with an art history minor, performed due-diligence research on companies, diving into their financials and location specifics.

“I discovered the more I researched, the more fascinating the field became,” she says.

Hoping to gain tangible experience before she enters an investment banking internship in summer 2026, she says she especially enjoyed working with people from different backgrounds beyond finance.

“I loved working with Ransom and his team — he is one of the kindest people, who makes the job fun and interesting no matter what,” Colavito says. “He constantly would check to see how I and the other intern were doing, making sure we stayed busy learning a host of different skills. His professionalism but love for the job is something that I hope to adopt in my professional career.”

Furman, an accounting and finance major with an art history minor, enjoyed gaining insight into the private equity sector, including the search for new acquisition candidates and managing portfolio companies. He attended meetings between C-level executives at investment banks and business partners that gave him a holistic view of the industry.

“Ransom and his team make a clear effort to allow their interns to immerse themselves in professional settings where they can develop these important soft and hard skills,” Furman says. “Ransom dedicated time throughout the day for me to ask any questions I had — an opportunity I recognize I would likely not get at other firms. … Now I’ll have the baseline knowledge and skills to excel.”

“I have been able to see just how amazing Washington and Lee alumni are in supporting a student’s growth,” Colavito says. “I can guarantee I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of alumni.”

MAYOR CLOTHING

a lmost a decade ago, m att b a R tini ’12 launched Mayor Clothing, a custom print polo company that partners with colleges, golf clubs and other businesses to create unique designs tailored for each client. An economics major at W&L, he credits the university’s network, especially the Entrepreneurship Summit and the Venture Club, with helping him get his business off the ground.

As part of his goal in giving back to W&L, Bartini has brought in W&L students for the last three summers and wants to make sure they exit an internship at Mayor Clothing with real outcomes they can point to on a résumé or discuss in a job interview. He wants to set them up for success in whatever their next venture may be. He looks for interns from a variety of majors, as he appreciates the diverse viewpoints and knowledge each student brings to the table. He has them do both solo tasks and group work that allows them to take on leadership roles, and he makes sure to invite students into conversations and meetings related to their areas of interest so they can see his approach to business firsthand.

“I think the best experience is developing those skills that they can really talk about, that they actually did something,” Bartini says. “Thinking back to what I did as an intern, it’s like nothing compared to this.”

Bartini says one of the biggest benefits of having interns is that they can take on tasks such as researching potential clients or using tools like artificial intelligence (AI) to develop more robust client databases, which frees up his time to focus on other aspects of the business. During the summer of 2025, Evan Wall ’27, an economics and computer science double major, worked on a variety of projects, including building spreadsheets to analyze pricing and volume mixes, creating an email outreach campaign as well as designing illustrations for a new shirt.

“At a larger company, I’d learn a couple pieces of software or processes, but I was looking for exposure to different business functions,” Wall says. “Working at Mayor was a unique learning experience of researching an industry and then figuring out everything involved with running a business in it. That’s not the kind of opportunity most internships provide.”

Wall, who has been a member of Washington and Lee’s student-run Williams Investment Society since his first year, is interested in working at a smaller company or startup.

and

Bartini ’12, founder and CEO

“I’m a researcher by nature, and I enjoy learning about companies tackling interesting problems with novel business models,” he says.

At the beginning of the summer, Bartini asks each intern to give him a list of interests, industries and people they would like to learn more about, and he organizes weekly career development phone calls (along with help from Steele) between W&L alumni working in a variety of industries and his interns. In this setting, students and alumni can have candid conversations about their jobs and industries. That kind of pipeline is “hard to beat,” Wall says.

“I just want to give them the best experience as possible because of how much the school has done for me,” Bartini says. “While I was at W&L and then with the W&L network, people have been very generous with their time and helping me, so I have no problem giving my time.”

While I was at W&L and then with the W&L network, people have been very generous with their time and helping me, so I have no problem giving my time.”

Matt Bartini ’12

ALDRIDGE PRIVATE WEALTH

Internships like this bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience.”

Parker

Maynard ’27

d oug a ldR idge ’02 , a s panish ma JoR with lots of economics coursework in the mix, owns Aldridge Private Wealth, an independent wealth management firm that focuses on the high net worth space of $10 million and up. Every summer, the six-person team invites two interns to join them; Aldridge estimates they interviewed 40 to 50 W&L students for one of their summer spots this year (their other intern was from the University of Georgia). Parker Maynard ’27, an accounting major as well as member of the football team and Real Estate Society, chose W&L for its tight-knit community and strong alumni network. He sought an internship in Atlanta this summer due to the strong alumni presence there — his long-term goal is to work in finance in the city.

This summer, Maynard says he improved his hard skills such as working in Excel, building potential client lists and understanding stocks more in depth, as well as improved soft skills like presentation abilities, adaptability and working in a professional environment.

“W&L’s liberal arts foundation pushes you to think critically and communicate clearly, which is crucial in finance,” Maynard says. “Internships like this bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience.”

“Parker is sharp as a tack,” Aldridge says. “He’s a really smart kid, who, to me, epitomizes that W&L well-rounded character. He’s just been a delight to have in the office.”

Summer is typically a slower season for their industry, which is a great time to have interns, Aldridge says, who can devote time to additional projects such as researching the latest developments in the AI space that could help the company become more nimble.

Interns answer phones and talk to clients; Aldridge’s goal is that they come away with a good understanding of what the company does and what the working environment is like.

“When I think about our industry moving forward, and this is probably true for a lot of industries, with what AI is going to do to disrupt, I think having those interpersonal skills, which Parker has in spades, is going to be really crucial,” Aldridge says. “I mean, if you can’t talk to people, if you’re not likable, if you’re not trustworthy, then there’s no spot on the team for you.”

Aldridge says the biggest benefit of their internship, beyond help with projects, is the pipeline it opens for future hires.

“The quality of candidates from Washington and Lee was phenomenal,” he says. “It was really strong. We will be back next year for sure.”

CORDENCE WORLDWIDE

Jill Jacques ’94 , global managing diR ectoR of Cordence Worldwide, manages a global team across 26 countries with direct reports based in Saudi Arabia and India, and she travels extensively for work herself. When she began conversations with Steele, she knew she needed interns who were self-starters and could take on projects and run with them in a completely virtual environment. Gaby White ’27, an economics major with minors in computer science and data science, and Siya ’27 (she does not use a last name), a mathematics and economics double major and data science minor, fit the bill.

Cordence is an alliance of 12 independent management consulting firms totaling 5,500 consultants around the world who serve multinational clients in both the private and public sectors. The alliance allows these companies to remain independent while offering them resources on a larger scale. Beyond their work with the independent consulting firms, Cordence also runs communities of expertise focused on energy transition, health care, data and AI. Siya, who has an interest in sustainability, worked closely for the energy transition community and took the lead in helping the company develop more of a presence at COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Brazil in November 2025. She led the design for Cordence’s first COP30 strategy by delivering cost-tiered participation plans to member firm C-suites, which led to collaboration between the German, Brazilian and Malaysian government delegations.

“This was my favorite project because of the realworld impact it ended up having and because I owned it from start to finish,” Siya says.

As part of her work, she presented the plan to senior partners at several different member firms and talked them through various strategies and options.

“It was surreal as an undergraduate to share insights with leaders who have decades of industry experience. They listened, asked questions and genuinely engaged with the ideas,” Siya says. “That made me feel like I could belong in rooms where high-level decisions are being discussed and that I could contribute value even as an intern.”

The internship helped her further solidify her career goals in that she enjoys work that sits at the intersection of strategy, problem-solving and global collaboration.

“The biggest lesson I learned was that effective collaboration doesn’t depend on proximity; it depends on intentionality and a respect for diverse perspectives,” she says.

During the summer, White developed a strategy for how Cordence can showcase its AI capabilities globally on a new SharePoint intranet site, allowing member firms to better understand what other firms are doing around the world related to AI. This work involved data collection, synthesis, analysis, interface mockups and presenting to C-suite executives, which taught her what it takes to move a project from an abstract idea to a tangible product.

“This experience reaffirmed how important it is to work with people whose perspectives differ from your own — that’s how you create the strongest end product. And it made me truly appreciate how fortunate I was to have this type of international exposure at age 20,” White says. “Jill treated me like a true contributor and made it clear that my perspective mattered, which gave me the confidence to take ownership of my work and trust my instincts.”

White also participated in several leadership development trainings that align closely with the work she does helping others through several organizations at W&L, including the First-Year Orientation Committee and FYE-100.

“Through this internship, I had hoped to expand my knowledge and get hands-on experience in a field I was curious about, but I walked away with much more,” she says. “I plan to attend law school and hope to work in international affairs or government, and, after this internship, consulting, whether for the government or in a different field, has become a very real and exciting possibility.”

Jacques’ advice to anyone considering hiring a Washington and Lee intern: Do it.

“You’re going to get more value than you might be realizing with some of your full-time employees. That’s the W&L education right there,” says Jacques, who majored in business administration. “Don’t underestimate what W&L students can do. Give them stretch opportunities and make sure to give them dedicated time for mentorship. We’re getting a lot of value out of it as a company, but it’s a real opportunity for these interns to learn more than just the job. It’s about the experience of being successful in business as a leader.” n

You’re

going to get more value than you might be realizing with some of your full-time employees.”

WISkids

A STUDENT-LED INVESTMENT GROUP DELIVERS BIG RETURNS AS A

When Phil Barret ’98 and Reed Deupree ’98 formed the Williams Investment Society (WIS) in 1998, they thought their request for the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees to invest $1 million into the startup student-led investment organization was a longshot.

With inspiration from Dr. Evil in the recently released “Austin Powers” film, the then-seniors quickly decided that “go big or go home” was the best course of action. >>>

BY AMANDA MINNIX • ILLUSTRATION BY EDMON DE HARO

VALUED EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCE.

“Since WIS was founded in 1998, it has helped students break into finance careers straight out of college.”

— TANNER HURLESS ’25

“We thought it was an audacious ask at the time, but we threw a Hail Mary, and, to our absolute surprise, we got the full $1 million,” Barret says.

That ask turned out to be a worthwhile investment that has helped hundreds of W&L students gain valuable investment experience. Today, WIS is the sixth-largest student-run investment fund in the nation, managing more than $25.5 million of the university’s endowment in equity securities.

After the two founders reconnected in spring 2024 at an industry conference, they decided to leverage a challenge to reengage WIS alumni while supporting the Leading Lives of Consequence capital campaign. Their challenge gift is split equally between renovating Huntley Hall and establishing the WIS Challenge Student Opportunities Endowment to support activities related to WIS, such as members attending the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting and purchasing Bloomberg Terminals for live market data analysis.

“Reed and I are symbolically returning the board’s initial investment in appreciation of all those who have come after us to advance WIS,” Barret says. “We see a real opportunity to engage a talented and accomplished group of alumni who have so much to offer current students as mentors.”

TThis second partnership 27 years later inspired Barret and Deupree to form a committee of WIS alumni to help raise $5 million split between the two initiatives. “It’s about so much more than a financial contribution,” Deupree says. “I am looking forward to the intergenerational community we are building around WIS — all geared toward helping students and making their experience better.”

More than 500 alumni have benefited from the program, with many using it as a launching pad for successful careers in finance. A WIS reunion is on the horizon, and both founders hope more alumni will connect with current WIS students as mentors.

Barret first got the idea for WIS during Winter Term of his junior year while studying abroad at the London School of Economics. He soon realized that his peers from schools like Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania and Boston College had a better grasp on financial markets, and when he relayed his observations to Deupree, the two made a plan. Together, they outlined the society’s mission, structure and a vision for how it could benefit the university well into the future. They recruited 34 fellow students and made a thorough presentation to the board in fall 1998. Before they graduated, WIS had invested in 13 companies at 45% of its capital and earned roughly $58,000 in returns.

“In the class year ahead of us, I knew of four people who went from W&L to Wall Street, and I think 16 went from our class year — 13 of them from WIS,” Deupree says. By 2013, WIS had essentially doubled W&L’s money. The Board of Trustees approved an additional allocation of $3 million in 2014, citing the program’s strong financial track record and how it enriches the educational experience. A year later, the board approved another $4.5 million infusion, with WIS managing more than $10 million. Except for a $1 million transfer to the Real Estate Society in 2017, WIS has been growing from investment gains.

The student-run group invests in public stocks divided into 10 groups representing different sectors. The WIS portfolio includes investments in firms with a market capitalization of at least $500 million and a $5 minimum share price. The group does not short-sell or trade on margin and does not invest more than 5% of the total portfolio in a single stock. A majority vote is required to purchase or sell. According to Lawrence Term Professor of Finance and WIS faculty adviser Aliaa Bassiouny, the society benchmarks to the S&P 500, and, over time, the group has met or outperformed the benchmark.

“At times, they have also managed the downside risk better,” Bassiouny says. “Personally, working with WIS members is an extremely rewarding experience as a professor and faculty adviser, and I always learn something new from my students in the process.”

Membership is capped at 46 students, and admission is competitive, with few first-years accepted. Operating on the calendar year, WIS welcomes new members in January, with new directors and group heads taking the reins. The past directors and group heads still attend meetings and mentor their successors. Bassiouny has served as faculty adviser for over six years and has witnessed how the choices students have made in the past have benefited the group over time, pointing out that in 2019, WIS invested in AI hardware pioneer NVIDIA, a stock that has performed well.

“The mentorship is incredible,” she says. “The fruition of it now, how that performance has played out — the group who made the choice isn’t here to see it, but the trust is placed in the next group to manage it and maintain a successful portfolio.”

It isn’t a responsibility WIS leaders take lightly. Preston Childress ’26 is the current executive director and industrials group head. The Atlanta native is an accounting major and philosophy minor who joined during his first year.

“I think I actually mentioned it in my W&L application,” he says. “I knew that this was something I wanted to be a part of, and it has instilled in me a deep pride in my work. WIS is not graded, yet we all work very hard to deliver a really good product. Trying to beat the stock market is hard, and our members are extraordinarily dedicated to doing a good job.”

PPrevious director Tanner Hurless ’25 attended every stock pitch after Childress took on the role in January 2025, serving as a mentor. Developing a taste for investing at 16, Hurless chose to attend Washington and Lee largely because of WIS and was one of only three admitted first-years.

“Whether it was helping group members with their slide decks, working on a complex financial model or solving logistical issues related to running the organization, WIS has always challenged me and propelled me to be a better leader and mentor,” Hurless says. “WIS has been the defining part of my Washington and Lee experience, and the skills that I have learned from my membership will undoubtedly serve me well beyond W&L.”

Hurless, an accounting and German double major, accepted a position at Lincoln International as a portfolio valuations analyst.

On the flip side, Sophie Huber ’25, former associate director and financials group head, did not have a background in finance but loved her Accounting 100 class and wanted to learn more about WIS. She joined the WIS Shadow Program and learned that she relished the research, valuation and presentation process. Campbell DeNatale ’20 launched the Shadow Program to encourage more people from underrepresented groups to explore finance, especially women, and some go on to become WIS members. Huber joined WIS her sophomore year.

“Being a part of WIS means that you are learning with some of the brightest students three days a week,” she

says. “Iron sharpens iron, and getting that consistent exposure to successful and motivated students made me want to continue and build off their momentum.”

Huber graduated in May 2025 with a degree in accounting and is an investment banking analyst focused on real estate, gaming, leisure and lodging for Deutsche Bank.

Hurless and Childress both laud the WIS alumni network as one of the program’s greatest strengths.

“Since WIS was founded in 1998, it has helped students break into finance careers straight out of college,” Hurless says. “As a result, there is a vast network of alumni who share a common experience with students, creating connections and opportunities.”

Childress, who completed a 2025 summer internship as an analyst for Link Logistics, expressed his gratitude to Barret and Deupree for founding WIS.

“The support our alumni provide is extraordinary,” he says. “It would be tough to conceive of any student organization that is more impactful than WIS.”

While WIS has grown and evolved, its mission, and even its essential mentorship structure, has remained constant. And many of the predicted outcomes Barret and Deupree pitched to the board nearly 30 years ago have come to pass.

“Today, WIS is something that is highlighted during student tours,” Barret says. “Students who have gone through WIS have developed as investors and have a special skill set to share during interviews. It’s been a launching pad for many careers, and our alumni still engage with the club.”

“The return on investment is huge in so many different ways,” Deupree says. “We are proud that we were able to build something sustainable.” n

“The support our alumni provide is extraordinary. It would be tough to conceive of any student organization more impactful than WIS.”

The visual manifestations of the Honor System dot the Washington and Lee University campus with unassuming familiarity: bookbags slumped outside of the Marketplace, laptops lying alone on Leyburn Library desks, bikes parked with no lock.

This community of trust and the expectations of integrity have defined the W&L student experience since the mid-1840s.

But just as the Honor System isn’t reduced to a code of conduct, its influence isn’t bound by the city limits of Lexington. As graduates embark on life beyond, the character that contributed and cultivated that community of trust remains.

And in the intricate network that ties W&L graduates together in business and in friendship, the Honor System acts as a uniting thread long after the last non-proctored exam.

On Our

Honor

{ Read more testimonials on the Honor System from our W&L community on The Columns. }

You can’t get through school at W&L and not understand the difference between right and wrong.”

Howard Smith ’80

“If I had two students that I was looking to hire, if one of them went to W&L and one of them didn’t — and otherwise they were equal in talent, aptitude and potential — I have no hesitation, because I know what the integrity of the W&L student is. Integrity, and character, is something you can’t put on a résumé.”

Guy Kerr ’75

“One of the most impactful experiences I’ve had at W&L has been immersing myself in a community shaped by the Honor System. It’s not just a set of rules — it’s a shared commitment that influences how we treat each other, how we learn and how we grow. Being surrounded by peers who hold themselves to such high standards of integrity has inspired me to do the same.”

Martha Greer Walker ’27

My love for this system continues to thrive, and is arguably even stronger than it was while a student. The W&L community has proven that no matter what stage of life we may find ourselves in, the bonds of honor, integrity and civility will last a lifetime.”

Harris Stripling ’25

To this day, I have not met a graduate of W&L who assumed anything except the best from me, and I have not assumed anything less in return. The Honor System is central to our connection because its principles extend far beyond the reaches of campus and define us wherever we go.”

Frankie Maloof ’25

“I came in just really thinking it was something special about this place, and I loved the fact that it wasn’t limited to academics here at W&L — that it really encompassed all of student life. I feel like whenever I meet somebody who I know graduated from W&L, we have this connection, because we have a shared experience of living in a community of trust.”

Jerilyn Farren Teahan ’93

“When you run across somebody in the business world that’s from W&L, you share something in common: the Honor System, which essentially boils down to doing the right thing when no one’s watching. I was always delighted to find W&L people [in business] because I knew what to expect. And they knew what to expect from me.”

Phifer

Helms ’74

There’s a certain mutual respect and trust, and that’s part of what makes our alumni network so powerful."

Kevin Batteh ’95, ’98L

An Extraordinary EVOLUTION

What started as a Spring Term Abroad class in the Galapagos Islands — and a passion project by

EVOLUTION

BIOLOGY PROFESSOR

EMERITUS CLEVELAND

HICKMAN

— received new life as a mobile app.

DDuring the spring of 1975, an innovative, adventurous Washington and Lee biology professor, Cleveland Hickman, seized the opportunity offered by the university’s six-week Spring Term to lead students on a field trip to the Galapagos Islands, where they could experience firsthand the wonders of Charles Darwin’s living laboratory.

BY JEFF HANNA

“I wanted the students to get an appreciation for Darwin’s experiences by retracing his steps,” says Hickman, who, at 97, still remembers the inaugural journey with five courageous biology majors. “That first trip was an amazing one because of the hardships and problems we had to work through. It was rough.”

Undeterred, Hickman would continue offering his six-credit course, Biology 216: Supervised Field Study, until he retired from teaching in 1994. By then, about 150 students had made the trek with him, and he had shifted his research from fish physiology to the Galapagos marine life.

Hickman became widely recognized as an international expert on the aquatic invertebrates of the Galapagos and had two species that he discovered named after him. In retirement, he published five field guides to the islands’ marine invertebrates — sea stars and other echinoderms, crustaceans, marine molluscs, sponges, corals and other radiates. Each book features full-color illustrations and complete, diagnostic descriptions.

And now, his decades-long work is just a click or two away in a mobile app that has Washington and Lee fingerprints all over it.

The app, Galapagos Marine Life, is a collaborative effort by Dr. William Ober ’70, Scott Henderson ’87, Hickman’s daughter, Diane Hickman Liss, his son-inlaw, Dr. Frederic Liss, and officials from the Galapagos Conservancy. By offering detailed profiles of marine invertebrates, fishes, reptiles and mammals unique to the Galapagos, the app puts in-depth information in the hands of scientists, guides and visitors.

On the Origin

LLong before the first iPhones were invented, Hickman got his first glimpse of the Galapagos in 1974 on a family vacation with his parents, both zoologists, and his wife, Rae.

“My dad was an admirer and devotee of Charles Darwin,” Hickman says. “He had always wanted to visit Darwin’s haunts.”

Hickman returned from that vacation with an idea. “Our biology students,” he says, “should see what I saw. It would be a great opportunity for them to be introduced to this unique environment.”

He didn’t waste time. Within a year, the new course was in the catalog, and a six-member traveling party was on its way to the islands, where the students would study the amazing array of endemic species, including the famous Galapagos tortoises and Darwin’s finches. It would prove to be a memorable trip on many accounts.

In fact, 50 years later, Peter Adler ’76 retains profound memories of the experience — like staring directly into the eyes of a Galapagos hawk from inches away or sitting directly in front of nesting albatrosses.

“All this time later I can remember almost every feather of that hawk,” he says. “There were no restrictions back then. We were able to go right up to the wildlife. It remains a moving experience for me even now.”

An emeritus professor of entomology at Clemson University, Adler led many field trips around the world for his own research. When he compares his many excursions to that Galapagos trip, he still marvels at the filth the students encountered — from their roach-infested boat to a restaurant with pigs milling around on dirt floors.

I wanted the students to get an appreciation for Darwin’s experiences by retracing his steps.” “

Cleveland Hickman, professor of biology emeritus

But what continues to impress Adler is how nothing seemed to faze his professor.

“Cleve was unflappable and indefatigable,” Adler says. “Given the immense responsibility he had for all of us, Cleve’s enthusiasm never waned, no matter what happened. His approach inspires me to this day.”

Hickman acknowledges that he hadn’t considered all the ramifications of taking college students to a desert island. “I was probably less concerned with the possible repercussions than I should have been. I thought a lot about that later,” he says. “It was one thing after another, especially on those early trips.”

One of the stickiest situations occurred on the second trip when a group of students got lost for three days. They had hiked up the Alcedo Volcano to view the famous tortoises but went astray on the way down.

“A Belgium botanist had told them about a shortcut, and the trip up had been tough so that they jumped at the word ‘shortcut,’” says Hickman. They all returned safely, and their ordeal became front-page news for the Ring-tum Phi.

Ober, a resident at the University Virginia School of Medicine at the time, was serving as the group physician on the “missing boys” trip. At W&L, Ober had not only been a student of Hickman’s but had also worked closely with him as the illustrator of research papers and books.

“One of the students on that trip had diabetes. Cleve was uncomfortable with not having a doctor along because there was no medical care in the islands, so he invited me to join them,” says Ober, who went on many subsequent student and research trips.

Like Adler, Ober thinks W&L’s Galapagos program required someone with Hickman’s equanimity.

“Things that would have upset me for a week upset him for about 15 minutes,” says Ober, a talented medical illustrator who has worked on Hickman’s zoology textbooks.

Henderson was a sophomore when he took the 1983 trip and has never forgotten his introduction to the Galapagos Islands. One of the strongest El Nino events ever recorded had soaked the group of islands for months before the students landed in a veritable quagmire.

“

Given the immense responsibility he had for all of us, Cleve’s enthusiasm never waned, no matter what happened. His approach inspires me to this day.”

Peter Adler ’76

“The roads were washed out, and we rode on top of our bus through this deep, deep mud,” says Henderson. “The bus’s fuel pump was broken, and a guy was sitting up on the roof with us and pouring gasoline through a tube into the engine to keep us going. It was a crazy way to start a field trip.”

Henderson believes the trips were transformational for most of the participants but especially for him. He moved to the Galapagos after graduation, met and married his wife, Maria Elena Guerra, and has lived and worked there ever since. In 2003, he opened Conservation International’s office in the Galapagos. He’s steadily moved up the organizational chart over the past 22 years, and, in his current position as vice president of Conservation International and managing director of the organization’s Galapagos program, he is focused on securing funding and developing partnerships. In addition, he and his wife, who works for the World Wildlife Fund, own and operate an organic coffee farm, Lava Java, in the highlands of Santa Cruz, the most populated island in the archipelago.

There’s an App for That

AAs challenging as the logistics were, Hickman knew he also had to convince the students that, despite being on a tropical island, they weren’t on spring break.

“I had to keep them busy, and it was an opportunity for them to be engaged in a significant research project,” Hickman says. “We started doing intertidal surveys that would benefit the Charles Darwin Research Station. So, we started dividing the intertidal zone into subtidals and enumerating the animals students found in each zone.

“The goal was to get an idea of the change in the animal biota as you went from the high tide to low tide. If you have student groups do this every couple of years on their trips, you could get a longitudinal picture,” he says. Because so many of the specimens were endemic to the islands, identifying them was often impossible. Hickman took a sabbatical to the University of Oxford, where the literature of the organisms was housed, and then created his own field guides, sewing the pages together by hand.

“The guides were primitive,” says Hickman, “but they helped the students identify what they were finding. I made about 20 guides for the students, but when people at the Darwin Field Station saw them, they all wanted one.” And when the Galapagos officials faced a crisis with the overfishing of sea cucumbers by commercial fishermen, they turned to Hickman to help them understand and identify the species.

Once he retired, Hickman set up a lab in an attic space in Howe Hall and worked full-time on the guides. Ober and Henderson often joined him when he made self-funded research trips back to the islands.

“The guides are the definition of a labor of love,” says Henderson, who worked on all of them. “Cleve financed all the work out of his own pocket.”

Adds Ober: “The guides would represent one scientist’s lifetime achievement. And Cleve did it as a retirement project!”

When the idea arose to put all Hickman’s work on a mobile application, Ober and Diane Hickman Liss spearheaded the project and wrote a proposal to the Galapagos Conservancy to secure funding. James Gibbs, president of the conservancy, and Dan Sherman, chair of the board, both offered their support, and Sherman volunteered to do the coding.

The list of contributors to the app is long and includes more than 40 worldwide experts, but the app has deep ties to Washington and Lee. Ober organized the mountains of material and provided many of the illustrations. Henderson coordinated the translation of the app into Spanish and provided much of the underwater photography, including the hammerhead shark that is the app’s icon.

Then, there are all those W&L students who spent Spring Term in the Galapagos and whose work on intertidal surveys caused Hickman to create those first handsewn field guides, the old-fashioned forerunners of the Galapagos Marine Life app.

According to Gibbs, the app is in a beta version for IOS devices while work is underway on an Android version. “Our guides are currently using the app and are promoting it with visitors,” Gibbs says. “We are also getting feedback from different community organizations before we launch it with a big rollout.”

Sherman remembers when Hickman got his first look at the Galapagos Marine Life app. “We loaded a functional prototype on Cleve’s phone; I got to see him use it over a Zoom call. His face lit up. That was really gratifying,” says Sherman.

Hickman is rather in awe of the project.

“It’s wonderful,” says Hickman, “but I honestly didn’t have that much to do with it.”

Ober begs to differ: “He merely contributed four decades’ worth of research.” n

The guides are the definition of a labor of love. Cleve financed all the work out of his own pocket.”

NAMING RIGHTS

Through his research, Cleveland Hickman became widely recognized as an international expert on the aquatic invertebrates of the Galapagos and had two species that he discovered named after him. One of those, the Clathrina andreusi, a species of calcareous sponge found growing on rocks at a depth between six and 21 meters, is named for Hickman’s late son, Andrew, a biologist who accompanied him on numerous research trips to the Galapagos Archipelago.

Immersive Experience

Professor Timothy MacDonnell shares his insight into W&L Law’s one-of-a-kind Black Lung Clinic.

AS TOLD TO BARBARA ELLIOTT • PHOTO BY SHELBY HAMELMAN

“I enjoy seeing people at the beginning of their legal careers and assisting them in navigating to be an attorney, watching them develop into zealous and enthusiastic advocates.”

Tim MacDonnell, clinical professor of law, directs Washington and Lee School of Law’s Black Lung Clinic — the only one of its kind in the country — through which third-year law students provide free legal services to patients and their spouses seeking compensation from coal companies for illnesses caused by exposure to coal dust.

Third-year law students at W&L Law are required to have a live client experience, and second-year law students submit an application and résumé and indicate their top three choices from the options available. Eight students are selected each year for a full-year immersive experience in complex litigation in the Black Lung Clinic.

“It is very time consuming, especially since it involves both legal and medical issues,” MacDonnell says.

COMPLEX CASES

“The program was started in 1996 by law professors Brian Murchison, Uncas McThenia and Mary

Natkin at the suggestion of an administrative law judge who wanted to coordinate fair representation for coal miners who had to go to court. The cases were complex, and they were up against very strong coal company attorneys. The students help the miners and their surviving spouses who are attempting to get benefits for coal-related conditions such as black lung disease, also known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, and related illnesses such as lung cancer, COPD and emphysema.

“It’s hard for attorneys to dedicate part of their practice to black lung cases. They can go on for years, and the attorney only gets paid when the case is resolved — and, even then, only if the case is won, and the coal company can still challenge the fees.

“Ours is the only program of its kind in the country. It falls under the federal Black Lung Benefits Act, and these cases are brought through the federal courts. There are no state black lung clinics.”

BATTLE OF THE EXPERTS

“You have to prove that coal dust was a contributing factor to the condition. You also have to prove that the miner is totally disabled. A confounding element is smoking or secondhand smoke. Many of our clients smoke and began at an early age, making it even worse. Experts say both coal dust and cigarettes cause the condition, so it gets down to the ratio between cigarettes versus coal dust.

“You get expert opinions and then go to hearings before an administrative law judge. About 80% of the time the coal companies appeal the decision, or we do. Every black lung case is a battle of the experts. It comes down to who is the more convincing.

“The coal company attorneys are excellent and graduated from good law schools. It makes this a very challenging area for our students. I have worked with some attorneys for many years on the coal company side, and some

are friends. We each put forward the case and accept that the outcome will be what it will be.”

LONG-TERM LITIGATION

“Our clients have been doing this work for 20 to 30 years, work that you or I would not be able to do for one week. They don’t want to be given anything. They are honest, hardworking and appreciative of what the students do. These cases can go on for years, sometimes to the benefit of the client. We can appeal, and the miner is allowed to continue trying. At the beginning of the year, the students meet them in person at the Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley, West Virginia. The rest of the contact is mostly by phone because many of them are very ill, and we worry about exposing them to something.

“Because students only work in the clinic for one year, we try to expose them to cases in the beginning development phase as well as in appeal. It is very uncommon to

have a student who starts and finishes a case. If we have contact information, we try to follow up and let alumni know the final outcome, especially if we won. I enjoy seeing people at the beginning of their legal careers and assisting them in navigating to be an attorney, watching them develop into zealous and enthusiastic advocates.”

MORE ON TIM

ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

In addition to his work with the Black Lung Clinic, MacDonnell teaches Investigative Criminal Procedure and Advocacy. His scholarship focuses on the Fourth Amendment, advocacy and patient rights.

MILITARY BACKGROUND

MacDonnell joined W&L Law after a 21-year career with the U.S. Army. When he retired as a lieutenant colonel, he was legal adviser to the Iraqi High Tribunal in Baghdad. A former special assistant United States attorney, he was able to attend law school while still on active military duty after being selected for the Army’s highly competitive Funded Legal Education Program.

LIVES OF CONSEQUENCE

Noteworthy Impact

Burr Datz ’75 has been a pillar of support to the W&L community for five decades.

BY JESSICA LUCK • PHOTO BY KEVIN REMINGTON

“W&L is a place that talks about an identity as an honorable citizen, trusted colleague and friend, and these relationships last a lifetime.”

Community is at the heart of everything

William “Burr” Datz ’75 does. And it all started just before his eighth birthday, when he was visiting his grandparents who lived five blocks from his home on Long Island, New York. They wanted to know what Datz wanted for his birthday, and playing on the television in the background was “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” A teenaged Ricky Nelson was sitting on a couch, strumming the guitar and leading a group of people gathered around him in a folk song. That was it — Datz wanted to learn to play the guitar. His grandparents agreed to pay for the guitar and music lessons on one condition: He would bring his guitar to all their family gatherings.

“That’s how I came to feel very comfortable in front of crowds,” Datz says. “Imagine playing in front of a room of everybody who loves you, and it doesn’t matter if you make a mistake.”

During Datz’s sophomore year at Washington and Lee University, he and a few of his Delta Tau Delta

fraternity brothers discovered two guitars in the attic of their fraternity house; Datz had brought his three-quarter size harmony guitar with him to W&L. The trio learned some “cowboy chords” — open chords that are generally easier for beginners to learn — and they all sang. The natural next step was forming a band.

They leaned toward bluegrass, a musical genre known for its technical prowess and musicianship as well as its ability to bring people together. One of Datz’s favorite things about bluegrass is that each technically proficient musician becomes something even greater when part of a group.

Asked what music has brought to his life, Datz can sum it up in one word: everything.

“It’s a way of life,” Datz says. “Learning to listen made me a better musician, and I think a better person.”

STAYING POWER

After graduating with a degree in Spanish, Datz worked for a few years as an elementary school teacher on Long Island.

But while visiting one of his pledge brothers in Lexington, a chance encounter with the head of Dining Services resulted in a job offer. Datz moved back to Lexington and worked as assistant food manager, including managing the Cockpit, the popular watering hole where Datz began bringing in regional touring bands to perform. He went on to work as assistant director of security at W&L for nine years, and from 1988 to 2001 — and again from 2010 to 2017 — he served as campus minister at both Washington and Lee and Virginia Military Institute. In 1990, he earned a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University.

Between his two tenures in campus ministry, Datz served as W&L’s director of leadership development and coordinator of religious life. In these roles, he helped students grow through service and reflection. He loved helping students develop confidence and leadership skills that would serve them far into the future after graduation.

“These four years are of a great way of learning, and that’s what life is about: learning,” Datz says. “It’s about working together to make things better.”

SERVICE WITH A SMILE Datz has received several honors for his impact on the W&L community, including being bestowed with a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. He also received the R.E. “Chub” Yeakel Memorial Service Award from the Athletic Department in 1989 and 2007 (he’s a volunteer coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams), the James G. Leyburn Service Award in 1999 and the William W. Pusey III Award from the Executive Committee in 2010, recognizing his lifetime contributions to the university.

For Datz, giving back is a way of life. And in honor of his 50th reunion in May 2025 (for which he served as co-chair), he made a planned gift that will support the DeLaney Center, the Generals Club and several athletic teams: men’s basketball, men’s

lacrosse and men’s and women’s golf.

“I always think, as a musician, when I’m playing with somebody better than myself that I want to get better, and that’s what W&L has done for me,” Datz says. “I want to give back, so students have a chance to continue experiencing the many varied opportunities we have here.”

MORE ON BURR

SIDE

GIGS

Datz still performs about 30 shows a year with bluegrass and Americana bands. But one of his favorite gigs was portraying Santa Claus at W&L’s Winter Wonderland celebration from 2012 to 2021.

BROADER REACH

Datz, who currently volunteers as a hospice chaplain, was named Volunteer of the Year in 2016 by the Chamber of Commerce Serving Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County. And VMI honored him the same year with its Christian Service Award.

CLASS UPDATES AND SUCCESS STORIES

GENERALS GATHERINGS

COMING HOME

From attending tailgates next to Wilson Field to walking on the Lexington bricks of the Colonnade, Washington and Lee University alumni returned this fall to the familiar sights of their alma mater. From Sept. 19-21, W&L celebrated Young Alumni Weekend, featuring reunions for the classes of 2015, 2020 and 2025, with all-time record-breaking attendance. Then, Oct. 3-5, the university honored the classes of 1975 and earlier for the Five-Star Festival Weekend, which also featured the official opening of the Tom Wolfe ’51 Reading Room in Special Collections and Archives.

1. George Ray, professor of English emeritus, Sheila Wolfe and Tad Van Leer ’77 at the opening of the new Tom Wolfe ’51 Reading Room in Special Collections and Archives during the Five-Star Festival.

2. Nearly 120 alumni and guests from the classes of 1975 and earlier returned to campus for the Five-Star Festival Oct. 3-5.

3. Happy Carlock Madden ’15, McCauley Massie ’15 and Annie Gauf ’15 returned to campus, this time with their children, for Young Alumni Weekend Sept. 19-21.

EVENTS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT

MARCH 20-21, 2026

Join us at this event designed to encourage innovative business ideas and strategies and growth in the world of entrepreneurship.

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2026

APRIL 30-MAY 3, 2026

Calling all Washington and Lee alumni from the classes ending in 1 and 6! Get ready to reconnect and relive your cherished moments at Alumni Weekend 2026.

SEND US UPDATES

Use magazine@wlu.edu to send:

• Photos of weddings and alumni meetups

• Changes of address

• Letters to the editor

Magazine

Washington and Lee University

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204 W. Washington St. Lexington, Virginia 24450-2116

STAY IN TOUCH

Submit a class note: colonnadeconnections. wlu.edu or magazine@wlu.edu

JOHN JENSEN ’01 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND CAREER SERVICES ALUMNI@WLU.EDU

DEEP CONNECTIONS

I am often asked why our alumni network is so strong and how it has endured over the years. To me, it comes down to the unique campus experience our students participate in during their four years in Lexington. When I think about what binds us together, the Honor System, the Speaking Tradition and our exceptional liberal arts education taught in small classes come to mind. But to truly understand what connects us, I suggest we look deeper. Our campus location, in the charming town of Lexington amid the beauty of Rockbridge County, allows students to escape their intense studies to enjoy the community and the outdoors. The relationships students build with faculty, coaches and staff often grow into lasting personal bonds that shape their lives well beyond graduation. Experiences like the Outing Club, Washington Term, Mock Con, writing for the Ring-tum Phi and volunteering for Campus Kitchen allow students to explore their passions and create relationships with others outside of their core friend groups. Social life, whether through Greek life or the broader campus community, creates openness and connection. All of these elements of W&L were shaped and nurtured by those who came before us. As alumni, we are inspired to stay involved and in contact with each other and students to ensure the next generation benefits as we have.

CLASS NOTES

Class Notes are published three times a year based on the date we receive them. If we are unable to run all Class Notes submitted, they will appear in a future issue. If you have questions, please email: magazine@wlu.edu.

1954

Henry Porter established the Henry P. Porter Sr. and Mary Gravatt Porter Memorial Scholarship at Davis & Elkins College in honor of his parents. This scholarship is presented in tandem with Porter’s agreement to fund a garden, the Mary Gravatt Porter Memorial Garden, surrounding Glory Residence Hall in memory of his mother.

1963

The Hon. Daniel Balfour ’63, ’65L was inducted to the Franklin Community Wall of Excellence. The program was established in 2016 to honor former Franklin and Hayden High School (Virginia) students, administrators, teachers and staff who have excelled or distinguished

themselves through personal and/or professional success, as well as to recognize those community members who have made significant contributions to the Franklin community public schools. Balfour, who was inducted in the category of outstanding career, was appointed as chief judge of Henrico County Circuit Court, mediator for the Supreme Court of Virginia and former counsel to the Virginia House of Delegates.

1970

Dr. Robert “Chip” Schooley received the 2024 Revelle Medal from the University of California San Diego. The award is the highest honor given by the chancellor to a retired or emeritus UC San Diego faculty member and

recognizes sustained, distinguished and extraordinary service on campus. Schooley, a distinguished professor emeritus of medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, is a leading expert in infectious diseases.

1971

Bruce Green opened his own legal practice, Bruce Green Law Firm, in the Fort Myers, Florida, area. Green’s business focuses on tax and estate planning, probate and trust administration and wealth preservation.

John Klinedinst was reinstated as CEO of Klinedinst PC. He founded the firm in 1983, with it providing litigation, trial experience, transactional representation and legal counsel in offices across the West.

1972

Daniel Armstrong was awarded the 2025 Pittcon Analytical Chemistry Award, which recognizes a scientist’s significant contributions to the field of analytical chemistry. Armstrong, the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor in Chemistry at The University of Texas at Arlington, was honored for his research and development of methods and substances for studying molecular structures, analyzing chemical reactions, separating microorganisms and understanding various analytical chemistry mechanisms.

Nominating Candidates For The Board of Trustees

We are pleased to announce that the alumni election process for a new trustee has now begun. Continuing a long-standing tradition, this process allows alumni to have a direct voice in shaping the Board of Trustees. The election will follow the same format as the past two cycles, inviting every alumnus and alumna to participate and vote.

Over the years, a high percentage of university trustees have been alumni. Currently, that number is 28 of 29. Their institutional knowledge has served the university well. See p. 4 for more about the most recent alumni to join the Board of Trustees: Jason W. Aiken ’94, Courtney Camp Enloe ’97L, Thomas J. Sheehan ’90 and Andrew W. Tate ’98.

By the time you read this column, you’ve received an email about the fundamental elements of the process as well as the Alumni Association’s formal call for nominations. All alumni will be able to nominate candidates for consideration. We will contact nominees and direct them to election documents on the Alumni

Executive Director, Alumni and Career Services

Stay Connected!

Engagement website. They will also be permitted to submit a statement in support of their own candidacy. To ensure security, accuracy and administrative efficiency, the trustee election process will be conducted through Colonnade Connections. Alumni must be logged into Colonnade Connections to nominate a candidate, to accept a nomination and to vote. Create your account here: go.wlu.edu/colonnadeconnections.

After appropriate due diligence, the Alumni Board will place three alumni on an electronic ballot sent to every alumna and alumnus for whom we have an email address. The elected individual is scheduled to take office in October 2026.

We encourage your participation and look forward to many more qualified alumni becoming trustees. Thanks in advance for your support.

◗ For more about the nomination process, see go.wlu.edu/alumnivolunteers.

◗ For more about the Board of Trustees, see go.wlu.edu/boardoftrustees

John W. Robinson III ’94 Chair, Governance Committee of Board of Trustees

W&L’s refreshed Colonnade Connections platform makes it easier than ever to connect with classmates, explore the alumni network and keep your information up to date. Since this is a brand-new system, all alumni will need to activate a new account before logging in for the first time, but it only takes a few minutes.

First, visit the Colonnade Connections log-in page at go.wlu.edu/colonnadeconnections . Under “First time users,” select the blue “click here” link. Then, complete and submit the brief activation form. Once verified, you will receive an email for your log-in credentials for your new account.

Activating your account is crucial, because alumni must be logged into Colonnade Connections to nominate a board candidate, to accept a nomination and to vote.

Any questions? Email alumni@wlu.edu .

1977

Michael Hightower published his book, “Justice for All: Dick T. Morgan, Frontier Lawyer and Common Man’s Congressman,” which chronicles the career of Dick T. Morgan, an Oklahoma founding father during the Gilded Age of America.

1978

Pete Abitante received the 2025 Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the public relations category. He worked for the National Football League for 46 years.

1979

Robert Balentine and his wife, Betty, were awarded the 2025 Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal for their work with their Southern Highlands Reserve to sustain and advocate for the natural ecosystems of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

John “Larry” Connolly, CEO of Connolly LLC and co-founder of West Paces Racing, was elected to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Board of Directors. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a nonprofit that accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire and rehome Thoroughbreds.

Warren Stephens was confirmed by the Senate as the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James, commonly called the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was selected by President Donald Trump.

1980

Steve Abraham ’80, ’83L was named a Washingtonian of the Year for 2024. The list recognizes 10 local heroes who make the Washington, D.C., region a better place to live. Abraham, president and founder of Wilderness Leadership and Learning (WILL), was named for his work with underserved youth.

Richard Moss was elected by the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge to serve a two-year term as president. FINWR is a nonprofit corporation of volunteers dedicated to supporting, raising awareness and advocating for the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

1981

Lonnie “Chip” Nunley was named president-elect for the Virginia Bar Association for 2025. Nunley is a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Richmond, Virginia, and is a member of the VBA Pro Bono Council and the civil litigation section.

1982

Michael Pressler was inducted into the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

1983

James Baldwin joined Dallasbased Varsity Brands as chief legal and compliance officer and corporate secretary. Baldwin previously worked as chief legal officer, general counsel and corporate secretary at Keurig Dr. Pepper.

Fredrik “Eric” Nelson was appointed cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Depart-

ment of Revenue by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

1984

The Hon. Robert Jenevein was included in the “Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers.” Jenevein is currently named shareholder at Waddell Serafino Geary Rechner Jenevein, PC and previously served as a judge for Dallas County, Texas, from 1999 to 2002.

Chris Robinson was appointed as the 2024-25 president of the National Funeral Directors Association. He works as president and general manager of Robinson Funeral Homes. Robinson, a member of the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association, represented South Carolina on the NFDA Policy Board and served as NFDA member-at-large, secretary, treasurer and president-elect.

1985

John Buchanan was appointed senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas by the board of directors. Buchanan has more than 20 years of experience as a banking attorney, previous serving as senior executive vice president at Regions Financial Corporation.

Kevin McClatchy is in his 11th year as head of acting and directing in the Department of Theater, Film and Media Arts at the Ohio State University. In April 2024, McClatchy was named the Ohio State Artist Laure -

ate for 2024-25. The Artist Laureate program supported McClatchy’s travels throughout Ohio, and brought his work to new communities. As director of the Shakespeare and Autism Project, McClatchy spent the fall of 2024 offering teaching artist and educator training in the Hunter Heartbeat Method and facilitating Shakespeare workshops with autistic individuals. Through 2025, McClatchy brought his acclaimed solo show, “Scrap Heap,” to communities across Ohio to spark community conversations about issues in the military veterans community.

1986

Hugh Finkelstein was appointed to the Pulaski County Circuit Court in Arkansas. He previously served for nearly two decades as a deputy prosecutor in Pulaski County and most recently was chief of staff at the Arkansas Department of Public Safety.

1988

Peter Boatner retired as Staunton, Virginia’s public defender after 30 years.

Jeffrey “Eric” Joseph was named interim head of the North American Region for Heidrick & Struggles, a provider of global leadership consulting and on-demand talent solutions.

On Sept. 28, 2024, the day after Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, Edward J. Willard ’s daughter, Caroline, married her high school boyfriend, Michael Myers. The rehearsal dinner was held the night before in Mount Airy. The restaurant had lost power, and, rather than refund the deposit, it was

opened only for their dinner, which was held by candlelight, with the food heated by Sterno cans and propane. The wedding ceremony and reception went flawlessly, and Willard and his wife, Courtney, said they could not be prouder of Caroline and couldn’t be happier to add Michael, who is a chemical engineer at BASF in Raleigh, to the family.

1989

Matthew Bryant was elected as an academy member at National Academy of Social Insurance. Bryant is president and executive consultant at WorkComp Strategies LLC.

Jace Goins joined West Virginia Attorney General John “JB” McCuskey’s office as chief deputy attorney general. Goins specializes in civil litigation at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

1990

Meredith Baker retired from CTIA as president and CEO. Baker worked for the trade association for the wireless communications industry since 2014.

Edward Rowan has spent nine years with Comcast Corporation in various leadership roles. He was recently promoted to vice president of market development, responsible for expanding Comcast’s service area throughout the Mid-Atlantic. He resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife, Jennifer, daughter, Addison, and dog, Missy.

John Touchton joined the board of the Bank of Tampa and its holding company, the Tampa Bay Banking Co. Touchton is president of the

Witt-Touchton Company, a private investment company in Tampa, Florida.

1991

Frank Turner, partner at Strickland Turner, LLP in Covington, Georgia, was appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission by Gov. Brian Kemp.

1992

Wangdali C. Bacdayan joined as partner at Braemont Capital, an investment firm based in Dallas and New York City. He previously served as venture partner at Delta-v Capital.

1993

Jay Cross was named chief financial officer of Senti Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation cell and gene therapies. Cross previously worked at Sonnet BioTherapeutics.

Heath Dixon returned to private practice at Summit Law Group, providing legal counsel on technology transactions and products, after 12 years working in-house at Amazon. Dixon lives in Seattle with his wife, Ashley, an independent education consultant, and children, Frank and Eleanor.

Christy Felling was named managing director for communications and marketing at First Five Years Fund, a federal advocacy organization focused on child care and early learning.

Lewis Perkins was named Eco-Steward of the Year by the American Apparel & Footwear Association during the 2025 American Image

Awards. Perkins is president and CEO of Apparel Impact Institute, which launched in 2017 to identify, fund, scale and measure the apparel and footwear industry’s proven environmental impact solutions.

Whitney Swift was named to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Environmental Lawyers list. Swift, a partner at Bracewell LLP in Austin, Texas, was recognized for his practice in air quality.

1994

Elizabeth “Betsy” Pakenas was named to the 2025 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisor list. Pakenas is managing director at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Greg Patterson was chosen by Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer and confirmed unanimously by the Delaware State Senate as cabinet secretary of the State Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. In that role, he leads the state agency responsible for climate change and energy policy; parks and wildlife areas; and air, water, soil and hazardous material regulation. Patterson has spent more than 26 years in Delaware state government. Patterson and his wife, Sarah Wyatt Patterson ’94, live in Dover, Delaware, with their daughter, Wyatt, who works in the state legislature, daughter, Laurel, a student at the University of Vermont, and “unofficial daughter” Juliana, who teaches sixth-grade geography.

Amy Peterson was named the 2025 Teacher of the

Year for Salem, Virginia. She teaches kindergarten at South Salem Elementary School.

1996

Andrew Crawford , along with two partners, formed Mercatus Rx, a pharmacy company aimed at creating more efficient and affordable ways to purchase pharmaceuticals. Crawford serves as the company’s CEO.

Jennifer Galardi was named a visiting fellow for the Independent Women’s Forum. She has been an influencer in the health and wellness industry for over 20 years.

Scott Willard was appointed managing director within the financial sponsors group of Barclays. Barclays is a British universal bank, with Willard based in its New York office.

1997

Kevin Alexander was promoted to co-head of alternative credit at Ares Management. Alexander has been a partner at Ares since 2019.

Anthony Mazzarelli was named to the 2025 NJBIZ Power 100 alongside his colleague Kevin O’Dowd. The duo lead Cooper University Health Care, which covers South Jersey from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean.

1999

Thomas Cox , chief growth officer at TEGNA Inc., expanded his job to leading the company’s distribution efforts. In his new role, he oversees the company’s station affiliation partnerships with NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox, in addition to the multichannel distribution

A Q and

MEET KRISTEN YOUNGBLOOD ARCHER ’06

“This role has been an opportunity to foster connection, elevate voices and help Washington and Lee continue to advance its mission in thoughtful ways,” Archer says.

In May 2025, Archer began her term as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. A journalism and mass communications major, she worked in public relations and events for nearly 15 years before returning to school and transitioning to perinatal psychotherapy in 2024. She, her husband, Ted Archer ’06, and their two kids live in New Jersey.

What were some of your experiences as a student that really impacted you?

The experiences at W&L that shaped me most were those that expanded my worldview. Professor Beckley’s poverty classes helped me understand systemic issues with greater depth — perspectives I carried into my communications work with advocacy organizations. I was also fortunate to study abroad twice with Professor Kamara, whose approach to teaching French went far beyond language. He pushed us to fully engage with the cultures around us and to connect with people and their stories. Another formative influence was Professor DeLaney — teacher, champion and friend. He treated students’ ideas with genuine curiosity and respect, and his classes sparked my lasting love of history. He helped us see how the past continually shapes the world we’re currently navigating. These experiences collectively broadened my understanding of people, systems and communities — insights that anchor my work and life today. Perhaps most meaningful, however, was the kindness of these professors and the care with which they taught.

How have you seen W&L impact your life today?

W&L remains such a meaningful part of my life. The ways I learned to think critically, communicate clearly and stay curious — hallmarks of a liberal arts education — have carried me throughout my career journey, from PR firms and advocacy organizations to perinatal mental health. The Speaking Tradition has also taken on new meaning for me. On campus,

it’s about greeting one another with kindness and respect. Out in the world, it has become just as much about speaking up, fueling my interest in advocacy. Most importantly, I met some of the most significant people in my life at W&L — friends, mentors and, ultimately, my husband.

What are your goals during your year term as president of the Alumni Association Board? Each year, we strive to enrich the W&L community through greater alumni engagement. As we continue to focus on our chapters this year, we’re also leaning more into affinity programs (such as the Real Estate Forum, Entrepreneurship Summit, etc.). Events in different cities broaden W&L’s reach and impact, build community and generate ideas by connecting people from specific backgrounds and industries. We’re off to a great start and excited to keep up this momentum.

What would you like alumni to know about ways they can stay connected to W&L and be involved?

Definitely activate your Colonnade Connections account! I also recommend staying connected through social media and checking out chapter, affinity and campaign events in your area — you might be surprised by what you’ll learn and who you’ll meet. And please come back to campus, especially if it’s been a while. W&L has maintained its charm while evolving to meet the needs of today’s students, and returning may inspire you to get involved again.

of local news programming, premium network content and live sports.

Ryan Elliott was appointed chief operating officer for Everstream Analytics, a leader in supply chain insights and risk analytics.

2000

Daniel Grattan was appointed global head of advocacy at Structured Finance Association, a trade association representing the structured finance and securitization industry. Prior, he served as senior vice president for government affairs for Regions, an Alabama-based bank.

2001

Dr. Andrew Dalovisio joined the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center as the director of its myeloma, lymphoma and cellular therapy program. Dalovisio is a board-certified hematologic oncologist with a focus on multiple myeloma, plasma cell disorders and lymphoma.

Julie Holmes was named RepairPal Female Shop Owner of the Year by Women in Auto Care. Holmes serves as co-CEO of Virginia Tire & Auto.

Patrick Mitchell expanded his responsibilities at Ryan Specialty, an international specialty insurance firm, to chief operating officer. Mitchell previously served as chief underwriting officer at the company.

Jonathan Smith was elevated to senior vice president and general counsel of the Atlanta Braves real estate subsidiary, Braves Development Co. LLC. Smith has worked for the Major

League Baseball team for over nine years.

Nicholas Stawasz was a part of a team at Troutman Pepper Lock that was awarded the Private Equity Deal of the Year at the M&A Atlas Awards. The team was acknowledged for counseling Southfield Capital, a lower middle market private equity firm.

2002

Ann Cabell Baskervill , former Commonwealth’s Attorney for Dinwiddie County in Virginia, was inducted into “Marquis Who’s Who.”

Stephen Hostetler, one of the founders of Indivisible Partners, a privately owned and independent advisory firm based in Clearwater, Florida, was named chief compliance officer of the company.

Elizabeth Scruggs was promoted to global brand leader of Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Scruggs has worked for Hilton for 14 years.

Lochlan Wooten was named to the 2024 South Carolina Women in Business list. Wooten is COO of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

2004

Katharine Emerson was named chair of the Congressional Hunger Center Board. Emerson is chief of staff for World Food Program USA.

Morgan “Jess” Lipsey was appointed CEO and president of Apollo Realty Income Solutions Inc., a non-traded net asset value real estate investment trust. Lipsey previously served as co-chief

investment officer of Apollo Global Management, Inc.

BreachRx, provider of the first intelligent cybersecurity incident response management platform designed for the entire enterprise, was named to Fortune Magazine’s 2025 Cyber 60 List of Fastest Growing Cybersecurity Startups. The company was co-founded by Anderson Lunsford , who also acts as CEO.

Dr. John Miller was appointed interim chief medical officer for the DCH Health System in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Graham Nix joined Evercore, a global independent investment banking advisory firm, as senior managing director in the financial institutions group based in New York City. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley as managing director in the financial institutions group.

2005

Patrick Collins was appointed chief growth officer at Auria, a space operations provider. He previously served as chief growth officer of Aeyon, an intelligent automation services provider.

Bethany Evans was named chief marketing officer at Rhone, a Connecticut-based activewear and lifestyle brand. She previously worked for companies such as The North Face and Southwest Airlines.

William “Thomas” Worthy, chief public policy officer at Piedmont Healthcare, was appointed to the Judicial Nominating Committee by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

2006

John “Pierce” Owings joined Partners Real Estate as an equity partner. He previously worked for Cushman & Wakefield.

Brett Strohsacker serves as vice president of football communications for the Philadelphia Eagles, which won their second Super Bowl in 2025.

2007

Charles McCombs was named managing director, acquisitions at Arden Logistics Parks, Arden Group’s logistics real estate operating platform. He previously served as senior director of investments at Affinius Capital.

2009

Matthew Anderson was made partner at Williams Mullen. Working in the firm’s Richmond, Virginia, office, Anderson is a corporate employment attorney, with a focus on defending businesses in employment litigation matters.

Dr. Olivia Claire Ball was named to Mobile Bay’s 40 Under 40 list for 2025. Ball works as a radiation oncologist for the Cancer Center of Mobile.

Hunter Branstetter, counsel at Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, was selected by the Tennessee Bar Association for its 2025 Leadership Law program.

Rebecca Taylor co-authored a study, published in the Journal of Urban Economics, titled “Slow Traffic, Fast Food: The Effects of Time Lost on Food Store Choice.” Taylor is an assistant professor in the Department of

Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Christopher Tutor was selected to participate in the Tennessee Bar Association’s 2025 Leadership Law program. Tutor is a member of Butler Snow’s finance, real estate and restructuring group and focuses his practice on real estate development and finance, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters.

2011

Pilar Caldwell was promoted to partner and head of product and technology practice at Assembly Group, an executive recruiting firm for private equity-based software and technology companies.

Katherine Geddes was promoted to partner at Reed Smith LLP, working in the international firm’s Dallas office.

Thomas “Ted” Moore was promoted to partner at Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc., an independent, employee-owned registered investment advising firm.

Frank Tessier was appointed as chief investment officer at Santa Clara University. Tessier has served as investment director in Santa Clara’s Investment Office since 2021.

2012

Laura Brookshire was named senior executive vice president and chair of the executive committee of

Stephens, an independent, family-owned group of financial services firms.

Scott McClintock was appointed political director for the Business Council of Alabama’s Campaign 2026 initiative, which aims to recruit, endorse and elect candidates who advocate for free markets, economic growth and a competitive business environment in the state.

Kyle McGinnis joined Hamilton Lane, an alternative investment management and advisory company, as vice president of the direct equity investments team. He previously worked at Onex Partners.

Richard Schoenfeld was promoted to managing director at KKR, a global investment firm, in credit and markets in the Washington, D.C., office.

Meg Smith was named a 40 Under 40 by The Roanoker Magazine, which acknowledges the young professionals and leaders who are making an impact in Virginia’s Roanoke Valley and shaping the future landscape of the region. Smith is chief operating officer for MKB, Realtors.

2013

Keaton Fletcher, assistant professor of industrial organizational psychology at Colorado State University, co-authored a report published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. The report, “Financial

Stress and Leadership Behavior: The Role of Leader Gender,” found a connection between managers experiencing financial stress and exhibiting bad behavior toward their direct reports.

2015

Victoria Coates joined Fulton Peak, a vertically integrated multifamily and build-to-rent investment firm, as principal, leading the new Charleston, South Carolina, office.

As new franchise owner, Owen Elliott expanded Kitchen Guard, provider of commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning services, to Birmingham, Alabama.

Vincent Gennaro was promoted to principal at the Sterling Group, a middle-market private equity firm based in Houston.

Morgan Moskal was named to the Live Oak Bank’s Wilmington commercial bank team to serve business owners throughout North Carolina’s Cape Fear region.

2018

Raymond “Emory” Cox was named special assistant to President Donald J. Trump for international economic relations, serving directly under the White House National Economic Council.

2019

Kevin McHugh won the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s Rising Star Award during NVTC’s sixth annual Data Center

Awards. McHugh is a development manager for Peterson Companies in Fairfax, Virginia.

2021

Yosef Medhin joined J.F. Lehman & Company, a middle-market private investment firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, as an associate. Prior to joining the firm, he was an investment analyst in Citi’s industrials group.

Lorena Urruchua was named to Ragan’s Top Women in Communications for 2025. The awards honor the achievements of women who have set new standards across internal and external communications, public relations, HR and beyond. Urruchua is a senior consultant at FTI Consulting.

2022

Jeremy Pak joined the Abacus Finance Group in New York as an analyst.

2024

Hanna Malik was selected to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s So You Want to be a Coach program. Malik is a member of the Emory University’s basketball team as a graduate student.

2025

Jalen Todd signed a contract to play with the Porvoon Butchers, a football team based in Finland.

Teeing Up for the Next Shot

BY AMANDA MINIX

WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY and Lexington Golf and Country Club (LGCC) are collaborating to undertake a complete renovation of the club’s golf course and ancillary facilities, which will support W&L’s top-performing golf teams and revitalize LGCC — Virginia’s second-oldest country club — to benefit the Lexington-Rockbridge community.

Part of the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign, this partnership is unique, not only within the university’s strategic priorities but also within the world of golf course development and renovation. W&L and LGCC representatives formed a new board of managers to oversee the project as well as ensure its ongoing success.

“It’s great that the university embraced the vision of revitalizing this valuable community and university resource,” said board member and senior advisor to University Advancement Beau Dudley ’74, ’79L. “Our very fine golf teams need an appropriate, high-quality golf course and practice facilities, and our alumni will have a great venue when they come back to Lexington.”

Leading golf course architect Lester George designed the renovation plan, which will extend the course to 7,000 yards for collegiate play suitable for NCAA Division III competition. A new irrigation system will be installed, and the pond embankment will be lowered to

promote efficient drainage. Priorities also include rebuilding greens and bunkers and constructing full-length practice facilities and three indoor hitting bays. The existing clubhouse will be replaced, and a covered event pavilion will be added. The club hired Landscapes Golf Management, a firm specializing in golf courses, to promote sustained viability.

Tom Wall IV ’80, P’14, P’15 has been devoted to the project from its inception and is a lead donor. Wall has a long history of supporting W&L’s golf program, having endowed the men’s head coach position and created the Jack Vardaman ’62 Memorial Golf Endowment to support team tournament travel opportunities.

Wall and his father, Tom Wall III ’54, P’80, P’89L, were both members of the W&L golf team during their respective undergraduate experiences.

“I have learned a lot of lessons from playing golf and have gotten to know people better from four hours of the game than in most other settings,” Wall said. “I gravitate toward supporting athletics because I learned as much on the athletic fields as I did in the classroom, and there is a clear need. We are fortunate to be working with some of the best firms in the country to enrich this vital community asset and serve our phenomenally successful golf program.”

Thomas R. Wall IV ’80 Head Men’s Golf Coach Pete Gyscek, who is in his 10th season at W&L, said the current course is too short for collegiate competition, the greens and bunkers have degraded and the driving range only accommodates practicing with irons — not woods or tee shots. During the fall, the teams travel to the Omni Homestead Resort for practice on the weekends.

“We have had challenges with the LGCC course since day one, and I am

proud of what our players have achieved,” Gyscek said.

The men’s golf team ended the 2024-25 season ranked second nationally and with a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Division III Championship. Gyscek was named ODAC Coach of the Year — the second time he has earned the honor — and was named the 2025 Dave Williams Division III National Coach of the Year by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Jonathan McEwen ’27 garnered accolades as ODAC Golfer of the Year, All-Tournament Team and All-ODAC First Team. And he was named the 2025 NCAA Division III Player of the Year by GCAA, receiving the Jack Nicklaus Award. The women’s team ranked 14th, won its seventh consecutive ODAC Championship in April and competed in the NCAA Championship in May. Both teams maintain collective GPAs above 3.5 and are among the highest-achieving Division III student-athletes in the nation.

Wall and fellow alumnus and member of the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees Geordy Johnson ’05 co-hosted a golf event for alumni and

the W&L golf teams at Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, South Carolina, in February 2025. Johnson started playing golf as an adult and has developed a love for the game and a deep admiration for W&L’s program.

“These young people outperform the student body at large in addition to their athletic prowess competing at the highest level of Division III, and yet they don’t have real greens they can practice on, they don’t have a driving range, and they can’t host a tournament,” Johnson said. “We have the talent to be a perennial top-five program in the future, but we need the facilities to nurture it.”

Fellow lead donor for the golf course renovation Matt Goodwin ’94 attended the affinity event at Yeamans. He and his family own several golf resorts in South Carolina, and Goodwin is chair of the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head. In his role, he has overseen several golf course renovations.

“It has the potential to be one of the best courses in the state of Virginia,” he said of LGCC, “and it will be a place that W&L alumni, parents and the entire community can enjoy.” n

A. Mayor polo — $150 B. Legacy Back Nine rope hat (navy blue) — $35.99

C. Sleepy Saturday Lex matchbox short sleeve pajama set — $160

D. Titleist ProV1 golf balls (three pack) — $17.50

E. Land’s End medium five-pocket canvas tote — $64

1. Bridget Washington Flood ’21 to Lucas Flood ’21 on Aug. 13, 2022. The couple had 45 W&L alumni attend their wedding, with all the bridesmaids and six of the eight groomsmen being alums. Those pictured with the couple are: John Veatch ’88, Leeann Veatch ’89, Elizabeth Herman ’22, Katherine Berman ’22, ’25L, Emma Rabuse ’20, Carissa Rodriguez ’21, Sarah Sanchez ’20, Lilly Gillespie ’22, McKenzie Napier ’22, Katherine Weaver ’21, Elizabeth Lanier ’21, Lee Bernstein ’20, Sadie Pruett ’21, Bethany Reitsma ’20, Emily Cohen ’19, Jacob Flood ’21, Bradley Jones ’21, Turner Gray ’21, Owen Hadden ’21, Noah Gallagher ’21, Killian Green ’21, Allen Litvak ’21, Jacob Day ’21,

Jay Choi ’21, Franklin Rinko ’21, Jackson Monroe ’21, Bradford Stephenson ’22, Ella Hall ’22, William Medick ’21, Christina Savory Medick ’22, Jacob Kintzing ’21, Julia Wickman ’21, William Robertson ’22, Emma Stoffel ’21, Randolph Maxwell ’22, Sam Weed ’22, James Lawson ’21, Laurie Jones ’21, Caroline Buckley ’20, Charlotte Radcliffe ’20 and Charles Thomas ’21.

2. Lexi Sortisio ’18 to Cole Wilbur ’18 on Sept. 3, 2023, in Lexington, Virginia.

3. John Bowman ’17 to Jenny Lee Bowman ’17 on Oct. 22, 2023, in Charleston, South Carolina, at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Other W&L attendees pictured include: Elliot Emadian ’17, Austin Frank ’17, Ashley

Ooms ’17, Logan Wilson ’17, Joe Wu ’16, Alex Azer ’16, Mike North ’17, Callie Taylor Azer ’17, Conan Zhao ’16, Tim Diette (former professor and Shepherd Program director), Caleigh Wells ’17, Megan Shearer Hall ’15, Patrick Ozark ’17, Noelle Rutland Camp ’17, Gabby Shaw ’17, Katie Windle ’17 and Alexandra Seymour ’17. Not pictured but in attendance: Claire Conarroe ’19, John Dannehl ’17, Tommy Lee ’25, Laurel Romano ’17, Melissa Anemojanis Svehla ’89 and Chris Miller (former Chi Omega house mom).

4. Miles Bent ’17 to Emily Zavrel ’17 on Sept. 7, 2024, in New Gloucester, Maine. Many W&L connections were in attendance.

5. Mary Kathryn Field ’21L to Will Mallery ’16, ’21L on Sept. 14, 2024, in High Point, North Carolina. The wedding party included Bentley Boldt ’16, Jim Dwyer ’22L, Virginia Dwyer ’21L, Robert Eckstein ’16, Giles Geddes ’16, Morgan Hall ’16, Bennett Henson ’16, Jack Koch ’16, Mark Mallery P’16, P’21L and Patrick Wright ’16, ’21L. The couple met at W&L Law and are both practicing attorneys in Dallas. She is a managing associate in the Global Finance Group at Sidley Austin, and he is an associate in the Jones Walker Corporate Group.

6. Katie Geddes ’11 to Dr. Jonathan Wilson on Oct. 12, 2024, at Glenapp

BIRTHS

Castle in Ballantrae, Scotland. Alumni in attendance include Hannah Murphy Luchsinger ’10, Catherine Pearsall Stallé ’10, John Stallé ’13, Mary Morgan Radcliffe Stevens ’11, Davin Hunt ’07, Richard Saum ’11, Elizabeth Mann Rhodes ’10, Reed Stevens ’10, Ginny Spilman Marrapode ’11, Mary Helen Turnage Skeadas ’11, Will Dorrance ’11, Karie Micklem Dorrance ’11, Courtney Fairbrother ’11, Kevin Mannering ’10, Ginny Hodges McLendon ’11, Martin McLendon ’11 and Anne Lindsey McColloch Hunt ’09.

7. Elizabeth Fox ’92 to Michael Hutton on Nov. 16, 2024, in New

Emily Starks ’12 and Ryan Starks ’14L , a son, Emmett John Starks, on Oct. 31, 2024.

Charlotte Rhodes Pasiadis ’16L and George Pasiadis, a daughter, Meredith Weatherford, on Nov. 1, 2024.

Orleans. Joining in the festivities were fellow Generals and classmates Lisa McHenry White ’92, Andy McGuire ’92, Julie Vennes Hancock ’92, Muriel Foster Schelke ’92, Devon McAllister Rothwell ’92, Ellen Lewis Gildea ’92, Garnett Wilbourn Hutton ’92, Courtney Hall Murphy ’92, Courtney Warren Lewis ’92, Gabrey Croft Means ’92, Kimberly Bishop Connors ’92, Jane Murphy ’24, Mena McGowan Morgan ’92, Scott Prigge ’92, Douglas Lindsay ’92 and Les Lewis ’91.

8. Charlie Karp Thomson ’16 to Jack Thomson ’16 on April 5, 2025, in Chicago. Many W&L friends celebrated their wedding.

1. Tom Wohlfarth ’84 met up with his golf buddy, Mike Mayhew, a 2014 VMI graduate, at the Richmond Country Club. Wohlfarth is retired from Dominion Energy, where he worked for 34 years and was senior vice president of regulatory affairs, and Mayhew works for Commonwealth Commercial Partners as vice president. Both reside in Richmond; Wohlfarth is married with five grown kids, and Mayhew is married with a little girl.

2. While Ted Willard ’88 visited his daughter, Jayne, who moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, to work for the Minnesota Parks Department, he met up with classmate Leif Ueland ’88 and his wife, Colleen, for dinner, after not having seen one another in 35 years.

3. Eight cognitive and behavioral science alumni returned to campus for the first annual CBSC Young Alumni Panel. Alex Vaught ’23, Grace Boudreau ’23 , Meg Guignon ’19, Davis Straske ’19, Anton Livshin ’19, Layne Nalty ’19, Josie Hurst ’19 and Marie Baldwin ’19 shared

information about their professional paths and what was important to them, regarding their careers, during their time at W&L. Areas represented were health care (psychiatrist, physician’s assistant and nurse practitioner), business, data analysis, graduate school and law.

4. Jim Haynes ’82 , Witt Caruthers ’83 , John Williams ’82 and Henry Clay ’82 flyfished for Arctic char on the Erfalik River in Greenland.

5. David Burns ’89, Jim Williams ’88 , Mike Carroll ’89 and Gar Sydnor ’89 reunited with Gordon Spice, professor of music emeritus, on campus. The four alums sang together in Southern Comfort as students, and, during that time, Spice was the musical director for the group and the men’s Glee Club.

6. Rene Louapre, Adam Geist , Bennett McGehee and Carson Penkava , all Sigma Alpha Epsilon members from the Class of 2004, hiked the 38.5-mile Trans-Catalina Trail in one day to honor their friend and pledge brother, John Saxon , and his battle with a debilitating illness.

Distinguished Accolades

2025 Distinguished Alumni Award winners Burr Datz ’75, Charlie Antrim ’00, Guy Kerr ’75, Brook Hartzell ’00 and Eugene Perry Jr. ’75, ’78L

During Alumni Weekend in May 2025, five Washington and Lee University alumni were honored with this year’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award.

BURR DATZ ’75

Datz earned his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, cum laude, in 1975. From 1988 to 2001 and again from 2010 to 2017, he served as campus minister at both Washington and Lee and Virginia Military Institute. Between his campus ministry tenure, Datz served as W&L’s director of leadership development and coordinator of religious life.

GUY KERR ’75

Kerr earned a Bachelor of Science in business and accounting, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1975. A standout on the basketball team, Kerr holds the single-game school record for seven steals.

Kerr earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1978, graduating Order of the Coif. He began

his legal career at Locke, Purnell, Boren, Laney & Neely PC (now Troutman Pepper Locke LLP), where he was a partner from 1984 to 2000, later returning as of counsel from 2015 to 2018. In 2004, Kerr received the Robert H. Dedman Award for Ethics and Law from the Texas General Counsel Forum and the SMU Dedman School of Law.

EUGENE PERRY JR. ’75, ’78L

Perry earned his Bachelor of Arts in history in 1975 and his Juris Doctor in 1978, both from Washington and Lee University. As an undergraduate, Perry was a member of the basketball team and served as president of the Student Association for Black Unity.

After earning his law degree, Perry joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation and worked in counterintelligence on

the New York City bureau’s Russian squad. In 1983, Perry fulfilled a lifelong dream of working in sports by joining a Philadelphia-based agency, eventually becoming president of Wilkinson & Perry and later founding Perry Group International, focusing on athlete representation and sports marketing.

CHARLIE ANTRIM ’00

Antrim earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics in 2000. A standout on the lacrosse field and in the classroom, he was a two-time USILA All-American and was named a USILA Scholar All-American in 2000.

He has built a career at the intersection of finance, agriculture and global supply chains. He spent 12 years at SAC Capital/ Point72, and, in 2020, he founded Walnut Level Capital, an investment management firm that provides fundamental supply chain analysis of the global agriculture and material sectors. He is also the co-founder and managing partner of Agroforestry Partners.

BROOK HARTZELL ’00

Hartzell earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and accounting in 2000. A standout scholar-athlete, she was a four-time All-American in tennis. In 2000, Hartzell was the first graduate of Washington and Lee to receive the Ernest L. Ransome III Scholarship at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She earned a master’s degree in management, economics and international relations. Hartzell’s career has focused on the technology space. For over two decades, she built her operating capabilities in functional and corporate roles for Seagate Technology and Workday. She is currently an operating principal at Crosspoint Capital. n

Read more about each award winner on W&L’s news site, The Columns.

OBITS

1940s

William A. Magee ’46 of Roanoke, Virginia, died on March 6, 2025. He worked at the Shenandoah Life Insurance Company for 35 years, retiring as vice president-investments and treasurer. At the same time, he remained in the Naval Reserve for 21 years, after serving in World War II, retiring with the rank of lieutenant commander.

1950s

Howard S. Kaylor ’50, ’52L of Hagerstown, Maryland, died on March 4, 2025. He started his brokerage career in 1953 and retired after 55 years from RBC Wealth Management. He was president of the Chapter Volunteers.

John R. Wittpenn ’51 of Vero Beach, Florida, died on Dec. 8, 2024. He ran his family’s company, Rockland Chemical Company — later Rockland Corporation — for over 50 years. He belonged to Beta Theta Pi.

William H. Lyon ’52 of Wilmington, North Carolina, died on May 5, 2025. He started two wrought iron furniture companies, Carolina Forge and Lyon-Shaw, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Casual Furniture Association. He was on the football team and was a member of the Generals Athletics Hall of Fame team of 1950. He belonged to Sigma Chi.

The Hon. J. Bennett Johnston Jr. ’54 of McLean, Virginia, died on March 25, 2025. He served four terms

in the U.S. Senate, representing Louisiana, and chaired the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

Paul M. Maslansky ’54 of Malibu, California, died on Dec. 2, 2024. He was a film producer, best known for the “Police Academy” franchise and movies “Castle of the Living Dead” and “Return to Oz.” He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He was on the baseball and soccer teams and belonged to Zeta Beta Tau.

Roy T. Matthews Jr. ’54 of Washington, D.C., died on Nov. 24, 2024. He taught history for over 30 years at Michigan State University. He was class secretary for the W&L Fund and co-chairman of the Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Kappa Alpha and Phi Beta Kappa.

The Rev. Frederick A. Arndt ’55 of Lexington, Virginia, died on Dec. 25, 2024. He served for 41 years as a minister in the United Methodist Church.

George T. W. Hendrix Jr. ’55 of Olean, New York, died on April 7, 2025. He operated Both, Branch and Hendrix, Inc., an independent insurance agency. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta and was on the baseball team.

Stephen M. Quillen ’55, ’57L of Lebanon, Virginia, died on Jan. 14, 2025. He practiced law in Lebanon for 61 years, working as an attorney until he was 86 at Quillen & Quillen law firm. He belonged to Kappa Sigma.

William W. Dixon ’56 of Atlanta died on May 3, 2025. He worked for 25 years at

Tucker Wayne & Co. while also embarking on several entrepreneurial businesses, including the purchase of radio stations throughout the Southeast. He was on the football and wrestling teams. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

Charles A. MacIntosh ’56 of Falls Church, Virginia, died on Feb. 12, 2025. After earning a Master of Public Health from Yale University, he held roles in hospital administration. He was an undergraduate class agent for the W&L Fund, a board member for the Chapter Volunteers and a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Sigma Nu.

James R. Brown Jr. ’57 of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, died on Jan. 25, 2025. He worked in a variety of industries, from manufacturing to running a real estate brokerage to operating a Slush Puppie franchise. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

C. Peter Leininger III ’57 of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died on Nov. 4, 2024. He was director of finance for Oil Dynamics Inc., president of Harbor Investment Corporation and was a controller at AAON, Inc. He belonged to Sigma Nu and Pi Alpha Nu.

Dr. Alfred J. Magoline Jr. ’57 of Akron, Ohio, died on April 14, 2025. He served in the United States Army Medical Corps, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the rank of lieutenant colonel, before practicing otolaryngology for three decades, acting as chief of the ENT service at Akron Children’s Hospital. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He

belonged to Sigma Nu and Alpha Epsilon Delta.

Dr. James C. Mayoza ’57 of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died on Feb. 27, 2025. He practiced orthopedic surgery for over 50 years, working for St. John’s Hospital and St. Francis Hospital. He was a member of the football team and belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Loren A. Mintz ’57 of Boca Raton, Florida, died on Feb. 25, 2025. He was longtime president of Shaker Savings Association, which was founded by his father. He belonged to Zeta Beta Tau and Psi Chi.

William B. Barnett ’58 of Jacksonville, Florida, died on Feb. 28, 2025. He devoted his entire career to Barnett Bank, which was founded by his great-grandfather in 1877. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

Fred L. Heina ’58 of Sarasota, Florida, died on March 25, 2025. He worked as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and Bache. He was a member of the football team and belonged to Delta Tau Delta.

E. Michael Masinter ’58 , ’61L of Atlanta died on April 1, 2025. He practiced at Hansell, Post, Brandon & Dorsey, rising to tax and international partner and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a law class agent for the W&L Fund and was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Phi Delta Pi.

C. Parkhill Mays Jr. ’58 of Lakeland, Florida, died on April 13, 2025. He practiced law at Holland, Bevis,

HARLAN BECKLEY, FORMER ACTING UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT AND FLETCHER OTEY THOMAS PROFESSOR OF RELIGION EMERITUS

Harlan Beckley, former acting president of Washington and Lee University, Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion Emeritus and founding director of the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability, died on Oct. 21. He was 81.

Beckley was born to William and Bernadine Beckley on Nov. 27, 1943, in Bellflower, Illinois. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1966. He spent a year at Wesley Theological Seminary and then completed his Master of Divinity in 1972, his Master of Arts in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Christian theological ethics in 1978 from Vanderbilt University. He accepted a position as instructor of religion at W&L in 1974, working his way to become professor of religion in 1989 and Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion in 1999. He published his first book, “Passion for Justice:

Smith & Kibler, which became Holland & Knight LLP, for 55 years. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee, and he belonged to Kappa Alpha.

George Mercke III ’58 of Louisville, Kentucky, died on March 26, 2025. He was vice president for the Jefferson Wood Working Company and president of Harrods Creek Property Management Co., Inc. He belonged to Beta Theta Pi.

Maj. Gen. Ross G. Pickus ’58 of Glen Allen, Virginia, died on Jan. 29, 2025. He served with the U.S. Army for 38 years in various assignments and commands, earning numerous military awards and decorations such as the Distinguished Service Medal

and the Legion of Merit. After his retirement from the military, he served as vice president of business development at Computer Associates, Inc.

Robert D. Bohan ’59 of Denver died on April 28, 2025. He served as top executive leader of industrial product companies Paslode, Senco and Duo-Fast. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee, and he belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

Thomas B. Bryant III ’59, ’61L of Orangeburg, South Carolina, died on Feb. 4, 2025. He practiced law in Orangeburg since 1961 and served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was an undergraduate class agent

Retrieving the Legacies of Walter Rauschenbusch, John A. Ryan and Reinhold Niebuhr,” in 1992 and published “Rethinking Equal Opportunity: Dignity, Human Capability and Justice” in 2024.

Beckley taught his first POV 101 class in 1997 — after conversations with W&L Board of Trustees member Tom Shepherd ’52 — which launched the Shepherd Program. In 2012, Beckley founded the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) and was director until 2017.

Beckley served as interim acting university president in 2005 and held the post until the university hired Ken Ruscio ’76 in 2006. He officially retired from W&L in 2014. In 2002, Beckley received the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award, the highest award in Virginia for excellence in education. In 2018, W&L awarded him an honorary degree.

Beckley is survived by his wife, Deborah Beckley, children Benjamin Beckley (Jess), Jonathan Beckley (Stephne) and Rachel Beckley Murray (Mark), grandchildren Houston, Scarlette and Sarah and brother Lelan Beckley (Char). He was predeceased by his brother BJ Beckley (Jackie).

for the W&L Fund, president of the Law Council and member of the Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Phi Delta Phi.

Andrew T. Treadway ’59 of Charlotte, North Carolina, died on Nov. 16, 2024. He worked in the banking industry before working for several years doing commercial property appraisals. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee and belonged to Phi Kappa Psi.

1960s

Russell J. Mickler ’60 of Jacksonville, Florida, died on March 2, 2025. He started his own business, Benchmark

Services. He belonged to Delta Tau Delta.

Henry E. Burr ’61 of McArthur, Ohio, died on April 8, 2025. He was a professor of genetics at Stanford University. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee, and he belonged to Delta Upsilon.

William M. D. Kincaide ’61 of Napa, California, died on Nov. 11, 2024. He had a career in education, most recently as director of administration for the Close-Up Foundation in Washington, D.C. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

Robert R. Lovelace ’61 of Urbanna, Virginia, died on April 12, 2024. He worked 35 years in broad-based businesses such as sales, trade

association management and personnel administration. He belonged to Phi Gamma Delta.

Dr. Charles P. Riley ’61 of Pensacola, Florida, died on Dec. 9, 2024. He practiced cardiology. He belonged to Pi Kappa Alpha and Alpha Epsilon Delta.

Dr. W. Barton Dick ’62 of Lexington, Virginia, died on Dec. 9, 2024. He was Lexington’s first orthopedic surgeon and retired in 2003. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He was on the football team and belonged to Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Epsilon Delta.

Pearce D. Hardwick ’62 of Atlanta died on Nov. 1, 2024. He enjoyed a 57-year career as a real estate attorney, working for Huie and Harland; Frankel, Hardwick, Tannenbaum, Fink and Clark; and McGee and Oxford. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee and the basketball and baseball teams and belonged to Beta Theta Pi and Phi Eta Sigma.

M. Lawrence Keech Jr. ’62 of Greensboro, North Carolina, died on March 25, 2025. He was a sportswriter, columnist and editor at the News & Record for 36 years. He belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma.

Dr. Michael J. Spalding ’62 of Nashville, Tennessee, died on Dec. 11, 2024. He practiced urology at his own private practice for 37 years. He was on the golf team and belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

Charles S. Lane ’63 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, died on Jan. 19, 2025. He was director of public relations for the Green Bay Packers under head coach Vince Lombardi before working for teams in the United States Football

League and for Wisconsin Employers Insurance, which would become Humana. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He was on the football and baseball teams and belonged to Phi Kappa Psi and Omicron Delta Kappa.

John F. Refo ’63 of Midlothian, Virginia, died on Dec. 5, 2024. He belonged to Sigma Chi, Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma.

David J. André ’64 , ’67L of Winchester, Virginia, died on Jan. 7, 2025. He spent a career in law, forming André, Rabun and Fowler and practicing in Winchester and Kansas City, Missouri. He belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma.

Kent E. Beecroft ’64 of Uvalde, Texas, died on April 18, 2025. He helped manage Uvalde Lumber and Hardware Company.

William H. Marmion Jr. ’64 of Dallas died on March 29, 2025. He led the history department and taught AP economics and AP U.S. history at St. Mark’s School for 31 years. He belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma and Phi Beta Kappa.

John D. McCoy ’64 of Morrisville, North Carolina, died on Jan. 28, 2025. He worked with the National Association of Securities Dealers for a decade before working for 25 years as portfolio manager for the North Carolina Department of the State Treasurer’s Office. He belonged to Delta Upsilon.

Eric H. Wilson ’64 of Oneonta, New York, died on Nov. 7, 2024. He worked in programming and computer systems development, spending the majority of his career as director of computer services and SUNY Oneonta.

MATTHEW THOMPSON ’64, TRUSTEE EMERITUS

Matthew Gilmour Thompson ’64, trustee emeritus of Washington and Lee University, died Sept. 24, 2025. He was 83.

Thompson was born June 3, 1942, in Richmond, Virginia, to Madeline Waller and Edward Thompson. After graduating from St. Christopher’s School in 1960, Thompson attended W&L, majoring in commerce and belonging to Kappa Alpha fraternity. He earned his MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 1966.

Thompson partnered with Jack Siegel and Pierce Walmsley to co-found Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLP, an independent investment counsel firm. Thompson managed billions of dollars in assets before he retired in 2012. In 2018, he was inducted into the Richmond Business Hall of Fame.

While a member of W&L’s Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2002, Thompson served as chair of the Investment Committee and Capital Projects Committee. He was the Richmond area chair for W&L’s On the Shoulders of Giants capital campaign. Thompson served on boards for the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges, Richmond Ballet, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, The Steward School, University of Virginia Investment Management Company, The Island School, the Massey Cancer Center and St. Christopher’s School.

He enjoyed fishing, bird hunting, golfing, developing his wild quail preserve and refurbishing houses. He was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, The Country Club of Virginia, the Commonwealth Club and the Cousiac Club.

Thompson is survived by his wife, Janet Herring Thompson; children, Matthew G. Thompson Jr. ’84 (Nancy), Carter P. Thompson (Chase) and Douglas Donnan Thompson O’Keefe (Stewart); brother, Edward Hunter Thompson Jr. ’61 (Nell); sister, Roberta Thompson Garnett; grandchildren, Matthew Thompson (Anne Sims), Tucker Thompson ’15 (Gloria), Giles Thompson, Liza Highfill (Sean), Rollins Thompson, Belle O’Keefe ’23 and Jay O’Keefe ’26; and great-grandchildren, Moore Thompson, Hayes Thompson and Ramsey Highfill. 

HEATHER ROSS MILLER, THOMAS

H. BROADUS JR. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH EMERITA

Heather Ross Miller, Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English Emerita at Washington and Lee University, died July 9, 2025, in Lexington, Virginia. She was 85. She was born Sept. 15, 1939, in Badin, North Carolina, to Fred Elbert Ross Jr. and Geneva Smith Ross. Miller earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1961, graduating magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and then her Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She taught English at Southeastern Community College, Stanly Technical College (now Stanly Community College), Pfeiffer College (now Pfeiffer University) and the University of Arkansas.

She won a National Association of Independent Schools Award for her first novel, “The Edge of the Woods” (1964). “Tenants of the House” (1966) won a Sir Walter Raleigh Award for fiction, and “The Wind Southerly” (1967) won the Oscar Arnold Young Cup for poetry. She received three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and was nominated for Pushcart Prizes in both poetry and fiction. She earned the Alumni Achievement Award from UNC-Greensboro, won the North Carolina Award for Literature and was named to the distinguished stories list in “Best American Stories.”

In 1992, she joined the W&L faculty in the English Department, teaching creative writing and serving as advisory editor for the Shenandoah literary magazine. She became the Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English in 1999 and published a collection of poems, “Days of Love and Murder,” and her fourth novel, “Champeen,” which was nominated for a Virginia Literary Award. She wrote her first memoir in 2000, “Crusoe’s Island: A Story of a Writer and a Place.”

She retired from W&L in 2003 after 11 years.

She is survived by her daughter, Melissa Miller, her son, Kirk Miller (Tina), and her grandsons, Alexander and Finnegan Miller. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Miller.

He was on the soccer team and belonged to Delta Tau Delta.

Hal S. Chase ’65 of Des Moines, Iowa, died on May 22, 2025. He spent 20 years teaching at Des Moines Area Community College as a professor in African American studies and American history. He was an undergraduate class agent for the W&L Fund and was a member of the Reunion Class Committee. He was on the football, swimming & diving and baseball teams. He belonged to Kappa Alpha.

Robert D. Barclay ’66 of Fredericksburg, Virginia, died on March 19, 2025. He fought in the Vietnam War as a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He was the founder and principal of a sales and marketing agency in the commercial building industry. He was a member of the football team and belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

W. Thomas Colquitt III ’66 of Shreveport, Louisiana, died on Dec. 29, 2024. He practiced dentistry until 2022. He belonged to Pi Kappa Alpha.

Samuel H. Frazier ’66 of Belle Mina, Alabama, died on May 13, 2025. He held a deep passion for historic preservation and urban renewal, which fed into his civic engagement and law practice at Spain & Gillon. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee, and he belonged to Beta Theta Pi.

Nathan V. M. Hendricks III ’66 , ’69L of Atlanta died on Dec. 27, 2024. He practiced law at several Atlanta law firms before founding his own, specializing in real estate, zoning and government permitting. He was a law class agent for the W&L Fund, a member of the Law Council

and law reunion member for the Reunion Class Committee. He was on the baseball team and belonged to Beta Theta Pi and Phi Delta Phi.

Herbert J. Mitchell ’66 of Chantilly, Virginia, died on Nov. 12, 2024. He was a scientist at the Science Applications International Corporation. He belonged to Phi Epsilon Pi.

David D. Redmond ’66 , ’69L of Richmond, Virginia, died on Feb. 26, 2025. He enjoyed an over four-decade career at Christian & Barton LLP, specializing in commercial real estate. He was director of the Alumni Board, law class agent for the W&L Fund, board member for the Chapter Volunteers, member of the Law Council and law reunion member for the Reunion Class Committee. He was on the soccer team and inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. He belonged to Sigma Nu and Omicron Delta Kappa.

David A. Glocker ’67 of West Henrietta, New York, died on Jan. 2, 2025. He taught at Rochester Institute of Technology, then worked at Kodak Research Laboratories before transitioning to his own company, Isoflux, Inc.

Robert S. McIntyre Jr. ’67 of Mantoloking, New Jersey, died on Jan. 18, 2025. He owned a furniture refinishing business, later purchasing the Bay Head Spirit Shop and finishing his career in life insurance. He belonged to Kappa Alpha.

Dr. Theodore K. Oates II ’67 of Northbrook, Illinois, died on April 9, 2025. He practiced general and vascular surgery at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, New York, before continuing his

FREDERICK COOPER ’64, P’94, TRUSTEE EMERITUS

Frederick Cooper ’64, P’94, trustee emeritus of Washington and Lee University, died June 14, 2025. He was 83.

Cooper was born Jan. 18, 1942, in Thomasville, Georgia. He graduated from Parker High School in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1960 and earned his Bachelor of Arts in history at W&L in 1964. He belonged to Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, served as vice president of the Interfraternity Council and was a member of ROTC and the debate team.

Cooper graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1967. Following law school, he served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps; afterward he joined a private practice in Thomasville. In 1973, he joined Flower Foods and became the company’s first general counsel, rising to president and vice chairman of the board of directors. In 1990, Cooper

private practice of general surgery until his retirement. He was a member of the swimming & diving team, and he belonged to Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Epsilon Delta.

L. Holmes Raker ’68 of Iron River, Michigan, died on Feb. 7, 2025. He served in the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of lieutenant and was awarded two medals, before working as a hospital administrator in the Midwest. He was on the football team and belonged to Delta Tau Delta.

Joseph T. Chadwick, Jr. ’69 of Cockeysville, Maryland, died on Dec. 30, 2024. He pursued a career in finance, working for T. Rowe Price, Vanguard, Mercer, ICMA and his own consultancy, The Chadwick Group. He belonged to Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Brent J. Foreman ’69 of Grand Rapids, Michigan, died on April 17, 2025.

1970s

Gordon M. Henry ’70, ’73L of Bermuda died on Dec. 16, 2024. He built a career rooted in service, hospitality and entrepreneurship on Bermuda. He belonged to Beta Theta Pi.

Dr. Michael G. Florence ’71 of Mercer Island, Washington, died on March 2, 2025. He was a general surgeon and held the position of chief of surgery and chair of the Surgical Quality Improvement Committee at the Swedish Hospital Medical Center. He belonged to Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Epsilon Delta.

launched his own baked goods company, CooperSmith; he sold it to Earthgrains in 1997.

He served as chairman of the Georgia Republican Party in the early 1980s and acted as the state’s campaign chairman for George H. W. Bush and later George W. Bush. In 2003, he was appointed by President George W. Bush as chairman of the host committee for the G8 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia.

Cooper served on the W&L Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2017. Additionally, he served on the Parents Committee for the On the Shoulders of Giants capital campaign, the Reunion Class Committee for his 45th and 50th reunions, the Williams School Advisory Board, the Mock Convention Advisory Board for the 2012 convention and the Area Campaign Committee. He and his then-wife, Helen Dykes Cooper, created the CooperArcher Scholarship at W&L. He was recognized on the Honored Benefactors Wall in Washington Hall in 2013.

Cooper is survived by his sons, Derick Cooper ’94 (Beckwith ’90, ’93L) and Jay Cooper (Hillary), and his five grandchildren: Preston, Carter, Raleigh, Sam and Charlotte.

Gregg B. Williams ’71 of Roanoke, Virginia, died on Feb. 16, 2025. He spent his career as a psychologist at Catawba Hospital in Catawba, Virginia, until his retirement. He belonged to Lambda Chi Alpha.

Craig R. Nelson ’72 of Bradenton, Florida, died on April 18, 2025. He built a career in product development, materials science and manufacturing automation, beginning at Introl Industries; he was awarded 12 U.S. patents.

Millard S. Younts ’72 of Richmond, Virginia, died on March 9, 2025. He worked as a media broker for Chapman Associates then CEO of Media Services and EnVest Media. He was an undergraduate class agent for the W&L Fund and a member of the

Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Sigma Nu.

Charles L. Henry III ’73 of Atlanta died on April 16, 2025. He worked 21 years as a contracts officer for the Bureau of Purchasing and Real Estate with the city of Atlanta before embarking on a second career as a teacher at the Horizons School.

Gregory S. Thompson ’73 of Atlanta died on Feb. 9, 2025. He started Thompson Insurance Enterprises, Inc. (THOMCO), building the fledging wholesale insurance operation up to a major program administrator, and later served as president of Markel Specialty. He belonged to Kappa Alpha.

Geoffrey N. Nolan ’74 of Atlanta died on May 1, 2025. He enjoyed a successful 50-year career in real estate, receiving the Lifetime

MIMI ELROD, FORMER W&L FIRST LADY AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Mimi Milner Elrod, former first lady at Washington and Lee University and associate director of Special Programs, died March 25, 2025. She was 81.

Mimi Elrod was born Jan. 30, 1944, in Atlanta to Benjamin Charles Milner and Eleanor O’Beirne Milner. She married John William Elrod in 1963, and, in 1966, she earned her Bachelor of Science from Oglethorpe University.

In 1971, the Elrods moved to Ames, Iowa, where Mimi Elrod earned a master’s degree in 1977 and a Ph.D. in 1980 in early childhood development. In 1984, the Elrods moved to Lexington, Virginia, when John Elrod became dean of the College at W&L.

Mimi Elrod started working for the university in 1986 in the Office of Admissions. In 1990, she moved to the Office of Special Programs, now Lifelong Learning, as the assistant director and became associate director the following year. She also became the director of Summer Scholars, a four-week program offered to incoming high school seniors to prepare them for the academic rigors of college.

In 1995, she became the university’s first lady as John Elrod was named the 22nd president of W&L. While continuing her position in Special Programs, she worked as a child and family development consultant and contributed to academic journals in developmental psychology. In 2002, the university awarded her a Doctor of Letters.

John Elrod died in 2001 after a long battle with cancer. Mimi Elrod continued to work at the university until retiring in 2009 after 22 years of service. She embarked on a second career in local politics and gained an appointment to complete an unfinished term on Lexington’s City Council in 2003. In 2006, voters elected her to a full term. Two years later, she made history as the first female mayor of Lexington, a position she held until 2016.

Mimi Elrod is survived by her sons, Adam Elrod and Joshua Elrod (Francile), and five grandchildren, Emmett Nocton, Madeleine Nocton, Adam Sloan Elrod, John Elrod and Sierra Elrod. She was predeceased by her husband of 38 years, John.

Achievement Award for the Atlanta Board of Realtors. He belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa and was on the basketball team.

David A. Mycoff ’75 of Asheville, North Carolina, died on Dec. 15, 2024. He taught English and medieval and renaissance studies at Warren Wilson College until his retirement in 2021. He was a member of the track & field outdoor team and belonged to Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Sigma Alpha.

E. Sanford Williams ’75 of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, died on Feb. 15, 2025. He worked alongside his father at Affiliated Paper Company before owning and operating Fair Contracting Inc. and co-owning and managing Cypress Creek Landfill. He was a member of the Reunion Class Committee and belonged to Sigma Nu.

John T. Berley ’77 of Annapolis, Maryland, died on Dec. 13, 2024. He belonged to Phi Kappa Psi.

James C. Vardell III ’77 of Charleston, South Carolina, died on May 17, 2025. He spent his career practicing at Cravath, Swaine, and Moore in the corporate department, focusing on finance transactions. He was a member of the Parents Leadership Council and the Reunion Class Committee. He belonged to Pi Kappa Alpha.

1980s

William W. Kelly Jr. ’80 of Atlanta died on Jan. 14, 2025. His career as a CPA in banking took him to Raleigh,

North Carolina, and Atlanta. He belonged to Chi Psi.

Edward T. Taylor II ’81 of Memphis, Tennessee, died on Nov. 6, 2024. He worked for investment adviser firm Delta Asset Management. He was director of the Alumni Board and a board member for the Chapter Volunteers. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.

John D. Metz ’88 of Richmond, Virginia, died in May 2025. He was the deputy for collections and programs and the state librarian for the Library of Virginia. He belonged to Kappa Sigma.

1990s

Elissa Pruett Leonard ’93 of Madison, Alabama, died on Dec. 27, 2024. She was a communications and public affairs specialist, serving on the congressional staff and working for the White House.

Andrew W. Niblock ’97 of Cos Cob, Connecticut, died on Dec. 6, 2024. He was head of the lower school, and later director of special initiatives, at Greenwich Country Day School. He was a board member of the Chapter Volunteers and belonged to Chi Psi.

2000s

Mark A. Raeder ’01 of Chicago died on March 25, 2025. He was principal and co-founder at Summit Ridge Energy, the largest commercial solar company in the U.S. He was a member of the lacrosse team and belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma.

PHILIP ARCHEL GIBBS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

OF BUSINESS

Philip Archel Gibbs, associate professor of business, died Jan. 16, 2025, in Lexington, Virginia. He was 77.

Gibbs was born March 13, 1947, as the youngest of four to Russell Killian Gibbs and Bernice Thomas Gibbs in Lake Jackson, Texas. He graduated from Brazosport High School in 1965 and was a proud member of the football team. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Chicago.

Before pursuing his Ph.D. in management studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Gibbs held management positions in business planning, marketing and finance at UOP Inc. and FMC Corporation and worked as principal in the strategy practice at Hay Consultants. He later founded and served as principal of Renaissance Management Consulting and acted as CFO for MedSci Technologies, Inc. while also pursuing a career in higher education.

Arriving at Washington and Lee University in 1993, Gibbs spent a few years as a visiting professor of management and adjunct professor in accounting and business administration before becoming a permanent fixture in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics. He was named associate professor of management in 2005 and then associate professor of business in 2010. He retired from W&L in 2013.

Gibbs held interests in multiple areas of research, such as management in terms of innovation, technology-oriented entrepreneurial businesses and mergers and acquisitions, and looking into strategic decision-making in regard to both organizational learning and the role of boards of directors. His work was published in MIT Sloan Management Review, Strategy & Leadership, Strategic Management Journal, Organizational Dynamics and Career Development International.

He is survived by his two sisters, five children, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.

CHARLES ROYCE HOUGH III ’59, TRUSTEE EMERITUS

Charles Royce Hough III ’59, trustee emeritus of Washington and Lee University, died Feb. 14, 2025. He was 87.

Born Nov. 7, 1937, in Washington, D.C., to Charles Royce Hough Jr. and Helen Shaw Hough, Hough survived polio at age 10, which instilled in him a strength of character and purpose for life that he carried with him going forward. He graduated as valedictorian from Western High School in 1955 and went on to graduate as valedictorian from W&L in 1959, with a Bachelor of Science in commerce. While at W&L, he played lacrosse, was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and met the love of his life, Harriet King Houston, of Memphis, Tennessee, who attended Hollins College.

Hough received an MBA from Cornell University in 1961 and served as an air defense missile officer at Fort Meade in Maryland before moving to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1963. He enjoyed a long career in banking, including 20 years at Wachovia Bank. In 1993, he joined BB&T Corporation in Winston-Salem and eventually retired as executive vice president for corporate banking.

His measured, thoughtful and wise approach to business translated well to his civic leadership. He served on W&L’s Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1992. As a trustee, Hough was a member of the Budget and Audit Committee, Development Committee, Executive Committee and Nominating Committee, as well as chair of the Investment Committee. In addition, he was a member of the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors from 1972 to 1976, serving as president of the Alumni Association in 1975 to 1976 and chair of the university’s Annual Fund in 1978 to 1979.

Hough is survived by sons Michael (Amy), Ben (Ann) and Mark (David Roberts); grandchildren Houston, Georgiana (Bill Reece), Henry, Liza, George and Mariella; and special friends Louise Austell and the Kouri family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Harriet.

DELOS D. HUGHES, PROFESSOR OF POLITICS EMERITUS

Delos D. Hughes, professor of politics emeritus at Washington and Lee University, died in January 2025 in Auburn, Alabama. He was 90.

Born July 26, 1934, in Auburn to Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Hughes, Hughes received his A.B. in politics from Oberlin College. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in politics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A specialist in political theory, he joined the W&L faculty as an instructor in 1963. He was named assistant professor of politics in 1964 and professor of politics in 1973. He retired in 1996.

Hughes received a fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study analytical philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was keen on architectural history and received the Southeast Society of Architectural Historians Award for Best Article for “Jefferson’s Academical Village.” He was a member of several professional organizations and author of several books, papers, essays and book reviews.

Hughes is survived by his sister, Kathryn Fullerton.

MARGARET ‘PEGGY’ JONES STEUART P’80, P’86, P’88, P’88, TRUSTEE EMERITA

Margaret “Peggy” Jones Steuart, trustee emerita of Washington and Lee University, died Nov. 19, 2024. She was 92.

Steuart was born May 31, 1932, in Montclair, New Jersey, to Ruth Martin Jones and Dr. W. Rhys Jones. She attended Sweet Briar College, majoring in government and minoring in music. She married Guy T. Steuart II ’53 in 1954.

She served on the W&L Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2005. She was vice chair of the Commission on the 250th Observance, Communications Advisory Board member and Parents Committee member for the On the Shoulders of Giants campaign. The Steuarts’ philanthropic support of W&L was acknowledged with their recognition on the Honored Benefactors Wall.

Steuart is survived by her children, Elizabeth Steuart Kret (Gary), Guy Steuart III ’80 (Cindy), Bradley Steuart ’86 (Jennifer), Carter Steuart ’88, P’24 (Katherine ’89, P’24) and Hugh Steuart ’88 (Laura ’97), 14 grandchildren, two step-granddaughters, four great-grandchildren and her sister, Elizabeth Jones Glaeser.

SIDNEY J. WILLIAMS JR., PROFESSOR OF ROMANCE LANGUAGES EMERITUS

Sidney James “Jim” Williams Jr., professor of romance languages emeritus at Washington and Lee University, died March 24, 2024, in Fairfax, Virginia. He was 85 years old.

Williams was born Aug. 21, 1938, to Dr. Sidney James Williams and Ludie McKay Williams in Livingston, Alabama. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He taught Spanish at W&L from 1966 to 2006. He was involved in the university’s Foreign Study Committee, helping launch the six-week foreign study program. He chaired the Romance Languages Department. Williams was honored with the naming of the Carlyle Westbrook Barritt and Sidney J. Williams Jr. Spanish Prize Endowment.

Williams loved performing music, and he served as an elder at the Lexington Presbyterian Church.

He is survived by his sister, Letitia Krebs; daughter, Elizabeth McCarthy (Daniel); son, Robert Williams (Caroline); and grandchildren, Maddy, Sylvia and Calvin Williams.

THE FAMILY CONNECTION

Graduates from the Class of 2025 and their alumni family members celebrate the day with a photo.

1. Seated: David Fosgate ’96, Devon McAllister Rothwell ’92 and Charles “Chaz” Foster ’86. Standing: Harper Fosgate ’25, Quinn Rothwell ’25 and Caroline Foster ’25.

2. Seated: Caroline Boone Mitchell ’89, John “Jack” Mitchell ’23, John Sbar ’91, Andy Waters ’91, Cecilia Phillips Horner ’90 and Henry Langhorne ’83. Standing: Will Mitchell ’25, Hyatt Sbar ’25, Anna Waters ’25, Claire Horner ’25 and Olivia Langhorne ’25.

3. Seated: Mike Lehman ’85, Edward “Ned” George III ’86, Jack Ruffin ’86, Charles “Chaz” Foster ’86, Thomas Otis ’92 and Bobby Lilly ’93L. Standing: Stefanie Lehman ’25, Lily George ’25, Kate Ruffin ’25, Caroline Foster ’25, Evelyn Otis ’25 and Madison Lilly ’25.

4. Seated: Bob Phillips ’95, Paul Fearey ’86, Hudson Walker ’90, Will Thomas ’92, Barbara Sprawls Jenkins ’92L and Katherine Jenkins Howard ’99. Standing: Walt Phillips ’25, Will Fearey ’25, Sinclair Walker ’25, Stone Shepard ’25 and Kylie Therrien ’25.

5. Seated: Tom Bradbury ’96, Julie Mayo Bradbury ’97, Claire Kallen ’23 and Eric Kallen ’90. Standing: Tommy Bradbury ’25 and Thomas Kallen ’25.

6. Seated: Chris Lee ’93, Scott Holstead ’92, Woodford Webb ’90, Nancy Mitchell Hatcher ’92 and Tom Hatcher ’91. Standing: Madeleine Lee ’25, Tommy Holstead ’25, Ford Webb ’25 and Virginia Hatcher ’25.

7. Seated: Abigail McGuire Matia ’93, Douglas Matia ’94, Charles Kemp ’99L, Mac McGrew ’86 and Sydney McGrew ’20. Standing: William Matia ’25, Mimi Kemp ’25 and Ann Myrick McGrew ’25.

8. Seated: George Thorpe ’96, Yulia Gorodetskaya Thorpe ’20, Cindy DeForest Hauser ’92, Brian Butcher ’93, Matthew Steilberg ’87 and Jamie Hardman Loving ’94. Standing: Alexandra Thorpe ’25, Ana Hauser ’25, Alyssa Cirrincione ’25, Elizabeth Steilberg ’25 and Adelaide Loving ’25.

9. Seated: Jamie Bruce ’92. Standing: Bennett Bruce ’25.

10. Seated: Robert Hull ’96, Randolph Pollock ’88, Michael McLaughlin ’23, Sarah Horn Thiessen Palencar ’93, Taylor Thiessen ’21 (holding a picture of Douglas Thiessen ’95) and Gabriella Miggins Thiessen ’19. Standing: Pierson Hull ’25, Harris Pollock ’25 and Heidi Thiessen ’25.

11. Seated: Grant Jordan ’96 and Claire Bowers Jordan ’98. Standing: Preston Jordan ’25.

CHRONICLES

PEAK CONNECTIONS

BY LAURA LEMON ’16

he group of 10 didn’t know each other when their planes landed in Tanzania, but they all had two things in common: a connection to Parkinson’s disease and a plan to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. As one of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research’s (MJFF) endurance events, the trip served as a fundraiser, with all the proceeds going to research to find a cure. When Claire Mackin ’20, senior growth specialist for MJFF, was asked to be the staff representative for the event, she jumped at the opportunity despite not considering herself a hiker.

T“My dad has had Parkinson’s for 15 years and always dreamed about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and I felt so incredibly lucky that I got to do it in honor of him while supporting the foundation and this wonderful team,” says Mackin.

The day before the group started its trek up the mountain, Mackin overheard the words “Lexington, Virginia” in a nearby conversation. She wandered over to inquire and learned that fellow hiker Christopher Lion graduated with the Class of 1986.

“After getting over the fun surprise that we both went to the same tiny college, it was fun to compare our experiences,” says Mackin. “Christopher was one of the last classes to graduate as single sex. While this was so different from the experience I had, there were still so many similarities as we talked about the academics,

professors, Lexington, the Blue Ridge Mountains and so much more.”

Lion was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018. In the years since, he founded The Quiver, which showcases writing and art crafted by those with the disease and explores the relationship between Parkinson’s and the creative arts. While always an active individual — he’s run a

dozen marathons and walked the complete Camino de Santiago — living with Parkinson’s pushed him to seek greater adventures in his retirement.

“I probably wouldn’t have done Kilimanjaro if it weren’t for Parkinson’s,” says Lion. “I think that Parkinson’s has broadened my scope and allowed me to think beyond marathons. … It set the foundation for me so that I knew that I could do hard things, and I knew that I could do things that required endurance, consistent effort and training. There’s a real tradition of Parkinson’s athletes because it’s a chronic disease — the best thing you can do for it is to exercise.”

At 11 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2025, the group departed camp and reached the highest peak in Africa at 10 a.m. the following day. The group raised over $130,000 for Parkinson’s research, and after gathering around the famed etched wooden boards, Mackin and Lion snapped a W&L photo for the memory books.

“Meeting Christopher was a reminder about how small the world is and all the W&L connections that surround us, but it was also a reminder about the good that can come from hard things,” Mackin says. “Christopher and I would never have met without our connection to Parkinson’s and MJFF.”

“When I meet someone with Parkinson’s, I feel a connection with them,” Lion says. “I feel a kinship with them that I wouldn’t otherwise feel. And I have the same feeling when I meet someone from W&L.” n

Christopher Lion ’86 and Claire Mackin ’20 discovered their W&L connection while on The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research endurance trip to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

Why I Give

“I owe whatever success I have achieved in life to Washington and Lee. While it is debt that I can never fully repay, helping to ensure that future generations of students enjoy the benefits of a Washington and Lee education is the least I can do.”

— Bennett Ross ’81

204 W. Washington St.

Lexington, VA 24450-2116

www.wlu.edu

REGIONAL EVENTS 2026

◗ January 28

Palm Beach, Florida

◗ January 29

Miami, Florida

◗ January 29

Atlanta, Georgia

W&L Law alumni event

◗ February 11

San Antonio, Texas

◗ February 12 Austin, Texas

◗ February 25

Columbia, South Carolina

◗ February 26

Charleston, South Carolina

◗ March 19

San Francisco, California

◗ April 1

Raleigh, North Carolina campaign.wlu.edu