WILLIAMSBURG— William & Mary announced that the Swem Library would debut a newly renovated theater named in memory of W&M alumna Glenna MacKenzie.
After Glenna passed away in January 2023, Earle MacKenzie, her husband of close to 49 years, wanted to do something special in her memory, the university said. He met with John Hunter, the library’s senior development director, to explore ideas.
“Glenna and I met here at William & Mary, so it’s a very important place to us,” explained Earle. “We started dating our sophomore year, and we spent almost every day together, studying on the second floor of Swem.”
“John and Carrie [dean of university libraries] gave me a tour of the library and showed me the theatre. After the visit, on my way home, it hit me that the theater would be the right place for me to make a gift, because the library holds special memories,” said MacKenzie.
According to William & Mary, the theater, located on the ground floor of Swem Library, is original to the building and remains largely untouched since its construction in the mid 1960s. The space has been out of use for many years due to its lack of accessibility and outdated technology, and had been on the library’s “wish list” for renovations for quite some time.
Thanks to Earle’s donation, the theater renovation project began in the spring, and the new Glenna Bowman MacKenzie Theatre will open this month. A private dedication event will be held in January for the MacKenzie family and friends.
“One of the things I found was she had made a two-page spread in the scrapbook about Swem Library because we spent so much time there,” said MacKenzie. “In the spread, she had written, ‘Maybe one day they’ll erect a monument to us.’ I knew then that I had made the right decision.”
“I’m excited about giving new life to the theatre,” said Earle. “I’m also very excited to see Glenna’s name on the theatre.”
The renovated space will feature comfortable seating for approximately 70 people, accessible access, improved lighting, and top-notch technology for screening films, recording lectures and live streaming events, the university said.
“A deep dive on classroom space during the comprehensive planning process revealed that learning spaces for 50-100 people are at a deficit, as are spaces meant for watching films and broadcasting speakers. The Glenna Bowman MacKenzie Theatre is meeting our needs and expands availability for hosting community events that celebrate the research being produced at William & Mary,” said Carrie Cooper, dean of university libraries.
For more information, visit the official William & Mary website.
