Gifts to the College of William and Mary totaled $104.3 million between July 2012 and June 30, setting a new record for America’s second-oldest institution of higher education.
The previous record for giving from alumni, parents and friends was $101.65 million in 2005. To reach the new figure, 31,141 people, corporations and foundations made gifts to the college, including 18,552 alumni. A news release from the college said 14,368 undergraduate alumni, or 23.9 percent of the overall undergraduate alumni body, made gifts.
“Philanthropy has never been more important to the success of colleges and universities than it is today,” said William and Mary President Taylor Reveley in the release. “The William and Mary family has truly risen to the occasion with extraordinary generosity.”
Of the $104.3 million total, individual gifts of $250 or less contributed $2.93 million. More than 61 percent of the undergraduate class of 2013 participated in the senior class gift effort.
During that time period, the college received a $23.9 million gift from the estate of Walter J. Zable. That gift, which will go to scholarships for student athletes, renovations for Zable Stadium and other uses, is one of the largest the college has ever received.
Hunter Jones Smith, 1951 graduate of the college, gave $10 million for the creation of the Hunter J. Smith Endowment for Freshman Seminars. The freshman seminars are designed to help new students develop critical thinking, writing and research skills in a course with 15 students or less.
“Gifts of all sizes from all corners are making a significant difference for William and Mary,” said Vice President for University Development Matthew T. Lambert in the release.
The college’s program for 1693 scholars also received significant donations. That program offers merit-based scholarships for tuition fees, room and board. Rob and Jean Berger Estes contributed $1 million to fund the Estes Family 1693 Scholarship, while Sally Gore gave $1 million for the Gore 1693 Scholarship.
H. Thomas Watkins, the chairman of the William and Mary Foundation Board of Trustees and a newly appointed member of the Board of Visitors, gave $5 million. That gift, which was given by Watkins and his wife Wendy and their family, will support the Watkins Family 1693 Scholarship, the Watkins Family Athletic Endowment and the Watkins Business Faculty Research Endowment.
“Our alumni, parents and friends set the bar high for William and Mary in fiscal year 2013,” Lambert said in the release. “It is imperative that we continue this momentum over the next year to make the university more accessible and an even better place to learn, teach and do meaningful research. Truly, philanthropy provides the margin of excellence for our people and programs.”
