Class Project: Alumni House Expansion

As the sixth oldest alumni association in the nation, the William & Mary Alumni Association is focused on fostering the lifelong relationships and culture of engagement alumni have with their alma mater. By expanding the Alumni House, the Alumni Association will gain the much needed capacity to ensure that members of the class of 1967 and all alumni will have a warm and welcoming environment in which to renew friendships and forge new bonds when they return to their lifelong campus home.

In 1995 there were 53,000 alumni and that number has grown to over 93,000 today. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 108,500 W&M alumni. Plans call for the addition of new meeting spaces, the largest with a capacity for up to 300 people; a business center; gathering spaces for visiting alumni; a catering area; and a new entrance with an expanded reception area to better accommodate our growing alumni body. The Alumni House also will support expanded programing for alumni, students and the William & Mary community. With new and larger spaces, the Alumni House will be a key location for starting the lifelong engagement with students while they are still on campus. The Alumni House will serve as the western gateway to campus and as a visible statement of the importance of alumni to William & Mary.

Current plans estimate the cost of the project to be $13.5 million. In addition, the Alumni Association is seeking to establish a $2 million building maintenance endowment that will ensure the new facility stands in excellent condition to serve the William & Mary’s growing alumni community for the long term.

The Class of 1967 is taking a leadership role in helping to raise funds for the expansion of the Alumni House by designating it as one of the class's 50th reunion projects. In recognition of our class gift project, a prominent space in the expanded facility will carry the Class of 1967’s name. Please show your support for the expansion of the Alumni House in ways that others will hear the thunder of our chorus – alma mater hail!

Class Project: The Class of 1967 Scholarship Endowment

Scholarships are the highest priority in the university’s For the Bold campaign. William & Mary is acutely aware of the need to invest in human capital to ensure the brightest minds can attend the best schools, regardless of their financial ability. Addressing complex global issues will require leaders who can think rigorously and solve problems creatively, and the nation cannot afford to waste talent by making quality education inaccessible. William & Mary will play a prominent leadership role in addressing this issue by striving to be only the third public university to be both need blind and to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need of all students.

During this campaign, William & Mary will raise $350 million for scholarships so that financial barriers never prevent the most talented from attending this university. Scholarships are powerful. They transform the lives of recipients—and they also enhance the university’s capacity to attract and retain promising students with exceptional ability. William & Mary is at its best when the campus community comprises a dynamic mix of highly qualified individuals from a broad range of backgrounds and diverse perspectives. It is important that those admitted to William & Mary have the means to attend.

The Class of 1967 demonstrated remarkable understanding of this important issue 25 years ago when it established a scholarship to assist juniors and seniors who experience a change in life circumstances that affects their ability to pay the cost of attending William & Mary. By designating 50th reunion gifts for this scholarship, the Class of 1967 could raise its scholarship endowment and double the impact the fund has on students who experience a significant change in financial need.

Letter from Class of 1967 Scholarship Recipient

Sara Southward '17

What I love about William & Mary is the community that we all share in. I’ve found community in my sorority (Kappa Alpha Theta), within the chemistry department, in Tribe Fellowship, and now I’ve seen community in the relationship between the current William & Mary classes and the alumni. Thank you so much for supporting current students and building that community, through maintaining a presence in our lives. I know I will be forever grateful for the 1967 Class Scholarship and one day I plan on paying it forward to other deserving students who can’t afford this amazing institution.

Many thanks,

Sara Southward '17