Washington & Jefferson College Exceeds Campaign Goal

Created: April 25, 2016  |  Last Updated: July 9, 2020  |  Category:   |  Tagged: ,

WASHINGTON, PA (April 25, 2016) – Washington & Jefferson College’s (W&J) comprehensive fundraising campaign, An Uncommon Bond: The Campaign for Washington & Jefferson College, has achieved its goal ahead of schedule.

The campaign is an effort to raise $100 million to strengthen the College’s capacity to support students and faculty both today and in the future. The amount raised currently stands at $103 million, which will increase the endowment for students and faculty, provide funding for scholarships and student programs, and support improvements to living and learning spaces.

“We are extraordinarily pleased with how this campaign has advanced,” said W&J President Dr. Tori Haring-Smith. “The generosity of our many donors will allow us to continue our tradition of excellence by further supporting our campus community inside and outside of the classroom.”

The campaign provides funding for:

  1. Student-Faculty Support

Gifts of endowment create a perpetual legacy of generosity that lasts for generations. This permanent pool of funds is invested over the long term to generate earnings and serves as the financial lifeblood of the College. The earnings from endowments can be used annually to support scholarships and financial aid to students, special programs, and faculty salaries and benefits. During the campaign, W&J’s endowment has grown from $95.3 million to $133.8 million.

2. Programmatic and Annual Support

The W&J Fund makes an immediate difference in the lives of current W&J students by providing funding for scholarships, faculty positions, athletics, study abroad programs – including the Magellan Project, an academic initiative unique to W&J College – and an array of other opportunities for students.

3. Capital Needs

W&J is fortunate enough to have built and renovated many academic buildings over the past 15 years. However, Pete Henry Gymnasium and the U. Grant Miller Library have remained virtually untouched since the late 1960s.

The Janet Swanson Tennis Center, a state-of-the-art tennis center that opened in September 2015.

Currently under construction is the James David Ross Family Recreation Center, which will expand Henry Memorial Gymnasium and give varsity coaches and teams new spaces for recruiting and training while creating additional space for intramural and club sports. Completion is expected by Winter 2016.

In an upcoming project, U. Grant Miller Library will be reconfigured to accommodate additional digital research tools including, but not limited to, access to more databases, digital books and other online resources, as well as wireless classrooms and additional study space.

“This campaign will have an impact on the College today, and for many years to come,” said Richard T. Clark ‘68, chairman of the Washington & Jefferson College Board of Trustees and chair of An Uncommon Bond. “These initiatives will transform W&J’s ability to support students and faculty at the highest level but we are not done yet. We still have many projects that will benefit W&J to complete. Staff will continue to work with those interested in commemorating their own relationship to the College by giving to support our students.”

More information about the campaign is available at the An Uncommon Bond website.

About Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.