Spirit Articles

Trustee Nick Somers and his wife, Barrie, recently made a significant gift to the university for long-range capital needs. In recognition, the Psychology Building will be named Somers Family Hall.

To help Olin Business School put business tools in the hands of students pursuing creative professions, Richard Ritholz, BSBA ’84, and his wife, Linda, committed $1 million to help launch a new minor in the business of the arts.

$12 million commitment establishes the Koch Center for Family Business and professorships at Olin Business School and the School of Law.

Family’s $10 million commitment, made in the final days of the Leading Together campaign, provides $7 million for research and $3 million to endow a distinguished professorship.

Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University raised $3.378 billion to strengthen the institution’s impact on society, making it the most successful fundraising campaign in university history. “Leading Together will be remembered for generations as the catalyst for unprecedented progress,” says Life Trustee Andy Taylor, chair of the public phase of the campaign.

Retired real estate developer Edward “Tee” Baur initiated efforts to create a distinguished professorship in honor of Ralph Dacey Jr., MD.

To show his appreciation for the education he received at Washington University, James Langenfeld has contributed $2 million to establish a professorship that will be held by a faculty member in the Department of Economics who works in affiliation with the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. “This meaningful gift from an exceptional alumnus will have an important impact across Arts & Sciences,” says Barbara Schaal, the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor and dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences.

School of Law alumni Joseph and Yvonne Cordell have made a $5 million commitment to create an institute that will guide the ethically responsible development of data-driven health care.

Emeritus Trustee Walter Metcalfe Jr., and his wife, Cynthia, have committed nearly $4 million to improve the lives of vulnerable children. The Metcalfes’ gift supports the work of Washington University psychiatrist Joan Luby, MD, who leads a study examining the effects of environmental stress on child health and development.

A personal connection inspired Emeritus Trustee David Farrell and his late wife, Betty, to provide generous support for Alzheimer’s disease research at Washington University. Their latest pledge brings the Farrells’ total contributions for Alzheimer’s research at the university to $10 million. The gift will provide expendable funds to further the work of faculty members who are investigating the tau protein, which has emerged as a major culprit in Alzheimer’s.