Spirit Articles

Over the years, generous donors have made it possible for Washington University to provide facilities that attract top faculty members and students and allow them to work at the highest level of achievement.

In order to strengthen Washington University’s ability to advance lifesaving discoveries that transform heart disorders into manageable conditions, alumnus Kim Kuehner has committed $15 million to establish and endow the Kim D. Kuehner Program for Personalized Cardiovascular Medicine in the School of Medicine.

The two-year project included the addition of an entrance to the library’s north side; exhibition and vault space; instruction rooms and research studios; and new spaces for study and exploration.

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.