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If I can create opportunities for people the way W&L created opportunities for me, I’m happy to do it.

~ Jud Reis ’64 

For Jud Reis ’64, giving back to Washington and Lee University is about more than making a monetary donation — it’s about transforming lives and uplifting students to enjoy the full scope of a W&L education.

“This is supposed to be a land of opportunity, and if I can create opportunities for people the way W&L created opportunities for me, I’m happy to do it,” Reis said.

Reis has been an active alumnus since graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1964, making a gift in each modern W&L campaign. In 2019, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award for his service and generosity to the university.

Now, Reis continues his philanthropy by contributing to W&L’s Leading Lives of Consequence campaign, which celebrates the university’s ideals and represents a powerful investment in current and future students who will carry those values forward. This campaign funds key priorities that enable the transformative power of a W&L education to endure for generations to come.

From an early age, Reis understood just how transformative a Washington and Lee education could be. His father, M. J. Reis, graduated from W&L in 1930 at the age of 19 and held fond memories of the community and the opportunities afforded to him at a small school a long way from his home in The Bronx, New York. For example, the university let him leave campus a week early for winter break so he could go home and work at the post office during the holiday rush because he needed the money.

It was clear to Reis that W&L opened doors for his father, so when Reis encountered the opportunity to give back to their shared alma mater, it felt right to endow two honor scholarships named after his father to support the university’s ability to continue providing support for its students.

“[My father] was a great believer in opportunity,” Reis said. “When I had the chance, I set up [the scholarships] because I thought that would be the kind of thing he would appreciate and enjoy most after the opportunities he had by going to W&L.”

Reis found the same kindness and support during his own four years on campus. After a challenging first year, he was named to the Dean’s List or the Honor Roll throughout his final three years, and he credits his success to “a caring faculty” who motivated him to work hard and keep going.

“I could have been dismissed as another ‘good old boy’ who was never going to do very well academically, but W&L created opportunity for me,” Reis said. “I think it says a lot about an institution that loves its people and steps in if students need to pause and regroup.”

Beyond academics, Reis found that W&L’s culture of honesty and integrity shaped his character in important ways, thanks in no small part to the university’s Honor System and Speaking Tradition. He believes W&L sets a good example for living a life of consequence, and he has continued to carry the lessons he learned at W&L — both in and outside of the classroom — with him throughout his career.

Well-prepared by W&L’s rigorous education and exceptional faculty, Reis attended Harvard Business School, where he earned an MBA, with distinction, in 1966. He then joined the financial services company Morgan Stanley in 1966, staying for 22 years, most of them as managing director. He was the Morris Visiting Professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business during the 1987-88 academic year while on a sabbatical from Morgan Stanley, and he continued to serve as a visiting professor and taught a finance course each spring until 2008. Reis joined Kleinwort Benson North America in 1988 as executive vice president and head of investment banking and was elected to the board of its parent company in the United Kingdom. He resigned in 1991 to form his own investment management company, Sire Management, with Mark Eaker ’69.

The opportunities and lessons Reis acquired at W&L not only shaped his career and capacity for leadership but are also reflected in his philanthropic interest in education and commitment to expanding horizons for future generations of W&L students. Reis’ philanthropic priorities are further demonstrated through his distinguished service on several boards, including the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the Pomfret School (Reis and one of his sons are alumni and one of his granddaughters is currently enrolled there), the W.T. Grant Foundation and the Brooklyn Friends School (where two of Reis’ grandchildren currently attend). Along the way, Reis and the Sire Foundation (his company’s charitable arm) have also turned their attention to environmental activism and routinely donate to small climate-oriented charities where they feel their contributions can have a significant and lasting impact.

For Reis, education is paramount to a healthy democracy, and he is grateful to have the chance to support such an important cause by giving to W&L. In addition to the two scholarships named for his father, Reis has made significant contributions to his alma mater through the Sire Foundation.

Reis is particularly passionate about providing financial support for student opportunities outside of the classroom, including career exploration trips, student activities and events programming, study abroad and research. Inspired by the opportunities W&L created for him and his father, Reis found himself drawn to the chance to create and expand opportunities for students to lead, work, travel and explore during their time as undergraduates — experiences that will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of the students’ lives beyond W&L’s campus.

“Tuition and academics are the most important reason someone goes to Washington and Lee — or goes to college in general,” Reis said. “But especially in today’s world, some of these other experiences are more important than they were when I went to college. The priorities of the current campaign resonated with me because they’re aligned with what I’ve already done, and supporting it also honors my father and his values.”

Reis is grateful he has been able to make a difference in the lives of W&L students over the past several decades. He remains inspired by W&L’s commitment to creating opportunities for students and expanding their horizons, and he hopes other alumni find similar motivation to support their alma mater.

“Look back on your four years and think about what it meant to you then and what it has meant to you since you graduated,” Reis said. “We all have to focus on the things that made a difference, whether it’s what you learned, the faculty who incentivized you or the friends you made. I believe if you think about those things, you’ll find ways to continue giving back and supporting future generations to have the same opportunities and experiences you enjoyed.”