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Why I Give is a series that celebrates the generosity of Washington and Lee University alumni, students, faculty and parents. Discover the many reasons the W&L community supports Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee and how philanthropy shapes the university’s future while honoring its enduring value.

Jon Eastwood is the William P. Ames, Jr. Professor of Sociology at Washington and Lee University.

“Our hope is that these funds allow generations of students to get out into the world and to work on the kinds of issues and problems that were of enduring concern to Tyler [Dickovick] and his students.” – Jon Eastwood

What inspired you to make your first gift to Washington and Lee University, and what motivates you to continue giving?

A number of people worked together to establish the James Tyler Dickovick Internship in International Affairs, Global Political Economy, and the Public Interest, honoring the memory of our beloved colleague and friend, Tyler Dickovick, the late Grigsby Term Professor of Politics, who passed away in 2019.  Many more, including faculty, students, alums and others, have contributed generously, a testament to the impact Tyler had on students and colleagues alike.

Tyler was an extraordinary professor, an excellent scholar and just the best human being you could ever meet. It is gratifying to see outstanding students using these resources to carry out the kind of work that he taught and encouraged during his time here.

How do you hope your support impacts current and future generations of W&L students?

Our hope is that these funds, to which so many have contributed, allow generations of students to get out into the world and to work on the kinds of issues and problems — poverty and economic development, institutional design and its consequences, democracy and democratic backsliding and more — that were of enduring concern to Tyler and his students.

As a faculty member, is there a particular student, colleague or moment at W&L that reaffirmed your decision to give back?

I’ve been blessed with outstanding students at W&L, one after the next, from my first semester in fall 2006 until the present. They amaze and challenge me. We faculty give back above all through our work with these students: the preparation and classroom instruction, the careful supervision of research and the mentoring that often continues well beyond graduation -- work that is rewarding in so many ways. But we can contribute financially as well, and many of us are glad to have had the chance to do so.

Read more from the Why I Give series.