Stories of Consequence
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.
Ken Ruscio ’76 served as president of Washington and Lee University from 2006-2016. He also served as a professor of politics, associate dean of the Williams School and dean of freshmen, from 1987 to 2002.
“It’s impossible to spend four years at W&L, and certainly impossible to spend most of one’s career there, and not understand why decency, civility, humility, respect for others and integrity matter for a life of meaning and purpose.” - Ken Ruscio ’76
Everyone who joins the W&L community enters an implicit intergenerational contract. Those of us here today benefit from the sacrifices of those who came before us. We are free to enjoy those benefits — if, but only if, — we sacrifice equally for those still to come. There was never a day at W&L, whether as a student, administrator, faculty member or president, when I wasn’t reminded of my debt to those who came before me. That inheritance instilled in me an obligation to future generations.
In the last campaign, Honor the Past, Build Our Future, Kim and I made commitments beyond the annual fund [now called the W&L Fund] to the restoration of the Colonnade and to establish an endowment to support financial aid for first-generation students. Both were personally meaningful.
To me, the Colonnade is the perfect architectural reflection of our fundamental institutional qualities: strength and grace. Its restoration was symbolic of our respect for the past and our commitment to the future. Even as the university modernized our classrooms and preserved the Colonnade for the next century, it did so with attention to detail and reverence for history. The boot scraper and worn steps at the entrance to Payne Hall are still there. So is the distinctive brick pattern along the walkway. So is the imposing but welcoming grandeur of one of the most impressive scenes on any college campus.
Kim’s and my commitment to financial aid is also personal and continues for us in the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign. As a first-generation student at W&L, my education was made possible only by the assistance of the university. Starting a scholarship endowment during the last campaign and strengthening it during this one is our way to express gratitude to those who ensured I could attend W&L.
I learned a great deal in the classroom as a student as well as a faculty member, but the greatest gift I received during my long tenure at the university came from beyond the classroom. I acquired a sensibility, an awareness of the importance of belonging to a community where people truly care about each other. It’s impossible to spend four years at W&L, and certainly impossible to spend most of one’s career there, and not understand why decency, civility, humility, respect for others and integrity matter for a life of meaning and purpose. Kim and I will forever be grateful for our time in Lexington, and we embrace the responsibility to return in some small ways the benefits we received.
Read more from the Why I Give series.