The College of William and Mary’s Swem Library has received over $5 million in private donations so far this fiscal year, College President Taylor Reveley announced today.
The number of Swem donors have grown by 25 percent so far this year, according to a press release. Over half of the donors are alumni of the College.
Swem has received over $2.2 million in cash, $221,000 in gifts-in-kind and $2.7 million in pledges and estate provisions.
During homecoming, Swem received its first large donation from H. Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod ’83, M.B.A. ’91 and husband J. Goodenow “Goody” Tyler III of $1.5 million. This gift will support Swem’s first named position, the Marian and Alan McLeod Director of the Special Collections Research Center.
Recently, two women connected to the College donated over a million dollars respectively to Swem. The late Dorothy Vollertsen, a Williamsburg resident who frequented the library, left Swem $1.4 million which will be used for general purposes. A $1.5 million bequest from the late Clarisse Garrison ’48 will help fund the library’s special collections.
“This is truly excellent news — a good year for Swem is a good year for the College,” said Reveley. “We are grateful for our many alumni and friends whose generosity allows Swem Library to both preserve ancient treasures and provide the latest technology and services for future research.”
