Wednesday, March 20, the College of William and Mary announced that the William and Mary Foundation and the College will rename Brown Hall to “Robert M. Gates Hall” and transform it into an academic building, following a recent anonymous donation of $30 million.
The building, which served as a dormitory for Army Specialized Training cadets and service members in the 1940s, most recently served as a freshman dormitory until 2022. The College purchased the building, which is now owned by the WMF, in 1939.
Additionally, Gates Hall, named for College Chancellor Robert Gates ’65, L.H.D. ’98, will house the Global Research Institute, the Institute for Integrative Conservation and the Whole of Government Center of Excellence. According to the College, in addition to the lead gift, endowments have also been created to support the academic centers and the long-term care of the building.
The anonymous donor, who is a WMF trustee, laid out her reasons for the donation.
“I have long admired President Rowe’s leadership and am thrilled to support her bold vision through reimagined spaces where new knowledge can grow, and grand challenges find solutions,” the donor told the College. “I am thankful for the opportunity to recognize Chancellor Gates. Given the divisions in our nation and world, we need leaders of his caliber, patriotism and integrity — now more than ever.”
College President Katherine Rowe gave her thoughts on the new project.
“We are deeply grateful for our trustee’s passion for conservation and sustainability — so important to the work that will take place in this special building,” Rowe told the College. “Like the chancellor, she is a true servant leader; she does not seek recognition for herself. Through her partnership, across the university, she has inspired us to aim high. Gates Hall will build on other initiatives that her generosity has brought to life here.”
“We are deeply grateful for our trustee’s passion for conservation and sustainability — so important to the work that will take place in this special building,” Rowe said.
According to the College, during a recent visit to campus, Gates, who served as the U.S. secretary of defense under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said he feels humbled and overwhelmed to be recognized.
“This is the greatest honor I’ve received in my lifetime,” he said. “William and Mary is where I felt called to public service, and I can see that the call to make a difference is still felt strongly here. This building will serve as a hub for generations of students and faculty to cultivate new ideas to contribute to the nation and the world.”
Notably, Brown Hall, which sits at the corner of Prince George and North Boundary streets, is located on the original site of the Williamsburg Bray School. Established in 1760, the Williamsburg Bray School was the first school in the country for enslaved and free Black children. According to the College, there are plans to hold exhibits inside Gates Hall detailing the history of the Bray School and the children who attended the school, with input from the Williamsburg Bray School descendant community.
Not only will Gates Hall be the new house for the GRI, the WGC and the IIC, but it will also be the new location for the annual Gates Forum, where bipartisan public officials gather to discuss international relations reforms and U.S. non-military instruments of power.
The College also stated that the classrooms and shared spaces will be available for use by all College students, faculty and staff.
“We are thrilled that state-of-the-art technology in the new building will allow our students and faculty to connect with partners around the world in new ways,” GRI Director Mike Tierney ’87, M.A. ’88, P ’15, the George & Mary Hylton Professor of International Relations told the College. “But there is something about face-to-face engagement that ignites the creative process. Random interactions spark ideas that lead to creative solutions. This new building is designed to encourage those spontaneous encounters.”
The WMF will partner with the William and Mary Real Estate Foundation, which will serve as the project manager. The WMREF recently named Logan Hall, a longtime real estate and construction management professional, as its executive director.
Prior to their pending relocations to Gates Hall, the IIC, the WGC and the GRI will be housed in the Earl Gregg Swem Library’s ground floor, in a section dubbed “The Hive.”
IIC Student Leadership Council Chair Malvika Shrimali ’24 shared excitement and anticipation regarding the IIC’s new relocation plans.
“I am surprised but grateful for this news,” Shrimali wrote in an email to The Flat Hat. “I think the IIC, and GRI/Whole of Government, has the capacity to fill any space it is given. I’m also excited to have a natural space with the courtyard!”
