A newsletter for alumni & friends

Dear Alumni & Friends:

Greetings from the Whitman campus! Fall semester begins in just a few weeks, and we can’t wait to welcome 463 terrific students from across the country and around the world to the class of 2027.  This promises to be an extraordinary year for the Whitman family, as we see the power of a Whitman liberal arts education and the difference our graduates make, and continue to advance our mission for the future in a rapidly changing world.

This fall we will publicly launch the most ambitious campaign in the history of the college. I invite you to join me and members of the Board of Trustees  to mark the launch at events on campus starting October 12 and in key cities in the following weeks. You can find more information about the program in this newsletter. The priorities the board plans to announce at these events reflect a bold vision for the future of our College and our students. 

Whitman is a college that changes lives, and Whitties continue to make us proud through their accomplishments and the impact they make in their communities and in the world.  This month we’re celebrating our three National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellows and our 55th Fulbright Scholar in the past 15 years.  I am also excited to share news of a partnership with the Posse Foundation to bring 10 outstanding students from Chicago to Whitman each year.  We expect the Posse scholars to make a tremendous positive impact in building student leadership, diversity and inclusion in our community.

This edition of Whittie News also shares the story of a wonderful alumna gift of real estate to help meet critical housing needs for Whitman community members.  Through such care and generosity of alumni, parents, and friends we can build on the excellence of a Whitman education and prepare young people to thrive and meet the increasingly complex challenges of our time.  

Our aspirations for the College and our students are high.  We’ll fulfill them together.  Thank you for all that you continue to do for Whitman!

Sincerely,

Sarah R. Bolton
President

The Board of Trustees and President Sarah Bolton invite you to celebrate the power of a Whitman education and the difference our graduates make in the world.  Together, we will launch an ambitious campaign to uplift current and future generations of students.  Save the dates and plan to join the Whitman family for gatherings at these locations: 

Oct. 12–14: Whitman Campus
Oct. 17: Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 18: San Francisco, CA
Oct. 26: Portland, OR
Nov. 2: Denver, CO
Nov. 8: Seattle, WA
Jan. 10: New York, NY
Jan. 11: Washington, DC

Whitman College has entered a new partnership with The Posse Foundation to enroll a cohort of 10 students from Chicago each academic year.

“I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that Posse Scholars can have on campus as well as the transformative experiences that colleges like Whitman can offer these students,” says Whitman College President Sarah Bolton. “I am thrilled about the new partnership with The Posse Foundation and look forward to welcoming our first 10 excellent students from Posse Chicago in the fall of 2024.”

Whitman College is grateful to announce a significant gift from a late alumna of the college. More than three decades ago, Helen McAuslan Logan-Schneider ’55 set up a charitable trust that with her passing gives the college ownership of three rental properties near campus which will provide housing support for faculty and staff.

Brit Moss, Associate Professor of Biology and Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB) at Whitman, conducts student research in the Moss Lab. Moss is a non-traditional, first-generation college student who says she enjoys having a front-row seat to young people discovering their passion for science.

Three Whitman College students have received a graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for 2023. The five-year fellowship allows recipients in engage in meaningful graduate research.

Join a lively conversation with five professors who are advising and teaching courses in Whitman's new concentration in Human-Centered Design! 

Whitman alumni, parents, and friends are invited to socialize and catch a Colorado Rockies vs. Toronto Blue Jays baseball game together. Join Tom Henderson '83 for a pre-game social in the Union Station food court for no-host drinks from Terminal Bar.

Fall Reunion Weekend for the Classes of 1958, 1963, 1968, 1978, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019 is coming up! Registration is now open—even if you indicated that you planned to attend earlier, you will need to go online and select the events you will attend and pay for your meals. 

Have you arranged your accommodations yet? Check out your options.

See the most recent updates to the Weekend Schedule of Events.

Gather with generations of Residence Life Staff, alumni and friends to celebrate the retirement of Associate Dean of Students for Campus Life, Nancy Tavelli. Events are being planned during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 23. Contact Andrew Johnson ’09 at johnsoam@whitman.edu if you're interested in joining the planning committee! Use the button below to learn more and let the committee know if you plan to attend.

Nearly 4,000 alumni, more than 500 families and dozens of friends came together in support of Whitman in the 2023 fiscal year. They enhanced the Whitman experience through their contributions to The Whitman Fund, W Club Athletics and other vital programs. In total, thanks to the generosity of donors, Whitman received more than $17 million in gifts that impacted the campus community this past year. Let's keep up the good work to provide Whitties with the best liberal arts experience possible. 

These annual awards recognize alumni who exemplify outstanding achievement in their careers, communities, or through service to Whitman College. Awards will be presented during Reunion Weekend this September. Read more about Ceil Lucas '73, Lynn Boose '58, Nancy Simon '63, Kate Kunkel-Patterson '13 and Shireen Nori '16 using the button below.

Whitman Connect Groups give you the opportunity to connect with Whitties who share similar interests - you can start (or join) conversations on career tracks or athletics, for example, or find alumni with similar backgrounds, like first-generation or those living internationally. Join a Group today! From the home screen, navigate to the "Connect" menu and choose Groups. 

The Class of 1973 returned to campus last May during Commencement weekend to celebrate their 50th Reunion. Alumni traveled from all corners of the United States and from as far away as Greece! 

Some highlights from the weekend included faculty lectures, tours of the campus and the Whitman Mission, a luncheon with President Sarah Bolton, trivia with prizes during their Saturday night dinner, walking with the class of 2023 during the Commencement procession and presenting their class gift to the college.

The class raised over $4.6 million dollars in gifts, multi-year pledges and future gift intentions with participation from 40% of the class. Their cumulative gifts support varsity athletics, music and theatre, internships, off-campus studies, debate, professorships, lectureships, diversity, equity and inclusion programming, student activities, capital building projects, unrestricted scholarships as well as endowed scholarships. Thanks to their collective contributions, the 1973 50th Reunion class gift will provide a lasting impact for current and future students.

Has something important happened in your life? If you've moved, added to your family, or entered into a marriage or union Whitman would love to know about it. Use the button, or email directly to maurerjl@whitman.edu.

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