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Washington & Jefferson College will receive a gift of approximately $50 million to support student scholarships, the institution announced Wednesday.
It is the largest philanthropic donation in the Pennsylvania college’s 242-year history and one of the largest ever to a liberal arts college in the United States, according to the press release.
The gift comes from the estate of the late Anica Donnan Rawnsley, who in 1975 became W&J’s first female trustee. It will endow a scholarship bearing her name that will provide financial support for students in need from the surrounding county of Washington, Pa.
“Anica Rawnsley was a schoolteacher in her younger years and believed passionately in the life-changing power of education,” said Washington & Jefferson president John C. Knapp. “She had a bold vision to make it possible for future generations to afford and benefit from a W&J education. It was a privilege to know Anica and her passion for providing students in this area with an education of exceptional quality at a cost within their families’ reach.”
