On March 11, the Virginia Wesleyan campus community gathered to celebrate 50 years of the Henry Clay Hofheimer II Library and pay tribute to its namesake.

VWU President Scott D. Miller welcomed attendees to the rededication and offered special thanks to the family of Henry Clay Hofheimer II who were in attendance - two of Hofheimer’s daughters, Linda Kaufman and Clay Barr, and granddaughter Elena Baum and her husband, Gary. Dr. Miller also recognized daughter Elise Wright who was unable to travel to the event.

“Your father’s vision and commitment to Virginia Wesleyan has brought us together in a place of significance that without him, would not be here,” said Dr. Miller. “Hofheimer Library sits in the heart of the Virginia Wesleyan University campus and has served as an inspiring space for building connections, exchanging knowledge and ideas, and shaping the future. The doors of Hofheimer have welcomed thousands of students, faculty, staff, and friends over the past 50 years—we are delighted to now rededicate this historical building for the many more to come.”

The event-goers also heard remarks from Dr. Stephen Mansfield, University Archivist, and Susan Erickson, Library Director. Immediately following the formal remarks, guests were invited to view the portrait of Henry Clay Hofheimer II, now located prominently at the entrance to the library.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, we pause to remember one of our own that was lost that day.

Robert “Bobby” Williams, Class of 1975, loved Virginia Wesleyan. In his work for the City, he also assisted in the approvals process for his alma mater as we underwent the greatest period of campus expansion in our history. During this time, a very special project was completed in the summer of 2019 with the clearing and surfacing of "The Loop" on the Smith Drive and Lake Taylor trails on the south side of campus. Our extensive trail system has been named "The Trails at Wesleyan Woods." The two main trails are ideal for walking, hiking, jogging, and biking.

To honor his service to us and to the City, we dedicated in Bobby’s memory one of the trails traversing our campus on Founders Day 2019. Bobby enjoyed walking there as a student, and we offer this as a tribute that is fitting given his love of the campus and his professional role in assisting his alma mater to grow and develop through our campus master plan.

The Robert Thomas Williams ’75 Trail at Wesleyan Woods serves as a place on campus to gain peace, find understanding within ourselves and each other, and connect with the best our campus has to offer.

David Sutherland ‘73 can still recall the moment that his Virginia Wesleyan liberal arts education paid off. As a History and Political Science major during a turbulent time in America, increased student activism led many, like David, to support social change, both locally and nationally. A reference on his resume to his community involvement and his focus on African Studies at Virginia Wesleyan led a hiring manager at Macy’s to take a chance on him in 1975. There, he would learn the business of Human Resources (HR) as Community Relations Manager in Newark, NJ.

In 1980, someone else took another chance on him. With only retail-related experience, he was invited to join the Estee Lauder Companies. Over the next 35 years, he enjoyed multiple HR assignments within the Global Supply Chain as the company grew to become a global leader in prestige beauty.

Working in HR, David was fortunate to be in a position where he could create opportunities for others. It became his way of paying-it-forward for all the opportunities he was given.

It is with this desire to provide opportunities for successful outcomes and his strong belief in a liberal arts education, he has created the David M. Sutherland '73 Endowed Scholarship. With this gift, David will be providing opportunities to deserving Virginia Wesleyan students for decades to come.