How your planned gift can help Woodberry
Financial Aid
Program Development
Faculty Support
“In 1985, I received support from Woodberry to study the stage history of Shakespeare’s King Lear in England. It was, without a doubt, the best summer of my life. I not only got to know Lear, I also got plugged into the British Library and the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and I got to know England. Ten years later, the headmaster asked me to set up the Woodberry at Oxford Program. I was prepared because I already knew Oxford. Today the Woodberry at Oxford program is still going strong. This faculty support, funded by gifts to Woodberry, had a huge ripple effect, not just for me, but for the school.”
Ted Blain
BA, Washington and Lee University;
MA, University of Virginia;
faculty member since 1982;
English department chair
“I work with the third formers on their very first history research project. They’re eager, they’re earnest, they’re curious — and they’re completely overwhelmed. I introduce them to a variety of general research tools, print and online, from our library. I also get to work with the seniors on their final history research projects. I help these boys identify and work through the subject-specific research tools which best serve their more sophisticated projects. I love witnessing the boys grow, develop, and change. It’s especially gratifying to have access to such an exceptional collection of reference materials, much of which has been made available to Woodberry through the generosity of its donors.”
Phoebe Warmack
BA, Guilford College; MLIS, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; faculty member since 2008; director, William H. White Jr. Library
“I couldn’t have gone to Woodberry, which for me was a transformational experience, without financial aid. At Woodberry, I met all kinds of new people from all over the country whom I would have never met in the rural area where I grew up. When I started, I was a pretty mediocre student. By the end, I had found my path academically and finished with a strong GPA. I built up confidence in my abilities to study, socialize, and be a leader and reinforced the importance of conducting myself with integrity. I support the school with my time and resources because I deeply appreciate what the school did for me and I want Woodberry to continue to thrive.”
Owen Thomas ’79
BS, University of Virginia; MBA,
Harvard Business School; CEO,
Boston Properties;
Woodberry trustee
