SUMMARY: Over the years, gifts in kind have shaped JMU's campus and the beloved Madison Experience.
Philanthropic dollars transform campus by supporting Dukes and essential programs. Other donations, or gifts in kind, have played a unique role in shaping JMU’s campus culture and beloved Madison Experience through the years.
Meteorites
From: Josh West
Unveiled on Nov. 8 at the JMU Mineral Museum, the Richard F. West Meteorite Collection features a diverse array of meteorites, from primitive chondrites and dense iron-nickel specimens to rare tektites formed by meteoric impacts on Earth. The collection was gifted by Josh West, who inherited it from his late father, Richard F. West, a former JMU graduate psychology professor. “This collection is more than just a display," said Eric Pyle, JMU geology professor and curator. "It’s an educational experience that lets students and the public alike explore the origins of our Solar System.”
Alma Mater Quad Seal
From: JMU Class of 2003
In 2013, the engraved bronze seal was installed in one of the brick circles near the Quad tunnel, marking the beginning of a new tradition in which Dukes are encouraged to walk around the seal as a sign of respect. A gift from the Class of 2003 and finalized by the Madison Society, the seal’s placement on a Quad entry walkway is a symbolic representation of what the Alma Mater song text conveys: Madison will lead us on to conquer each new day.
Nobel Peace Prize
From: David Doane (’97) and family
The late Cynthia Coolbaugh ('70) spent 15 years as an events coordinator with the International Atomic Energy Agency, an organization that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Former classmate Barbara Benham (’70) said Coolbaugh admitted there were times when she climbed inside missile siloes in Iran to check for compliance with nuclear treaties. “I think [her title] was more of a cover for some other, very intensive work,” Benham said. In 2005, Coolbaugh’s team, led by Mohamed ElBaradei, won a Nobel Peace Prize, later gifted to JMU by Coolbaugh’s son, David Doane (’97), and family to honor her love for Madison and peacemaking legacy.
Steinway Grand Piano
From: The Lyon family
This fall, the Lyons donated their family's Steinway grand piano to the JMU School of Music in honor of their late parents, Joyce (’74M), and John Lyon, a beloved music education professor emeritus who retired from JMU in 1996. Now relocated to its new home in the music building, the Steinway is used in various studio classes for solo performances and musical accompaniment to vocal and instrumental students alike.
Ancient Egyptian Artifacts
From: John and Bessie Sawhill
Bequeathed to Madison College in 1976 by late professors John and Bessie Sawhill, the Sawhill Collection forms the basis of the Madison Art Collection. Frequent travelers, the Sawhills collected thousands of items including books, documents, recordings, coins and works of art. Today, their collection is instrumental in various courses, including HIST 365: Topics in Connected History: Sex and Gender in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean and HUM 250: Foundations in Western Culture: The Ancient Mediterranean, through which JMU students have the rare opportunity to connect with artifacts from Ancient Mediterranean cultures.
Andy Warhol Sketches
From: Charles Alvin Lisanby
Charles Lisanby, a groundbreaking production designer nominated for 19 Emmy Awards, was also the best friend of Andy Warhol in the formative years before the Pop Art movement. The two went on a tour of Asia in 1956, during which this sketch was made. On Warhol’s first trip to Japan that year, the sights and artwork he saw had an enormous impact on his artistic style. When in Kyoto, Warhol sketched a drawing of a group of geiko (professional entertainers) on their way to an engagement. Today, Warhol is widely considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Both rare works can be viewed at the Madison Art Collection.
Rare, Vintage Comic Books
From: Brian Flota
In 2015 and 2016, JMU humanities librarian Brian Flota donated over 10,000 comic books to the university’s Special Collections. Since then, Flota has worked with colleagues to develop the Libraries’ collection of vintage Black comic books, including those featuring Black superheroes and those created by Black authors and publishers, which are now being used in several different JMU classes to learn about Black representation in comics. “There are only, to my knowledge, two other academic library special collections that specifically focus on Black comics…” Flota said, “so this is important work.”
