Giving to Madison

Our institution’s first donors were graduates of the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg (as it was known in the early 1900s). Mostly of modest means, they raised money to supplement state funding of a new building designed as a place for our alumnae to stay when visiting campus. These women formed a committee to leverage the power of their networks and raised $12,550, the equivalent of more than $220,000 today. You can see the words carved in stone above the entrance to honor them: “Alumnae Hall.” 

Thousands of fans make charitable gifts to the Proud and True Fund every year. They help ensure our student-athletes competing in all sports receive a first-class education and a premier athletic experience. Thousands also support the Marching Royal Dukes, whose members represent practically every department and every major JMU has to offer. And over the decades, thousands of students have “left it all on the field” with every performance, whether athletic or musical. Go Dukes! 

Hundreds of people have helped provide student scholarships in the College of Visual and Performing Arts by naming a seat in the theater, which is considered the premier performance venue in the Shenandoah Valley. A plaque on the back of each seat recognizes the giver. Of course when the curtain goes up, Dukes deliver: dance, music, comedy and drama.

The newest building of the COB was named after Madison College graduate James Hartman (’70, ’00P), his wife, Carolyn (’00P), and their family, who gave a big sum to augment state funding for the much-needed upgrade. When you go inside, you’ll also see an entire wall recognizing many more donors who helped fund the building, as well room names that honor individuals and companies who made significant gifts for the same purpose. Dukes made an exciting project even better through their generosity and commitment.

Made possible with financial support from several major gifts and dozens of more modest ones, Hillcrest Scholarships provide up to $5,000 per student to support transformative summer experiences. Recipients undertake unique projects that they design to incorporate their academic, professional, and personal interests. For example, recent projects have included a pre-med student taking immersive courses in American Sign Language so she will be prepared to serve patients who are deaf, and a future elementary school teacher publishing a children’s book for Kenyan children that reflects their identities and experiences. 

Each spring, students, families, university employees and community members join the annual Relay for Life at JMU — the third-largest collegiate Relay in the nation. This student-led event on Hillside Field gives participants a chance to gather, honor and remember loved ones, and fundraise for the American Cancer Society. They take turns walking around a track lined with luminaria, cheer for local survivors and caregivers, and light the luminaria in a ceremony of remembrance. 

Students begin, expand, and continue their journey with JMU here. In addition to the primary purpose of reviewing and accepting people to the university, the Office of Admissions organizes our Student Ambassadors, who welcome visitors and give tours. They are often the first people aspiring Dukes meet at JMU. The Center for Global Engagement manages study abroad programs, leads global learning initiatives, and supports our international students and faculty; fmuch of this work is made possible by generous donors — so Dukes live, learn and contribute to communities all over the world. Double- and triple-Dukes earn their purple stripes alongside those who are new to JMU with the Graduate School, which oversees dozens of master’s and doctoral degree programs. The building is named after JMU alumnus Paul Holland (’82) and his wife, Linda Yates, who made a major financial gift to the university.

One of several locations for IIHHS, the University Blvd. building is a hub for Children and Youth Services, which serves people all over the Shenandoah Valley. Hundreds of JMU students, faculty members, and community partners work together to provide after-school enrichment on the Gus Bus and at schools, education for children in migrant families in 8 valley school districts, home-visit healthcare for families in rural counties, and respite care for families who have children with special needs. Altogether IIHHS delivers about 19 community-based programs and partners with academic units to support 9 clinics. Faculty members and student clinicians deliver mental health care and counseling for Dukes and community members, healthcare for people who are homeless, and myriad other services.

Named after 1978 JMU graduates Steve and Dee Dee Leeolou, who were the lead donors in helping to fund construction of this building, and with an etched glass entryway to the Great Room that honors many more people who contributed, Leeolou connects to the Festival Student & Conference Center. Inside, the offices of Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, and Family Engagement are the center of activities that celebrate our graduates, connect families with the university, and reach out to the JMU community for support. Here, our Women for Madison program carries on the tradition that began in 1922 (see above for Alumnae Hall), inviting and supporting women especially to be a force for positive change and financial impact at JMU. Leeolou offers study space for students and event space for alumni who return to campus for special events.

Both the Valley and Centennial Scholars programs call the SSC home. Each helps make JMU not just an attractive but also an attainable choice for Virginia students who might not otherwise be able to afford the Madison Experience. These high-impact programs and associated scholarships, along with other scholarships awarded by the Office of Financial Aid to students from all over the world, are made possible through small and large gifts from thousands of people — mostly those who know firsthand how powerful the Madison Experience was and still is today. The Reddix Center, located on the second floor and providing comfortable study/meeting/hang-out spaces for Dukes who are their families’ first generation to attend college, is named after JMU alumni and major donors Angela (’90) and Carl “Pete” (’88) Reddix.

Being the Change has been a part of campus culture since the beginning. Throughout the years, Wilson has been a site of student protest because it remains the dominant building on the Quad after historically housing top university administrators. As early as 1941 students voiced their dissent here, and since then marches and sit-ins  typically revolved around this building, and most recently, Dukes assembled at Wilson in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Ukraine, DACA recipients, trans people, and peace on the Gaza Strip.

Cultural fraternities and sororities — organizations for people who share Black, Latinx, and Asian interests — have been on campus since at least 1971. Our yard was officially dedicated to 13 active orgs at JMU on March 30, 2022. Following a tradition that began at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, plots on JMU’s Yard represent these groups and recognize their ongoing contributions with monuments to their outstanding service, academics, advocacy and mutual support.