Posted on January 18, 2010

Lawrenceville School Receives $60 Million Gift From Former English Teacher

The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, has announced a $60 million bequest from the estate of Henry C. Woods, a member of the class of '40 and a former English teacher and trustee at the school, and his wife, Janie ('40).

The largest gift in the prep school's two-hundred-year history will be used to endow student scholarships, a faculty sabbatical and intern program, faculty chairs, and professional development opportunities, as well as provide support for the maintenance of the school's campus. In honor of their generosity, Memorial Hall, an iconic campus building at the center of campus, will be renamed Woods Memorial Hall. Mr. Woods taught in the building for thirty-four years.

The Woods' bequest comes in the midst of the school's bicentennial campaign, with $54 million of the gift credited toward the campaign's $200 million goal. To date, the school has raised more than $185 million. The remaining $6 million of the Woods' gift, which was pledged by the couple in the 1990s and was credited to an earlier campaign, will be used to fund six teaching chairs.

"We are extremely grateful to the Woods for their extraordinary gift to the school," said Lawrenceville headmaster Liz Duffy. "Lawrenceville was Henry's and Janie's family. They were beloved members of the community throughout their lives. It's wonderful that through their bequest, their legacies at Lawrenceville will endure in perpetuity. We're thrilled to receive this historic gift as we celebrate the school's bicentennial."