Endowed Lectures

These endowed lectureships are coordinated by the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

The William M. Allen - Boeing Lectureship and Student Investment Endowment was funded by gifts from Grant and Nancy Silvernale, ’50 and ’56, and Dorothy and N.S. Penrose, Jr. ’55. Nancy and Dorothy’s father, William Allen, was president of Boeing Company from 1945 to 1968. This endowment provides funding for seminars and presentations with professionals distinguished in the business field, as well as providing support for the student-led Whitman Investment Company.

The  Virgil Robert and Mary L. Bierman Endowment was established with a bequest from Mary L. Bierman. Income from this endowment is to be used for lectures and conferences on the history of the American West or related projects on Western history.

The Walter Houser Brattain Lectureship in Science was established by his wife, Emma Jane Kirsch Brattain. This fund brings a distinguished lecturer in science to the campus to honor Nobel Laureate Walter H. Brattain ’24.

The Howard S. Brode Memorial Fund was established by his three sons, each of whom attained eminence in science after their graduation from Whitman. Howard S. Brode served for 36 years as professor of biology at Whitman. The income from this fund is to be used to bring to Whitman College visiting lecturers in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics.

The Virginia Penrose Cagley Lectureship in Foreign Languages and Literatures was established from her estate by her sisters, Mary Penrose Copeland and Frances Penrose Owen. The income from this endowment shall support a distinguished visiting lecturer or lecturers in foreign languages and literature.

The Classical Liberalism Speakers Fund supports outside speakers who address topics from the classic liberal tradition. It was established by Stephen Soske ’82, Bill Montgomery ’61, John A. Peterson ’54, and an alumna from the Class of 1944, among others.

The Robert and Mabel Groseclose Endowed Lecture Fund was established with funds from the estate of Robert and Mabel Groseclose, friends of Whitman College who owned a mortuary in Walla Walla. The lectureship is designed to bring notable and interesting speakers and artists to Whitman College and to provide the people of Walla Walla and Whitman students with a wider perspective of the outside world. In addition to supporting the William O. Douglas Lecture, the lectureship also makes possible for the Visiting Educator program.

The Henry M. Jackson Endowed Lectureship in International Relations was established to honor the memory and work of the late senior senator from the state of Washington, Henry M. Jackson. The Jackson Lectureship in International Relations brings speakers to the campus for the purpose of perpetuating discussion in the area of the senator’s own great influence.

The Judd D. Kimball Lectureship Endowment in the Classics was established by Ruth Baker Kimball, in memory of her husband, Judd Kimball. Mr. Kimball was a member of the Class of 1929 who served as a member of the Board of Overseers and was a civic leader in the Walla Walla community. 

The Governor Arthur B. Langlie Fund for Northwest History, Politics, and Public Service provides funds to bring influential lecturers in these areas to campus. The endowment was established in honor of Gov. Langlie by his grandchildren, Whitman graduates Karin Langlie Glass ’78 and Arthur K. Langlie ’89.

The Charles R. Lewis Lectureship in Political Science was established in 1975 with funds from the Estate of Helen Frater Lewis, class of 1913, to honor her husband Charles R. Lewis, class of 1911.

The O'Donnell Visiting Educators (OVE) program, supported by the Ashton J. and Virginia Graham O'Donnell Endowed Chair in Global Studies. O'Donnell Visiting Educators are practitioners in international affairs, academics who straddle the academia/practitioner divide, or scholars with significant applied experience in international affairs.

The Genevieve Patterson Perry Endowment for the Study of Economics was established by Louis B. Perry to honor his wife, Genevieve Patterson Perry, who was educated as an economist at UCLA and who served Whitman College admirably as a leadership partner during the 1959-1967 presidency of her husband. This endowment provides for one or more distinguished visiting speakers in the general areas of economic policy and business ethics to give public lectures and visit classes during the college year.

The Arthur G. Rempel Lectureship in Biology was founded by former students in honor of Arthur G. Rempel, Ph.D., and his accomplishments as a distinguished teacher, scholar, and professor at Whitman College.

The Sivert O. and Marjorie Allen Skotheim Endowment for Historical Studies was established by Robert Allen and Nadine Skotheim. Income from this fund is used to bring a distinguished lecturer in historical studies to Whitman College.

The Skotheim Lectureship was established in 1978 by then-president Robert Allen Skotheim and his wife, Nadine. Income from the Sivert O. and Marjorie Allen Skotheim Endowment for Historical Studies provides funds to be used annually to bring a distinguished lecturer in historical studies to Whitman College.