Whitman Stories

Thanks to gifts to Upward Together, construction is officially underway on a new residential village that will change the way students live and learn at Whitman College. Set to open in August 2025, the apartment-style living community will be home to more than 200 students—in three new residence halls designed specifically for juniors and seniors.

When their 2024 seasons open, the Whitman Blues and Walla Walla Sweets will have a new home. The 3,300-square-foot clubhouse will feature a team locker room, a training room, team spaces and more! See how the clubhouse is coming together.

As part of the Upward Together launch weekend, President Sarah R. Bolton moderated a panel of inspiring alumni who spoke about “Finding Success and Purpose in a Changing World” in front of a large crowd, including many students, at Chism Recital Hall in Whitman’s Hall of Music.

Whitman College students in the new Human-Centered Design (HCD) concentration will have access to additional experts thanks to a generous $100,000 gift from the Lawrence Parke Murphy Trust. This gift to the college’s Upward Together campaign will fund an exciting designer-in-residence program beginning in the 2024–2025 academic year.

Whitman College received a leadership gift for a new junior-senior residential village and will name a hall in honor of Judge James Robart ’69. The announcement was made at a November 2023 Seattle event at T-Mobile Park launching the college’s Upward Together campaign.

More than 1,500 alumni, faculty, staff, families and friends supported the college through ALL IN for Whitman giving days in October 2023. The collective effort raised more than $532,500 for scholarships and college’s greatest needs, as well as support for athletics and a broad variety of student-focused programs.

Whitman College is setting the stage for launching a transformative junior-senior residential village. The Board of Trustees, along with alumni and friends, initiated $10 million in gifts for this innovative project, with a goal of raising $30 million to commence construction.

This summer, Whitman student-athletes and coaches saw significant facility upgrades. Generous gifts of $3.6 million from alumni and friends led to the installation of a new FieldTurf surface, offering year-round training and competition. The field was dedicated on October 14, 2023, as James Hayner Field in honor of a Whitman trustee and Walla Walla community leader.

By investing in the chemistry department, Limei and Jay seek to elevate Whitman’s status as a top-notch liberal arts college that boasts a stellar STEM program and to equip future graduates to solve the world’s most pressing problems in the process.

Enjoy highlights from the launch of Upward Together: The Campaign for Whitman College. This historic and ambitious campaign will focus on key priorities to enhance and enrich the student experience—from access and affordability to campus life and mental health.

The Knapp family’s connection to Whitman College spans three generations and eight family members over 80 years. Their commitment to the institution is underscored by the establishment of the Knapp Family Scholarship Endowment, which supports underrepresented students at Whitman. Roger and Rosemary Knapp, both Whitman alumni, emphasize the transformative power of education and the value of a liberal arts education.

Darrell Baggs, a Montana native, broke barriers to attend college due to his mother’s unwavering belief in education. He established the Frances Jane Ford Baggs Scholarship at Whitman College to help students from rural backgrounds access a liberal arts education. Baggs has been a dedicated supporter of Whitman, both financially and through his service on the Board of Overseers. His story epitomizes the enduring impact of a mother’s dream and the transformational power of education.