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Professor William N. Hamlet came to campus in 1911 for a job interview as one of the first members of the faculty at the new State Normal School in Fredericksburg. Later, he recalled that he did not actually plan to take the job, but, “when I looked upon this beautiful hill, I saw in perspective what glorious things might be accomplished.”
Professor Hamlet attended high school in Lynchburg, graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a degree in chemical engineering, and took courses at the University of Virginia and Cornell. He had several years of educational experience serving as assistant principal, principal, and head of the science department at high schools in Virginia and Arkansas. At the time of his historic job interview, he held a position as the director of analytical chemistry in the medical department of what was then known as the Medical College.
Professor Hamlet accepted the teaching position at what is now the University of Mary Washington and taught science and math during those first few years. As members of the faculty increased, he focused on math and educating future teachers to teach arithmetic to elementary and high school students. He continued to do so until his retirement 31 years later.
In the History of Mary Washington College, 1908-1972, Dean Edward Alvey Jr. said that Professor Hamlet was a conscientious and beloved teacher, but a quiet man. “Even with his long years of service to the college, he rarely ventured an opinion in faculty meetings, and he habitually walked about the campus with his head down. A student once remarked, with affectionate exaggeration, that the only way Mr. Hamlet knew his students was by their shoes.”
The students did appreciate Professor Hamlet’s gentle guidance and 
his love of dogs and nature. After his death in 1941, a tribute published in the summer edition of The Epaulet stated, “He saw life as an opportunity to serve others, to share what he possessed with others, and to teach his students the various facts and intricacies of mathematical procedures and how to apply them to their life activities. His philosophy of life was wholesome, inspirational, and sound. He was a philosopher, an adviser, and a loyal friend to all who knew him.”
An obituary published in The Bullet referenced the house on College Avenue that the Hamlets sold to the school in 1937. “Mr. Hamlet will not be forgotten by present students or by those who ever attend this college, because they had the privilege of knowing his fine character. He will be known to future students as part of the background and tradition of the college. His former home, which we will know as Hamlet House, will keep his name always alive on our campus.”
Through his estate plans, Professor Hamlet bequeathed to the college a farm in Spotsylvania County to be used as a recreational area and a bird sanctuary. This thoughtful gift made him one of the first members of the Heritage Society.
Alumnus follows his own advice for retirement planning and charitable giving
Nearly 25 years ago, Christopher G. Fines was looking for a college that would enable him to play baseball and help launch a potential career in business. After graduating from Stafford High School, he chose Mary Washington.
“At the time, I didn’t realize how important that decision would be,” he says. “While I majored in business administration, I now see how Mary Washington’s superior academics and the whole liberal arts and sciences experience broadened my perspective and helped prepare me for life.”
After graduating in 1999, Chris worked at what was then Union Bank & Trust and eventually became a financial advisor. With 16 years of advisory experience, he now has several official abbreviations behind his name including CFP and RICP, meaning he is a Certified Financial Planner and a Retirement Income Certified Professional. He and his business partner own Community Financial Group, which currently has 22 employees and offices in Fredericksburg, Richmond, and Roanoke.
“I spend every day meeting with people older than me talking about financial strategies and retirement and estate planning,” says Chris. “One day I decided to solidify my own plans to provide for my wife and four children and also for Mary Washington.”
Chris then notified the Office of Gift Planning that he had designated UMW as a beneficiary of a specified percentage of his 401K.
“Mary Washington did some great things to help me develop as a person and as a professional,” he says. “I stay connected by serving on the UMW College of Business Advisory Board and by speaking to business classes. This estate gift is just one more way I can give back and show appreciation to my alma mater.”
If you wish to make UMW a beneficiary of any of your accounts, please specify that gifts be directed to the University of Mary Washington Foundation. Contact Jan Clarke at 540-654-2064 for more information.
Article written by Donna Harter, Executive Director of Advancement Initiatives
Alumna’s estate gift to provide educational opportunities for students west of the Blue Ridge
Perseverance, determination, and a degree from Mary Washington – Susan Orebaugh Nicholson ’64 has mastered the blending of these three hearty ingredients to create a successful career as a dietitian, entrepreneur, cooking show guest, syndicated columnist, and author.
It all started in the fall of 1960 when a bright-eyed, small-town girl came over the Blue Ridge mountains to attend a state college in Fredericksburg. Having never seen Mary Washington until the day she moved into Virginia Hall, her main goal was to become a college graduate and pursue a career.
“I knew specifically which careers I didn’t want to follow, so I was open to actively exploring majors that might offer unique opportunities for the future,” she says. “I ended up taking a foods class that first semester, and I guess the die was cast. It was a hard major with lots of science courses – plus science labs and food labs – but I persevered and conquered them all.”
That life choice led to two summer jobs in Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospitals within the Commonwealth of Virginia and then a dietetic internship in Houston, Texas. This experiential learning led directly to a position as staff dietitian at the VA hospital in Houston. Susan continued to learn and look for new challenges and soon became the first female pharmaceutical company representative with Mead Johnson. There she trained dietitians and created a model for new positions that was used nationally. She later moved to Atlanta to work with the Marriott Corporation.
Always at the forefront of technology and looking for unique opportunities, Susan opened a microwave store in Atlanta in the 1980s. With her extensive background in nutrition, it was a natural progression for Susan to teach classes and share recipes and tips for using the new-fangled devices. One thing led to another, and she began sharing these recipes with a national audience on CNN, which led to her first book, Save Your Heart With Susan: Six Easy Steps to Cooking Delicious Healthy Meals in a Microwave.
By 1995, with one book under her belt, Susan was writing a column, the “7-Day Menu Planner,” for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It became syndicated and was carried by newspapers across the nation. In fact, this year marks the 25th anniversary of that popular column. Eventually, Susan added another column; a new book titled, 7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies; and the blog, “Making the Menu.”
From her strict upbringing in Shenandoah County, Susan learned early to push boundaries and how to overcome unexpected obstacles, including cancer. Today, she and her husband, Nick, call Atlanta home, and they enjoy traveling across the U.S. and around the world.
With her decades-long background in nutrition, Susan continues to offer advice about cooking, and she proudly credits her Mary Washington experience for playing a key role in her life and career. As a way to pay it forward, Susan recently notified the University of a bequest in her estate plans to create an endowed scholarship for UMW students from designated counties along I-81 from Winchester to Bristol.
“Before I came to Mary Washington, I’d lived a small-town life, even though I was a city girl by heart,” says Susan. “Looking back, I now know that getting away was the only way for me. My college coursework, internships, social interactions, and extended travel experiences all helped broaden my horizons.”
Asked about expectations for the need-based scholarship, she adds, “I am proud of my Mary Washington degree, and I want deserving students from the all-too-often underserved western counties of Virginia – and all the way south to Appalachia – to have a real chance at higher education so they, too, have hope for a better future.”
Make Your Bequest Personal
Bequests to Mary Washington can support a variety of programs that have direct impact on student success. Contact the Office of Gift Planning at 540-654-2064 to discover how you can leave a legacy in a way that is meaningful to you.
Article written by Donna Harter, Executive Director of Advancement Initiatives
Joseph Grzeika ’83 says a pamphlet in a doctor’s office waiting room forever changed his life. He had an associate’s degree from a technical college, he was assigned to the U.S. Navy’s AEGIS program at Dahlgren, and his wife was expecting their second child. He sat there that day thinking about his career options and the future of his family.
“That pamphlet about an educational path for adult students caught my eye,” says Joe. “I picked it up and decided to find out more. I eventually enrolled at Mary Washington, and the pieces just came together.”
Joe majored in computer science, which provided the foundation he needed to advance his career. He then put his bachelor’s degree to work while serving as vice president of Planning Consultants Inc., a Dahlgren-based company he formed with five partners to provide systems engineering services to the U.S. Navy – and later as president of Joetech, LLC, his own consulting company.
Out in the real world, Joe also provided a career path for Mary Washington graduates. “I knew the
quality of the programs and the professors,” says Joe. “Through the years, my company hired close to 40 Mary Washington alumni, and I always touted UMW student interns and graduates to my clients.”
In addition to his family and career, Joe dedicated himself to service in the community and at Mary
Washington. He served on the King George Board of Supervisors, the Rappahannock United Way Board of Directors, the UMW Board of Visitors, and the UMW Foundation Board. He is a longtime member of the President’s Council through his regular support of the Fund for Mary Washington, and he also supports the Philharmonic and UMW athletics.
Recently, Joe informed the Office of Gift Planning that he included UMW in his estate plans. “My college education had a profound impact on my life, and I feel an obligation to pay it forward,” says Joe. “It is my hope that university leaders will someday put my gift to work in a way that shapes lives and provides opportunities for future generations. I know that is something that will make my children and grandchildren proud.”
Article written by Donna Harter, Executive Director of Advancement Initiatives