Heritage Society

A Love of Languages

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Alumna Honors Family and Friends with Study Abroad and Theatre Scholarships

When Cathy Elwell ’73 reflects on her life, she feels deep gratitude for her parents, who taught her and her brothers the value of higher education.

A person in a wide brimmed hat and blue jacket and dress sitting at a table and smiling at the camera.
Cathy Elwell ’73, who majored in French and minored in theatre at Mary Washington, established scholarships for study abroad and theatre at her alma mater, naming them for her parents and a former roommate who made an impact on her own career path. K Pearlman Photography.

“I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world,” said Cathy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in French and minored in theatre at Mary Washington. “Everything around me comes from them, my education, and very good fortune.”

Cathy turned her love of languages into a study abroad in Paris and a successful career with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C. A member of UMW’s Heritage Society, she established the L.D. and Bernice Elwell Study Abroad Scholarship to honor her parents’ legacy and help Mary Washington students have their own overseas opportunities.

“My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but my father was determined to go to college, and they wanted the same for their children,” said Cathy, who grew up in a farming family in rural Illinois. After military service, her father attended the University of Illinois on the GI Bill, and eventually went to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Midwest, while her mother offered childcare services. “That brought in a second income to send us to college.”

A person smiling and wearing a colorful dress with blonde, curly hair standing in front of colorful flags.
Cathy Elwell at work in the International Monetary Fund building in 2002. Photo courtesy of Cathy Elwell.

Her family moved east in 1966 when her father was offered a job at USDA’s Washington, D.C. office. Soon, Cathy began considering her own college choices.

“Mary Washington had the strongest study abroad program,” said Cathy, who had fallen in love with French after hearing The Beatles’ ballad “Michelle” and couldn’t wait to visit Paris.

Her dream came true when she studied at La Sorbonne at the University of Paris through a partnership with Central College in Pella, Iowa. She spent three semesters immersing herself in French culture and traveling through Europe as much as she could.

She already had a plan in place, thanks to former suitemate Patricia Mavine Sauls ’71, a theatre major who suggested that she apply for a job at the IMF. After graduation, Cathy began a decades-long career, using her language skills on more than 30 missions in French-speaking countries across the globe.

To thank Patty for the impact she made on her life and career, Cathy named a theatre scholarship in her honor at their alma mater.

Cathy Elwell often participates in events through UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Here, she smiles for the camera on a trolley during her 50th Reunion Weekend in 2023. K Pearlman Photography.
Cathy Elwell chats with Sophia Heinbach ’27, a Student Alumni Ambassador at UMW, during the Celebration of Giving in 2025. K Pearlman Photography.
Sophia Heinbach ’27 listens to Cathy Elwell during the 2025 Celebration of Giving. K Pearlman Photography.

“Establishing these scholarships has been transformative for me,” said Cathy, who regularly attends events through UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. “I experience such unparalleled joy at seeing students and families who will benefit from these scholarships and change lives.”

Learn more about estate planning, or contact Jeremy Vaughn, executive director of gift planning and major gifts, by email at jvaughn@umw.edu or call 540-654-2063.

Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 for the Fall 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter. 

In Support of Service

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Alumna’s military roots inspire scholarship for service members and their families

A married couple dressed up for an event, standing outside and smiling. The husband's arm is around the wife's shoulder.
George and Sallie Galloway Gill ’65 were both scholarship recipients at their respective schools. At Mary Washington, they established the Carrie S. and Arthur L. Galloway Scholarship to support students from military families, veterans, and current service members earning their degrees. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.

Sallie Galloway Gill ’65 knows the sacrifices military families make in service to their country.

On the night she was born, her father sailed for North Africa during World War II and didn’t return until she was 3. Her brother was a decorated U.S. Army lieutenant killed in Vietnam. And her husband spent over three decades in the Marine Corps Reserve.

“A life in the military is honorable and good, but it puts strains and stresses on families that most people will never know, experience, or understand,” said Sallie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Mary Washington.

Both Sallie and husband George relied on private support to attend college, inspiring them to create the Carrie S. and Arthur L. Galloway Scholarship at the University of Mary Washington. Their generous gifts – including recognizing UMW in their estate plans – support numerous students from military families, veterans, and current service members earning their degrees.

“We wanted to honor my parents and family by helping others who’ve chosen to serve their country,” said Sallie, the first-ever recipient of the Lt. Gen. Albert J. Bowley Scholarship at Mary Washington. “George and I were both raised in homes where finances were tight, but love, guidance, and a desire for us to succeed were abundant.”

Sallie’s father, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Arthur L. Galloway, sailed for North Africa during World War II on the night she was born and didn’t return home until she was 3. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
‘In my dad’s unit, every new father was allowed to have the name of their new child painted on one of the jeeps in the unit for a few days,’ said Sallie, noting this is one of her favorite photos, despite the incorrect spelling of her name. ‘How many people in the world ever had a WWII jeep named for them, even for a day?’ Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
A 1945 newspaper clipping from the Newport News Daily Press reporting on Sallie’s father meeting her for the first time. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie’s brother, Arthur Lee Galloway Jr., a decorated U.S. Army lieutenant, died in Vietnam on March 3, 1971. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie’s parents, Carrie S. and Arthur L. Galloway, were the namesakes of the scholarship she and husband George established at Mary Washington for veteran students and those from military families. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie’s husband, George Keener Gill Sr., spent over three decades in the Marine Corps Reserve. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
From right: Sallie Galloway Gill’s husband, George; his brother, John; John’s son, Ward; and Sallie and George’s son, Keener. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie and George’s son, George Keener Gill Jr. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.

As a child, Sallie’s family moved across the U.S., Taiwan, and Germany. Everywhere they went, her parents encouraged their children to learn about languages, history, and people.

Sallie found the right fit for a history major at Mary Washington, where she fell in love with the stately brick architecture, ivy-covered grounds, and a charming city full of historical sites and cemeteries, perfect for someone with a passion for studying the past.

A black and white yearbook photo of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie from the 1965 Battlefield Yearbook at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives.

Faculty members like Myra Irby, Donald Glover, and Samuel T. Emory “opened up new worlds for those of us lucky to learn from them,” Sallie said. She furthered her love of history while working at the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library as part of the Bowley Scholarship, and worked in Seacobeck Hall to fill in the gaps. “I enjoyed the comradery,” she said, “as well as taking pride in helping financially with the cost of college.”

After graduation, Sallie taught high school geography in her hometown of Newport News, Virginia. She soon met George, stationed in Yorktown, through a young adult group at their church. He had attended Vanderbilt University on a scholarship he earned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) and held several campus jobs to support his own education. They married a year later and moved across the country, eventually settling outside of Chicago.

A couple who are donors to Mary Washington and their scholarship recipient.
George and Sallie Galloway Gill ’65 with their scholarship recipient, Jarad Ponce ’24, at UMW’s 2024 Scholarship Luncheon. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

The couple, who are members of UMW’s Heritage Society, returned to her alma mater two years ago to attend the spring Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase, where they met their recipient, Jarad Ponce ’24, a veteran who is now an early venture consultant with UMW’s Small Business Development Center.

“George and I were delighted our scholarship was helping someone so deserving and willing to work hard to achieve his ambitions,” Sallie said of Jarad, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mary Washington after serving in the Marine Corps. “Our goal is to help future generations by supporting young people in the way that others supported us.”

For information about supporting student success through scholarships now and through your estate plans, email Executive Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts Jeremy Vaughn or call 540-654-2063.

This article was written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 and originally ran in the Spring 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter. 

The Heart of Giving

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Honoring Jan Clarke’s long career and years of meaningful connection and thoughtful giving

Jan Clarke was just a few years out of college when he got a call from his alma mater, a private Baptist school in southern Virginia, inviting him to interview for their first position dedicated to gift planning.

“I didn’t know much about the field, but I enjoyed working with people who were passionate about philanthropy or open to learning about it,” said Jan, who got his start in fundraising as a student phonathon caller.

Jan Clarke earned a bachelor’s degree from Averett University and worked there and Radford University before spending over two decades in gift planning at the University of Mary Washington.
Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning Jan Clarke was named an administrator emeritus when he retired in June, after serving UMW for over two decades.

That job launched a lifelong career in advancement for Jan, who spent over two decades at the University of Mary Washington as assistant vice president for gift planning, after working at Averett and Radford universities. He often met with alumni and friends across the country, helping them shape their legacies while supporting future generations of UMW students. In recognition of his own lasting impact on Mary Washington, the University named him an administrator emeritus when he retired in June.

“I loved hearing people’s stories – what they studied, how a professor inspired them, the lifelong friends they made, and the careers they had because of Mary Washington,” Jan said, “and helping them connect those memories to a gift that could change a student’s life.”

Among the donors he worked with were Marcy Weatherly Morris ’50 and her late husband, Juney Morris ’50, who met and fell in love at Mary Washington when they were both students; a decorated World War II veteran, Juney attended college on the G.I. Bill. Five generations of their family have attended Mary Washington, starting with Juney’s mother, who graduated in 1919.

“Words cannot express our experience with Jan during his tenure at Mary Washington,” Marcy said. She and Juney, who passed away in 2024, made many generous gifts to support their alma mater over the years, including the Weatherly Wing in Seacobeck Hall, the Morris Stage at Heslep Amphitheatre, student scholarships, and a portrait of UMW’s ninth president, Richard V. Hurley. “Jan became our ‘forever’ friend, and he and Mary Washington have been such an important part of our lives.”

Jan with Marcy Weatherly Morris ’50 at the president’s reception at Brompton during Reunion Weekend in 2024. Jan worked with Marcy and her late husband, Juney Morris ’50, for decades, helping them tell their Mary Washington story and support current and future students through their gifts. With Jan’s help, the Morrises made gifts to name the Weatherly Wing in Seacobeck Hall, the Morris Stage at Heslep Amphitheatre, several scholarships, and a portrait of Richard V. Hurley, UMW’s ninth president.
Jan skiing with Dr. Jerri Barden Perkins ’61 in Sun Valley, Utah. He helped Dr. Perkins, who received a chemistry degree from Mary Washington before earning a medical degree, and went on to conduct trailblazing research on rheumatoid arthritis among other accomplishments, establish six scholarships and fellowships to support UMW students during his years in the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.
Longtime colleagues Jan Clarke and Jeremy Vaughn ’08 outside the Cedric Rucker University Center at Reunion Weekend. Jeremy recently became the executive director of gift planning and major gifts, carrying on Jan’s work of helping Mary Washington donors fulfill their wishes while supporting current and future students through their estate gifts.

Jan, who grew up in Charlottesville, earned a bachelor’s degree at Averett University, where he took accounting, marketing, and psychology to help him build the skills needed for his career. But it was the people – donors, students, and colleagues – who made the work fulfilling.

“It takes the entire team to secure a gift,” said Jan, who helped donors support scholarships, faculty excellence, academic programs, campus beautification, and more. “It wasn’t about the size of the gift. It was about what it meant to the donor – and what it would mean to Mary Washington.”

Jan (bottom left) with Professor of English Gary Richards (bottom right) and a group of Mary Washington alumni during an On the Road trip to Ireland in 2024.
Jan on a camel during his travels to Morocco with Mary Washington alumni on a trip through the On the Road program.
Jan (second from left) with Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker ’81 (right) and other Mary Washington alumni on a UMW On the Road trip to Morocco in 2020, prior to the pandemic.

As a member of UMW’s Heritage Society, Jan’s own gifts contribute to areas that are meaningful to him, like the Fund for Mary Washington and study abroad. An avid traveler, he visited Morocco and Ireland with Mary Washington alumni through UMW’s On the Road program and just returned from a vacation in Portugal.

Besides traveling, Jan now spends his days kayaking, biking, and gardening. Still a proud supporter of UMW, he stays connected to many donors he’s worked with over the years. And he’s glad to see his longtime colleague, Jeremy Vaughn ’08, step into the role as executive director of gift planning and major gifts.

“Jeremy brings such heart to the work,” Jan said. “He’s thoughtful, genuine, and understands how to build real trust with donors. I couldn’t imagine a better person to carry our mission forward.”

For more information about estate planning, contact Jeremy Vaughn at jvaughn@umw.edu or 540-654-2063.

This story originally ran in the fall 2025 Gift Planning Connections Newsletter.

-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04