kmachand Archives - Giving to Mary Washington

When Professor Emeritus Leigh Frackelton retired from the University of Mary Washington’s College of Business (COB) in 2021, the pandemic left little room for fanfare.

Rob Strassheim ’96 wanted something more for his former professor, who taught business law and accounting at the University for 35 years.

The University of Mary Washington dedicated the Leigh Frackelton Classroom on April 20 in honor of Professor Emeritus Leigh Frackelton (center) and the Gibbons Team Room, thanks to a generous gift from Bill, Susie, and Michelle Gibbons ’16. Both spaces are in Woodard Hall, home of UMW’s College of Business. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

“Leigh is an institution here at Mary Washington,” said Rob, who now serves as vice rector of UMW’s Board of Visitors. He helped raise tens of thousands of dollars to name a classroom for Frackelton. “I felt this would be a fantastic endeavor to thank someone who has been so impactful in the classroom and in the community.”

Former students and colleagues, family, and friends finally had the chance to fête the longtime faculty member, dedicating the Leigh Frackelton Classroom, as well as the Gibbons Team Room, in Woodard Hall on Thursday, April 20.

Gathered in the airy, technology-rich space, COB Interim Dean Ken Machande ’94 and guests swapped stories about “Frack,” known for using his own career experiences – and golf games – to illustrate key business concepts. The dean also announced a scholarship for accounting students that Frackelton was instrumental in creating, before giving the professor himself an opportunity to share more tales.

“I always enjoyed hearing his real-world examples,” said Michelle Gibbons ’16, who majored in business administration. “He helped ignite my desire to pursue a career in accounting.”

Michelle attended with her parents, Bill, a member of COB’s Executive Advisory Board, and Susie, a former certified public accountant (CPA), who named a team room in their daughter’s honor. Machande thanked the Gibbons family for their generous gift, which will benefit business students for years to come.

Frackelton, who grew up in a neighborhood next to UMW, majored in history at Washington and Lee University. He later earned a law degree at the University of Richmond School of Law and a Master of Law in Taxation from the College of William and Mary. He also became a CPA, studying for the exam with several of his students.

Hired by Mary Washington in 1986, he spent over three decades in the classroom. He now serves as counsel at Parrish Snead Franklin Simpson, PLC, while supporting numerous area community organizations.

From left: Rob Strassheim ’96, COB Interim Dean Ken Machande ’94, and Professor Emeritus of Business Law and Taxation Leigh Frackelton in front of the classroom. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Michelle Gibbons ’16, with her parents, Bill and Susie Gibbons, holds the BOV resolution naming the Gibbons Team Room, a collaboration and study space that will be used for business students for years to come. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Leigh Frackelton and wife Justin laugh as guests share stories about the professor emeritus, who retired from UMW in 2021. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

At UMW, he developed a reputation for being a tough grader. “He had high expectations of his students,” said Rob Whitt ’93, who attended the dedication. Both he and his daughter, Emily Whitt ’23, took classes with Frackelton and enjoyed comparing notes. “He was always enthusiastic and loved the material and teaching,” Rob said.

But beyond his gruff exterior, “you’ll find someone who truly has a passion for helping his students,” said Machande, sharing an anecdote about a time when Frackelton paid a semester’s tuition for a senior who was struggling financially.

“I heard from alums who said Leigh was singlehandedly the reason they made it through accounting,” Rob Strassheim said. “He once opened his home in Richmond to a student who needed a place to stay for his internship.”

And Frackelton was always focused on concerns of others, Rob said. In return, David and Nancy Honeywell, of the Honeywell Charitable Fund, issued a generous challenge grant, which motivated others to give toward Mary Washington’s goal of raising $100,000 for the COB Endowment.

Leigh Frackelton, who taught at Mary Washington for 35 years, shares a few stories of his own in the Woodard Hall classroom named for him. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Finally, it was Frackelton’s turn to speak.

“If I had a classroom like this, I might have taught for 55 years,” he joked, before thanking those who cheered him on throughout his career, calling them his “balcony people.”

He acknowledged many of those individuals, including his wife and children, his father-in-law, and his favorite professor, who encouraged him to practice tax law instead of teaching. Years later, the man was pleased that Frackelton was able to do both.

“That’s what I always told my students,” Frackelton said. “Do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do.”

To learn more about naming gifts or establishing scholarships at the University of Mary Washington, please contact the Office of University Advancement at (540) 654-1024 or advance@umw.edu.

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

For Rob Strassheim ’96 and his wife, Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01, the idea to honor one of their favorite faculty members began with a passed note. Not in class, Rob says, but during a meeting nearly a decade ago about naming classrooms in Woodard Hall, now home of University of Mary Washington’s College of Business, or COB.

Professor of Business Emeritus Galen deGraff stands with Rob Strassheim '96 in the doorway of the newly named Galen deGraff Classroom in Woodward Hall. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim. — Professor of Business Emeritus Galen deGraff stands with Rob Strassheim ’96 in the doorway of the newly named Galen deGraff Classroom in Woodward Hall. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim.

“I remember it vividly,” says Rob, who serves on UMW’s Board of Visitors. He recalls slipping a piece of paper to his wife with the name of someone who made a tremendous impact on both of their lives and professional careers: Professor of Business Emeritus Galen deGraff.

But the contents of that note didn’t stay secret for long. The couple soon embarked on a fundraising effort to name a classroom after their former professor, who taught business courses, primarily finance, for over two decades at the University until he retired in 2015. COB recently dedicated the Galen deGraff Classroom, thanks to generous gifts made by Mary Washington alumni, friends and former colleagues. The Strassheims also led a fundraising campaign to create an endowed scholarship in Dr. deGraff’s name to help recruit out-of-state students who plan to major in business.

“Dr. deGraff and the University of Mary Washington changed my trajectory,” says Sarah, now global chief financial officer for Merkle, a worldwide customer experience management company. “As a professor, he saw something in me that I didn’t have the confidence to recognize in myself.”

Rob Strassheim '96 and Sarah Strassheim '01 at lunch with Dr. deGraff and his wife, Amy, after sharing the news that they had reached their goal of raising funds to name the Galen deGraff Classroom. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim. — Rob Strassheim ’96 and Sarah Strassheim ’01 at lunch with Dr. deGraff and his wife, Amy, after sharing the news that they had reached their goal of raising funds to name the Galen deGraff Classroom. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim.

COB Dean Ken Machande, who has known Dr. deGraff for more than 20 years, says this of his former colleague: “He taught students that the pursuit of anything meaningful requires effort beyond what most people are usually willing to give.”

During the years Dr. deGraff taught at Mary Washington, he steered students toward impactful learning opportunities like internships and independent studies, Rob says, which propelled them to success in their careers. But the former professor also inspired Rob to teach undergraduate courses at Mary Washington.

“I wanted my classes to have the same level of rigor and challenge students, while also gaining and maintaining their respect as a learned person in the subject matter,” says Rob, who has taught management, marketing and other COB courses for more than two decades. He also serves as vice president for business operations for Navisite, a cloud service provider.

Dr. deGraff gives a brief lecture to current UMW students at the unveiling of the new business classroom named for him in Woodard Hall. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim.

Rob says the fundraising effort gave him the chance to reminisce with fellow Mary Washington alums about Dr. deGraff’s engaging lectures, in which he often recounted experiences in the business world, during graduate school and as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

But nothing could have prepared Rob for seeing Dr. deGraff return to the classroom for the dedication ceremony, where current UMW students sat in rapt attention as the former professor offered sage business and career advice.

“It gave me goosebumps,” Rob says. Several business majors came up to him afterwards, saying that they wished they could have been students of Dr. deGraff. “Seeing him teach again, in a classroom that now bears his name, made all the work worthwhile.”

For information about naming opportunities at the University of Mary Washington, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.

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

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