Alumna’s gift honors her past while looking toward the future
If Gloria Shelton Gibson ’69 could pick one person at Mary Washington who made the greatest impact on her life, it would be her history professor and advisor, Andrew Buni.
“He challenged me, pushed me, and taught me to think,” said Gloria, who tracked down her former professor years later to thank him for his encouragement.
She has also thanked her alma mater, establishing the Gloria Shelton Gibson ’69 Program Endowment in History through her estate plan, which earned her a spot in UMW’s Heritage Society. Funds will help history students and faculty attend academic conferences, host guest speakers, engage in professional development, and more.
“I wanted to fund something outside the budget that was meaningful for the department and students,” Gloria said. “If Mary Washington made a difference in your life, you can help a future scholar by making a legacy gift to the University.”
Growing up in Halifax County, Virginia, Gloria learned about Mary Washington from her high school history teacher, who helped her secure a private scholarship. Gloria quickly fell in love with the Georgian-style architecture and green spaces on campus, and the generous faculty who fostered her love of learning. She majored in history, she said, because “it’s important to understand how our country came into being and has evolved.”
Gloria had many special moments at Mary Washington, including joining the Junior Dance Company, serving in student government and as a junior counselor in Virginia Hall, and being inducted into Mortar Board. But one of her favorite memories was performing in an emotional dance called War Widows at the height of the Vietnam War. “Many of my classmates had married Marines, some of whom never came home.”
After graduation, Gloria earned a master’s degree in teaching and taught social studies before beginning a decades-long career in human resources in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It was the right fit for me,” said Gloria, who has also served on numerous nonprofit boards.
For Mary Washington, Gloria has also been involved in the Charlotte Regional Alumni Network and helped publish the Mary Washington Alumni cookbook. She regularly attends Reunion Weekend and has donated to the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, the Class of 1969 50th Reunion Scholarship, and other areas across UMW.
“I don’t think I can put into words how much Mary Washington has meant to me,” Gloria said. “I hope
my gifts show an appreciation for how I was helped along the way.”
For more information about estate planning, contact Jan Clarke at jclarke@umw.edu or 540-654-2064.
-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 for the Gift Planning Connections newsletter, Fall 2024