McLeod and Tyler’s gift provides $1.5 million to the Earl Gregg Swem Library — the largest gift in the library’s history — and $1 million to the Mason School of business. The business school’s future facility, Alan B. Miller Hall, will include library space named in honor of McLeod.

“I grew up in a house packed with books,” explained McLeod, who
retired in 2007 as director of Network Operations at Cox Communications.
“William and Mary is doing tremendous things in the digital area, but
traditional books and materials are irreplaceable.”

“Because a library is the heart of any academic community, Bee and Goody’s support for libraries at William & Mary is especially meaningful,” said William and Mary President Taylor Reveley. “We are very grateful for this gift and the good it will do now and far into the future.” The gift of $1.5 million to Swem Library will support the library’s first named position, the Marian and Alan McLeod Director of the Special Collections Research Center. In making the gift, the couple is honoring McLeod’s parents for their dedication to academic research and passion for great libraries. With an extensive collection of manuscripts, rare
books, and other original sources, the Special Collections Research Center
is a learning lab for students in the humanities, much like physical
laboratories are for students in the sciences.

“This gift will directly impact the faculty, students and researchers
who rely on Swem to provide unique research materials in the Special
Collections Research Center,” said Connie Kearns McCarthy, dean of
university libraries. “This gift also recognizes the outstanding work of
Swem’s librarians such as Dr. Beatriz Betancourt Hardy, who will hold
this named position.” Through McLeod and Tyler’s support of the Mason School of Business, McLeod celebrates her special connection with the School, where she
received two degrees, and her lifelong love of libraries. Upon completion
of the business school’s new facility, the Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod
Business Library will be located off the main public space on the
building’s second floor, a prime location that will elevate the services
that the school provides its students. The library will provide patrons
with access to electronic and print business research resources, as well
as research assistance by a professional business librarian. The McLeod
Business Library will also have such library-style services as course
reserve materials, electronic catalog with access to all campus libraries,
study areas and copy services.

“The Mason School of Business has long been dedicated to ensuring that
its community has fast access to the most accurate and up-to-the-minute
business information,” said Larry Pulley ’74, dean of the business
school. “Bee and Goody’s generosity will create a state-of-the-art
library and information center in our new building.” Swem Library, which completed a major renovation and 100,000-square-foot expansion in 2005, is among the leading academic research libraries in the Southeast, and students across the country recently ranked it the eighth-best College Library in the country, according to the Princeton Review. Through its collections and services, it plays a critical role in supporting the teaching and research missions of the College of William
and Mary.

The Mason School of Business is an AACSB-accredited school of business.
The school was named for William and Mary alumnus Raymond A. “Chip”
Mason in November 2005. It will move into its new state-of-the-art
building, Alan B. Miller Hall, in fall 2009. Miller Hall was named for
William and Mary alumnus Alan B. Miller in March 2007.
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