A Message from the Department Chairman

I want to thank you for considering making a gift to the GW History Department. We use donations to fund some of the exciting research being carried out by our undergraduate and graduate students and to bring stimulating guest speakers to campus. A gift of $1,000 can fund an important short research trip for a student writing a senior, M.A., or doctoral thesis. $2,500 can make possible a longer-term visit to a major archive. But gifts of any size are most welcome, as we "bundle" the smaller ones to use for these activities and many others. For example, each year a prominent historian visits GW to give the Kayser Memorial lecture to undergraduates and to hold a colloquium for graduate students, a visit funded entirely by generous alumni donations. Recent Kayser lecturers have included William Cronon, Jonathan Spence, Anthony Grafton, and Eric Foner. I know that in these tough economic times, many of you will feel the need to cut back on your charitable giving. But a gift of any size can help our students accomplish great things!

William H. Becker