$1 million gift will create scholarship endowment at Richard Bland College

Published September 20, 2018 by Robert Powell, III

A former chairman of CSX Corp. and his wife have donated $1 million to create an endowment for scholarships to the Richard Bland College of William & Mary.

The contribution by Hays and Betty Watkins will support the Promise Scholars program, a joint initiative of Richard Bland and the College of William & Mary.

The program is designed to reduce financial barriers for high achieving Virginia students .

Watkins, who led CSX while it was based in Richmond, is a former rector of the William & Mary board of visitors.

The Watkins Endowment will be used for scholarships for the Promise Scholars program in perpetuity.

Debbie Sydow, the president of Richard Bland, said the Watkins’ gift is the largest the college has received in its history.

The gift put the college beyond its half-way mark in achieving  a $2.2 million Promise Scholarship campaign goal.