September 2008

$1 Million Gift Will Enhance English Literature Program, Taiwan Resource Center

An annual lecture series in English literature and an expanded permanent collection focused on Taiwan in Gelman Library are among the initiatives made possible by a $1 million gift from Taiwanese businessman Albert Wang and his family.

“Education is an important foundation for a successful and rewarding life,” says Wang, whose father was a high school teacher in Taiwan. “It is an investment that I am privileged to make.” Wang, whose two daughters currently attend GW, is the founder of Ever Rite Corp., a manufacturer of women’s and children’s shoes for the American, European, and Asian markets.

The Wang Endowed Fund in English Literature and Literary Studies will support an annual series of lectures by prominent authors and scholars of English literature and literary studies. The Wang Visiting Professorship in Contemporary English Literature will fund a visiting professorship in contemporary English literature.

“This is a strategically pivotal time for the Department of English,” says Peg Barratt, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. “Having the opportunity to bring renowned literary figures to our campus and to our students nurtures literary research and scholarship.”

The Wang Taiwan Resource Center Endowed Fund will support GW’s Taiwan Resource Center, which was founded in 2004. This new investment will create a variety of initiatives, including curatorial work and expansion of the special collection.

“Students and scholars from GW, the region, and the nation will benefit from the Wang family’s leadership,” says University Librarian Jack Siggins. “Their generosity will have a strategic and perma¬ nent impact as we establish and nourish this important resource at GW.”

The Wang family’s philanthropy to GW also includes a $1 million gift made last year to the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration to fund a faculty chair and a fellowship for graduate students.

“We are deeply grateful for the continuing generosity of Mr. Wang, a loyal donor and friend to the university,” says President Steven Knapp. “As a professor of English literature myself, I am particularly pleased that he has chosen to include such an important contribution to the humanities in his philanthropy. Also, the Wang family’s new endow¬ ment in Taiwan studies will greatly enhance GW’s Taiwan Resource Center.”

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