$2.5 million commitment will assist libraries
College of William and Mary alumna H. Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod ’83, M.B.A. ’91, and her husband, J. Goodenow “Goody” Tyler III, of Norfolk have committed $2.5 million to provide students, faculty and the greater community access to information through state-of-the-art library systems.
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.” 
