"Sewanee is a beautiful place, and I really feel I want it to succeed in perpetuity."
at her gowning ceremony in 2018
“As parents of an alum, we're not your typical donors,'' Janet Wrather, P’21, says, describing the philanthropic relationship that she and her husband, David, have with Sewanee. Although the Wrathers bid farewell to the Mountain when their daughter, Abbie, graduated, they continue to support University programs. Their most recent pledge will establish the Wrather Family Training Room in the renovated Fowler Center.
As Janet explains, “We really feel that, even though Abbie has graduated from Sewanee, it’s still a part of who we all are.” The University’s field hockey program weighed significantly in Abbie’s decision to enroll, and, Janet shares, “Fowler played an important part in Abbie’s time at Sewanee, the training room included.”
Though the Wrathers live in Houston, they’ve been familiar with the Mountain for several decades. Janet’s brother, Bill Gage, graduated from Sewanee in 1985. As Abbie was touring colleges, she initially had Vanderbilt on her list—but when she discovered that Vanderbilt had disbanded its field hockey program, she ruled Vandy out. Janet encouraged her daughter to “see a school just down the road.”
At the time, Sewanee was closed for spring break, but the campus still made a strong impression. “There were hardly any students around,” Janet recalls, “but it was a beautiful time of year. Abbie said, ‘I want to come back here when students are on campus.’” The following year, the Wrathers returned for an official visit, including meetings with Sewanee’s admissions team and field hockey coaches. This second visit sealed the deal. “Abbie would not—and did not—apply to any other colleges or universities anywhere,” Janet says. “She fell in love with Sewanee.”
The Wrathers returned to campus four more times before Abbie’s freshman year. “I think the admissions office was like, ‘Do you really think you need to come back for more visits?’” Janet laughs, noting that Abbie didn’t truly need to revisit the Mountain to make her decision—she just wanted to be on campus. As David describes, Sewanee’s academic offerings appealed as much as athletics. “Abbie knew she wanted to major in chemistry or bio-chemistry, and she appreciated that Sewanee’s academics are strong,” he says. Ultimately, Abbie pursued a pre-med track, and she was recently accepted at the University of Texas’s McGovern Medical School. “There are two other Sewanee students in her class at McGovern,” Janet notes.
During her sophomore year at the University, Abbie suffered a concussion, which forced her to retire from field hockey. She joined Sewanee’s crew team the following year and continued crew until she graduated. She also participated in Sewanee’s Hippocrates Fellowship Program, a selective experience aimed at giving students a holistic view of the medical field and strengthening their prospects as medical school candidates. Hippocrates Fellows are closely mentored by Sewanee’s pre-health faculty and medical alumni, and they’re provided with summer internships and leadership opportunities, among other activities. “I think she got a lot out of the fellowship,” David says.
In addition to their support of Fowler, the Wrathers have given to Sewanee field hockey, crew, the chemistry department, and pre-med—all highlights of Abbie’s time on the Mountain. They have also set up two endowed scholarships: the Wrather Family Endowed Scholarship, designated for high-achieving students from Texas, and a pre-health scholarship. They served on the Sewanee Parents’ Council, and they’ve created a spendable scholarship to support financial need, as well. Sewanee’s Vice President of University Relations Deborah S. Vaughn, P’20, says, “The Wrathers have created a real legacy on the Mountain through their many extraordinary gifts. Their generosity has already enhanced our students’ experiences, and it will impact our entire Sewanee community for years to come.”
Janet credits her mother with making philanthropy a family value. “My mother taught me early on that, when you first graduate, even if you can only afford to give a dollar, give a dollar,” she shares. “I think a lot of people don’t realize even one dollar makes a difference.” David points out that funding Sewanee makes financial sense. “Investments in a school like Sewanee can have a far deeper impact than contributions to schools with huge endowments,” he says. “We saw what Sewanee was able to do with our support during our short time there, and that was a good feeling for us.”
“Sewanee is a beautiful place, and I really feel I want it to succeed in perpetuity,” Janet shares. Reflecting on her college years at “a mid-sized university,” she adds that she can see the benefits of attending a smaller school. “The faculty are involved with the students at Sewanee,” she notes. “Abbie still emails with her professors now.” Sewanee’s Director of Parent Philanthropy Bess Turner, P'25, says, “Janet and David are shining examples of many Sewanee parents I’ve met in my travels for the University. It has been my experience that parents of alumni are among the most generous members of our extended Mountain community—they can see and appreciate the doors that Sewanee opened for their children.”
Janet now concedes that the Wrathers’ six exploratory visits to the Mountain probably weren’t necessary. “Abbie knew before I knew that Sewanee was where she needed to be, and she was right,” she says. Noting that she and David will always feel connected to the University, she adds, “Sewanee goes beyond the four years that students are on campus. It’s a community all the way around.”
