On Being Honored in Brick and Mortar: Q&A With Professor Emeritus C. Ray Smith

Few have played a more central role advancing the University of Virginia Darden School of Business than Professor Emeritus C. Ray Smith (MBA ’58). As part of a record $68 million gift to the School, Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA ’63) dedicated $7.2 million as a challenge match in Smith’s honor to fully renovate C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall into a hub for alumni engagement and lifelong learning. Donors who help unlock the match through gifts of $100,000 or more will receive special recognition as sponsors of the project.

Hear from Smith on what he hopes this new space in his honor will create for the community.

Why is lifelong learning important for Darden and its alumni?

Lifelong learning is an important part of the Darden School’s mission, and it’s an important part of your education, particularly if you are in the business world. The whole opportunity for lifelong learning has been changing fast — you can do it online or come back to Grounds — and in the fast-paced world that we live in, you have to keep learning.

How do you hope the building named in your honor will transform Darden once it’s complete?

I hope that C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall will foster more opportunities for alumni to pursue their own lifelong learning — it’s important for them to do it when they can.

What does it mean to you that donors want to give in your honor?

It means a lot that students remember me and feel that I had an impact on them. In teaching, you don’t get immediate feedback on what a student has learned; if students make good grades, then you assume they learned something. But when you hear from your students later on in life and see the impact they are making, that is the best feedback you can get.

Contact Interim Vice President for Advancement Samantha Hartog at HartogS@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-982-2151 for more information on how to unlock matching funds to honor the legacy of C. Ray Smith and power Darden’s future.