Elizabeth Rose Wayland and Charles W. Seaver in memory of their grandfather, Dr. John W. Wayland.

The Dr. John W. Wayland Scholarship Endowment was created in 2015 by Elizabeth Rose Wayland Seaver (’58) and Charles W. Seaver in memory of their grandfather, Dr. John W. Wayland.

Dr. Wayland was one of the first faculty members at the State Normal and Industrial School for Women and headed the Department of History. Wayland Hall on the James Madison University campus was named in his honor. A multi-talented man with diverse interests, Dr. Wayland was the author of 40+ books, most of which concerned Virginia history. He wrote the original school song, was the first advisor to The Breeze, led students on annual hikes up Massanutten Mountain, and was a noted authority on Shenandoah Valley History. In 1909, the Baltimore Sun announced a contest for the best definition of “The True Gentlemen.” Dr. John W. Wayland received this prize with the newspaper’s editor writing to him: “Your definition of Gentleman was so much better than the next best that there was no contest at all. So say the judges.”