A new gift from Mr. and Mrs. L. William Krause, ’63, will significantly enhance the couple’s long-standing legacy of promoting the education of principled leaders at The Citadel.

Gay and Bill Krause have recently committed to giving an additional $5 million to establish and name the Krause School of Leadership and Ethics. The new gift — when added to significant previous gifts made in 2012 and in 2003 designated to support, advance and endow the college’s leadership development curriculum — places the Krauses among the top three individual donors in the college’s history. The new school will unite the existing Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics and the college’s Department of Leadership Studies into a single entity, forming the college’s sixth major academic school.

“We believe that the new school of leadership is an essential cornerstone to The Citadel and its vision to lead in the education and development of principled leaders,” said Bill Krause. “Gay and I are excited that we can provide the funding for General Walters and Provost Selden to establish the new Krause School of Leadership and Ethics as the pre-eminent school of leadership in America.”

Collaborating with three presidential administrations over several decades, the Krauses have provided the vision, guidance and resources to establish The Citadel as the college of choice for those seeking to serve as principled leaders prepared to meet the challenges facing the nation and the world today.

“Bill and Gay Krause have been instrumental in The Citadel’s efforts to advance Leadership and Ethics education for more than 30 years,” said The Citadel President General Glenn M. Walters, USMC (Ret.), ’79. “Their support is not only in philanthropy, but also in leadership and wisdom. They are a driving force with The Citadel Foundation and a myriad of other campus organizations and projects. The Krauses’ impact on The Citadel cannot be overstated, and creating this new school is critical to advancing leadership and ethics education at our college.”

Fittingly, the Krause gift was formally documented after a surprise award presentation following the Oct. 12 Greater Issues address to the South Carolina Corps of Cadets by Krause’s close friend and mentee Claudius “Bud” Watts IV, ’83. After the address, Krause was awarded the inaugural Presidential Leadership Award recognizing his lifelong commitment to advancing principled leadership at The Citadel. This prestigious new recognition is the highest honor that the college’s administration may award.

The Krauses’ generous gift will provide vital resources now and in the future, including ongoing operational support for the Krause School of Leadership and Ethics and an endowment to ensure its long-term growth. Part of the gift is an estate plan that will further enhance the renamed Krause School of Leadership and Ethics endowment.

“This generous gift will allow The Citadel to take our education of principled leaders to the next level,” said The Citadel Provost Sally Selden, Ph.D., SPHR. “Thanks to the long-running support from Bill and Gay Krause, the college will now be able to build on the foundation they helped construct. Their gift will allow us to bring the multitude of robust leadership programs we currently offer under one umbrella, and the Krause School of Leadership and Ethics will serve as our flagship as we educate and develop principled leaders for all walks of life.”

Until it officially becomes part of the new Krause School of Leadership and Ethics, the Department of Leadership Studies will continue to equip all Citadel students with the knowledge and the tools to be principled leaders. The Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics will also continue to coordinate, promote and enhance the development of curricular and co-curricular programs in leadership and ethics that support The Citadel’s vision to lead in the development of principled leaders.

A long-standing member and former chairman of The Citadel Foundation (TCF) Board of Directors, Krause served alongside William Sansom, ’64, as honorary chair of the Foundation for Leadership comprehensive campaign, which raised more than $250 million to support the college’s most vital strategic initiatives.

“Through their extensive professional achievements in business and education and their philanthropic contributions, Bill and Gay Krause have demonstrated their profound commitment to leadership, innovation and education. The Citadel Foundation is deeply grateful for the Krauses’ long-term dedication to principled leadership and the ethical development of students across all aspects of a Citadel education,” said TCF President and Chief Executive Officer John P. “Jay” Dowd III, Ph.D.

About the donors

L. William Krause, Citadel Class of 1963

Bill Krause, ‘63, is president of LWK Ventures, a private investment firm specializing in mentor capital. He is perhaps best known for stewarding 3Com Corp. through its high-growth years in the 1980s as president and CEO, and subsequently as chairman of the board through 1993 when he retired. Krause’s leadership transformed 3Com from a venture capital start-up into a $1 Billion+ publicly traded data networking company with operations worldwide.

Prior to his leadership of 3Com, Krause spent 14 years at Hewlett-Packard, where his final position was general manager of the General Systems Division with worldwide responsibility for the company’s personal computer business. Krause also currently serves on the board of directors of CommScope, Inc.; Forward Networks, Inc.; Smartcar, Inc.; and Veritas Technologies, Inc.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The Citadel in 1963 and received an honorary doctorate of science in 2000.

L. Gay Krause

Gay Krause, Bill’s wife and a former teacher, counselor and middle school principal in Mountain View, California, has been instrumental in developing the Krause Center for Innovation, a teacher training center at Foothill College in Los Altos, Calif. As executive director of the Krause Center for Innovation, she has established an outstanding regional professional development center for educators in Silicon Valley and beyond.