06/11/2026
“It just seemed a very natural thing to do.”
That’s how former William & Mary President Timothy J. Sullivan ’66 described the decision to establish a W&M presence in D.C. over 25 years ago.
A lot has changed since then, but the mission remains remarkably familiar.
Long before universities across the country began building D.C. centers, internship and applied learning hubs, and pathways into public service, W&M saw an opportunity to bring its community closer to the people, institutions, and ideas shaping our world.
These photos capture the Center’s earliest days. Today, that vision has grown into a year-round home for applied learning, alumni engagement, thought leadership, and community in the nation’s capital.
The Center was founded on a simple belief: students learn differently when they are immersed in the places where decisions are made, organizations are built, and public life unfolds.
As we celebrate 25 years, we’re looking back at the people, places, and moments that helped shape W&M in Washington.
Which detail in these photos takes you right back to the early 2000s?
