W. Lester Woodall Library Excellence Endowment

W. Lester 'Woody' Woodall
(Photo courtesy of Stephen Woodall)

In April 2004 the NCSU Libraries lost one of its most ardent supporters with the passing of W. Lester "Woody" Woodall. Woodall embodied a spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy through his support of the Libraries and his years of service in the Raleigh Rotary Club.

After Woodall's death, the Libraries received a generous gift he had planned years before by designating the NCSU Libraries as the beneficiary of an insurance annuity. With this gift, the new W. Lester Woodall Library Excellence Endowment was created. This permanent fund in the NCSU Foundation will provide unrestricted support for the Libraries to use in its ongoing pursuit of excellence in all areas.

After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Woodall graduated from NC State in 1947 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. Although he was not a professor, he became an authority on the use of steam and taught many classes on the subject at NC State. He spent thirty years as a manufacturer's representative and Raleigh office manager for Hoffman and Hoffman, a heating and air-conditioning equipment business.

In 1997 his class designated its golden anniversary gift to the Libraries, which inspired Woodall to consider how he might make a significant contribution of his own. In return for his generosity, the university welcomed Woodall as a member of the R. Stanhope Pullen Society, which comprises NC State supporters who have made a planned or deferred gift to benefit any area of the university. His work and charitable interests underscore why he and others of his generation have come to be known as the "Greatest Generation."

He was a long-time member of the Raleigh Rotary Club and served as its president from 1969 to 1970. He also recruited former NC State Chancellor Marye Anne Fox to join the Rotary Club. His son Stephen credits his father's lifetime commitment to giving and volunteering to an experience he had as a student at NC State in the 1940s. He organized a successful student fundraising campaign to have chimes placed in the Bell Tower. Stephen Woodall believes the success of this project led to his father's philanthropic spirit and interest in "giving back."

Based on an original article by Jim Mulvey, which appeared in vol. 25, no. 3 of the NCSU Libraries Focus (Spring 2005).