A natural segue: Retired hospice physician Ralph Caldroney ’72 turns a planned gift into immediate impact with new lecture sponsorship

A natural segue: Retired hospice physician Ralph Caldroney ’72 turns a planned gift into immediate impact with new lecture sponsorship 
W&L - The Columns, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA; by Barbara Elliott; 9/15/25 
[Dr. Ralph Caldrony, retired medical director for Hospice of Rockbridge County, attended several Roger Mudd Center for Ethics'] lectures during this past year’s series: “How We Live and Die: Stories, Values and Communities.” ... Impressed by the range and quality of the Mudd Center presentations [at Washington & Lee University], Caldroney previously committed a $250,000 planned gift to the center for his 50th reunion gift in 2022. However, after such a positive experience attending this year’s lecture series, he decided to fast-track his support. For each of the next five years, his $5,000 per-year gift will sponsor an annual lecture. “It was a natural segue,” Caldroney says. “This way, I can enjoy some of the fruits of my labor while I am still alive.”