Lifelong Learning

Washington and Lee University operates one of the most respected arrays of lifelong learning and educational tour programs in the nation.

Welcome Alumni and Friends

The best way to celebrate W&L's enduring commitment to lifelong learning is by experiencing it personally. You, too, can share in the life of the university with an educational adventure on campus or abroad.

Our Programs

Campus Programs

Through the Alumni College, we encourage you to satisfy your enduring curiosity about the world, to think with us about history, philosophy, literature, the arts and sciences, and current events while engaging the expertise of the W&L faculty.

Travel Programs

Through Traveller, W&L's educational adventure program, you'll get to know the world firsthand, to experience different cultures inside their borders, to appreciate different world views, and to savor the inspiring beauty and history of other lands.

"There's not enough space here to say how absolutely wonderful, amazing, incredible, awesome and fabulous the safari was! Each day better than the day before, each place so beautiful and awe-inspiring. The weather was perfect, the wildlife viewing beyond my wildest dreams!"

Past Traveller Participant

Contact Us

P: 5404588723
F: 5404588478
E: lifelong@wlu.edu 
Office of Lifelong Learning
Washington and Lee University
204 W Washington Street
Lexington, Virginia 24450

Your Travel Companions

The staff of the Office of Lifelong Learning are here to guide your next adventure.
Rob Fure Director of Lifelong Learning
P: 540.458.8724 E: rfure@wlu.edu
Robert Fure, director of lifelong learning, joined the W&L faculty in 1977 after earning his M.A. and Ph.D. in English and American literature from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1981, he designed an administrative structure for non-traditional educational programs at W&L and was soon asked to oversee its implementation. In 1982, he established the W&L Alumni College and in 1985 the W&L Traveller program
Ruth Candler Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning
P: 540.458.4866 E: rcandler@wlu.edu
Ruth joined Washington and Lee's Office of Lifelong Learning in April, 2019. Prior to this position, she managed the Class Secretary Program for University Development. She has held a number of marketing and managerial positions in the publishing and graphic arts industries. From 2004 to 2011, she was director of marketing for Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers, an award-winning literary magazine. Ruth and her husband John Paul reside in Lexington and have two grown children.
Emily King Administrative Assistant for Lifelong Learning
P: 540.458.8916 E: eking@wlu.edu
Emily King joined the Office of Lifelong Learning in 2019 following four years working in Development at Washington and Lee University. Growing up in southern Colorado and spending most of her twenties in Europe, Emily has a diverse background in ESL teaching, customer service and project management, and higher education. Emily lives in Lexington with her husband, Elliott, their twin daughters, and their two cats.