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ISSUED: 17 July 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Hans Fogle

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — ���ϳԹ���University will create a living-learning space to serve students across disciplines, thanks to a transformational gift from Admiral/Dr. William L. “Bill” Stubblefield and Dr. Bonnie M. Stubblefield.

The University signed an agreement with the Stubblefields on July 17 to become the future stewards of their 65-acre riverfront property in Berkeley County, West Virginia.

“���ϳԹ���University is deeply grateful to Bill and Bonnie Stubblefield for their vision, generosity, and longstanding commitment to higher education and civil discourse,” said ���ϳԹ���University President Dr. Mary J.C. Hendrix. “This remarkable gift expands our capacity to educate, inspire, and innovate across disciplines and in partnership with the broader community.”

The University will preserve and maintain the wooded property as the Stubblefield Academic Field Station, establishing a center for environmental fieldwork, cross-disciplinary research, academic retreats, and hands-on experiential learning for students studying biology, environmental science, business, recreation and sports, nursing, and related programs.

“We are energized by the possibilities this gift represents,” said Dr. Ben Martz, dean of ���ϳԹ���University’s College of Business and Recreation. “It will serve as an incubator for innovation, reflection, collaboration, and leadership—for ���ϳԹ���students today and generations to come.”

Plans for the station include collaborative research with partner organizations such as the Potomac Valley Audubon Society, as well as educational workshops and professional development retreats.

“���ϳԹ���has demonstrated its commitment to thoughtful preservation through our stewardship of properties like the George Tyler Moore Center, the Agricultural Innovation Center at Tabler Farm, and the Catherine Weltzheimer House,” Hendrix said. “This gift reinforces that legacy while opening exciting new opportunities for teaching, research, and community connection.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the University will assume ownership of the property after the Stubblefields no longer reside there.
The property includes a private residence, commercial-grade buildings, garages, and a boathouse.

“We are pleased with the plans ���ϳԹ���has for our property,” the Stubblefield’s said. “We have enjoyed this scenic vista since 1988, and wanted to share the venue with future generations so they can learn about their environment and prepare to preserve its value for the community and humanity.”

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