The following statement is from President Katherine A. Rowe on the passing of former W&M First Lady Zoë Graves HON ’10, P ’90, wife of the late Thomas A. Graves Jr. HON ’02, L.H.D. ’15, P ’90. -Ed
As First Lady from 1971 to 1985, Zoë Ann Wasson Graves embodied William & Mary’s welcoming spirit. Alongside her husband, the university’s 23rd President, Thomas A. Graves Jr., she extended her trademark kindness and grace far and wide.
She understood the power of art to unite people in dialogue and admiration. With the President, she championed the founding of the Muscarelle Museum of Art to house the university’s treasures in a collection that grows to this day. She applied the same keen eye to the President’s House, renovated in 1971 and decorated with 18th-century paintings and porcelain befitting a historic landmark. She welcomed Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and the future King Charles III to campus.
President and First Lady Graves were a remarkable team whose tenure shaped the university’s future; their dedication helped the then-largest campaign raise more than $20 million. She remained a stalwart supporter, serving as a Homecoming Grand Marshal in 1996 and in 2010, was named an honorary alumna.
William & Mary mourns the passing of First Lady Graves, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and many friends. She leaves a lasting legacy of kindness.