A Vanderbilt family tradition began for Ed Spacapan, BS’76, and Lise Spacapan, BS’79, when Lise’s parents met during a study break at the campus library shortly after World War II. Lise and Ed are both proud Commodores—as is their son, John Spacapan, BS’15—and they have been steadfast philanthropic supporters of their alma mater for more than 30 years.
“I grew up hearing about the university,” Lise says. “For us and many of our family members, Vanderbilt memories shaped who we became. From my time performing with The Original Cast and enjoying the Rites of Spring Music Festival to Ed’s time studying in the library and watching a young Steve Martin perform at Carmichael Towers, we want to provide similar moments for future generations.”
As a student, John Spacapan had the experience of meeting former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell while helping to organize Vanderbilt’s Impact Symposium. The influential program has a history of bringing leaders and intellectuals with diverse perspectives to campus to discuss current global issues.
Inspired by the same spirit of civil discourse, Lise and Ed generously support the Dialogue Vanderbilt Student Advisory Board, an intentional effort to consistently advance and more deeply imbed the university’s long-held values of free expression, civil discourse and institutional neutrality across campus and beyond. Their investment, alongside that of other supporters, has helped expand the program, allowing more students to participate.
“The Open Dialogue initiatives we’ve seen are super exciting to us. That is where we want to make an impact, because we feel passionately that Vanderbilt is doing things the right way, helping students form their own opinions by engaging with a variety of viewpoints.”
The student board designs programs for their peers, hosts visiting speakers and serves as representatives of the program to the Vanderbilt community. In the days after the 2024 presidential election, the group invited students of all backgrounds and ideological perspectives to gather outside Rand Dining Hall and voice their reactions to the results.
“The Open Dialogue initiatives we’ve seen are super exciting to us,” Lise says. “That is where we want to make an impact, because we feel passionately that Vanderbilt is doing things the right way, helping students form their own opinions by engaging with a variety of viewpoints.”
Last fall, Ed and Lise attended “How to Heal a Divided America,” a three-part Dialogue Vanderbilt event series, presented with the Aspen Institute. The Spacapans were inspired by the program—a community-building exercise focused on weaving together diverse perspectives and lived experiences to better analyze and address the societal problems of polarization and isolation facing our communities and the world.
“When we attended Vanderbilt, it was a different institution in many ways, yet the core values are the same,” Ed says. “The professors remain personally invested in student success, and the university has maintained its culture of progress. We are pleased that Vanderbilt is leading through innovation and excellence, both locally and globally.”
—Payton Baggett Reynolds
