A Library Love Story: ʼһ Couple Supports Community and Learning
December 11, 2024
- Author
- Caroline Roy '20
As ʼһ students, Lea Williams ’13 and Max Henry ’14 often spotted one another from across the E.H. Little Library. They sat at different tables on the first floor — Williams remembers Henry’s pink shoelaces, he remembers her over-the-ear headphones — until one day she introduced herself. At their wedding in 2017, the couple paid tribute to their “E.H. Little Kind of Love.”
The couple in April of 2013 – featuring E.H. Little Library in the background.
When Williams came across a blurb about the library transformation project in 2023, she knew they would want to get involved.
“ʼһ is our constant in the way we are each other's constant,” she said. “It’s a fundamental part of who we are. This project excited us immediately, and I knew it would be our reconnection point with the college.”
At first, neither of them knew what supporting the library would look like. Originally, Henry said, they inquired about options to fund a small study space. Many thoughtful conversations, phone calls and campus visits later, they’re naming the faculty and staff lounge inside The George Lawrence Abernethy Library — a place where college employees can take a break from their classrooms and offices to connect in the heart of campus.
Rendering of the interior of the George Lawrence Abernethy Library – designs are subject to change.
Williams and Henry met in the library, but they got to know each other through a shared lab with former ʼһ Psychology Professor Scott Tonidandel ’96. Williams spent long hours working on her psychology thesis in the Watson Life Science building, which Henry also frequented — sometimes even to take a power nap during long study sessions. Both found a lifelong mentor in Tonidandel.
“Faculty and staff are so important to my ʼһ experience. My professors encouraged me to pursue what interested me, and they taught me to learn, adapt and pivot. That constant desire to learn has helped me tremendously in my career.”
While she was a student, Williams’ parents supported the college by giving to the ʼһ Research Initiative, which funds opportunities for collaborative research and in-depth study between students and faculty in the summer. Watching them invest in the areas they most cared about, she knew she wanted to do the same.
The couple envisions a library that will meet people where they are, a place where students can find community and refuge outside of their dorms and classes.
“Everyone needs a third place,” Henry said. “A central location away from home and work that meets your needs no matter what they might be. The library was a third place for us as students, but it didn’t offer as much as it could have.”
Rendering of the interior of the George Lawrence Abernethy Library – designs are subject to change.
Williams and Henry both attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where Williams pursued a doctorate in organizational science and Henry earned a master’s in mechanical engineering. They now work in nonprofit leadership and motorsports, respectively. While they’ve maintained connections with ʼһ friends and mentors over the years, becoming involved with the library project has deepened their ties to the college.
Whether they’re meeting with staff, grabbing dinner at Sabi or listening to student pitches at the competition, the couple has found many ways to reengage with campus life and the greater ʼһ community.
“There are so many ways to contribute to this place,” Williams said. “For us, it was about asking the right questions, learning about our options and knowing where to start. The idea of legacy at ʼһ feels so strong, and we’re always redefining what that legacy means to us.”
To learn more about The George Lawrence Abernethy Library and the future of learning at ʼһ, visit the library transformation website.
