Lex and Diane Gamble have a long record of service and philanthropy on behalf of their alma mater, the UW, and they’re being honored for it with the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award.
Lex Gamble earned his Bachelor of Arts in business at the UW in 1959, where he was elected as student body president under the slogan “Ramble for Gamble.” His wife, Diane, was also active in student government and earned her degree alongside Lex in business administration.
Since graduating, the Gambles have been actively involved with the New York chapter of the UW Alumni Association. For the past 37 years, Lex and Diane have opened up their home to UW alums in Chappaqua, N.Y., for the long-standing geographic tradition of UWAA Summer Salmon Barbecues. In 2005, Gamble helped to start the “Dawgs on Wall Street” program, bringing prominent CEOs of major corporations to lecture to UW alumni audiences in New York. The program is still going strong in its fifth year, having featured Bill Kerr of the Meredith Corporation in January.
Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award
This award honors an Alumni Association group or member who has made a great impact on the Alumni Association and the University of Washington community. The award was established in 1970.
The Gambles also served on the Class of 1959 Reunion Committee, working to welcome their classmates back to campus for their reunion in October 2009. Lex served as the committee’s co-chair and his personal phone calls, e-mails and letters yielded more than $256,000 toward their class gift of two fully funded endowments for the Cherry Tree Project and a scholarship in landscape architecture. That amount remains the highest raised by a single class for a 50th reunion.
The Gambles continue to serve as “purple and gold ambassadors” on the East Coast for the UW and the Alumni Association. The UW is fortunate to count the Gambles among its many dedicated alumni.
