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2026 Virginia Power 50 List: JANE BATTEN
PHILANTHROPIST, VIRGINIA BEACH
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
Philanthropist Jane Batten. Photo courtesy William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences
Philanthropist Jane Batten. Photo courtesy William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences
2026 Virginia Power 50 List: JANE BATTEN
PHILANTHROPIST, VIRGINIA BEACH
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
At 19 years old, Batten married Frank Batten, who later became chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications and co-founder of The Weather Channel, which he sold to NBCUniversal and other partners in 2008. For decades, the couple was known for their philanthropic work, a legacy she has continued following her husband’s death in 2009.
Many of the family’s major gifts have been to colleges and universities across the state, including Hollins University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University, Virginia Wesleyan University and William & Mary. In 2024, Batten donated $100 million to establish the William & Mary Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences, billed as the largest-ever individual donation for marine research.
VWU has been a special cause for Batten over the years, as she started serving on its board in 1981 and in 1995 became its first female chair, and has supported the private Virginia Beach university financially through the decades. The university will rename itself Batten University in July in recognition of the Batten family’s generosity.
