Born and raised in Richmond, Ramon W. Breeden Jr. made his way to Charlottesville and put himself through college working odd jobs for tuition, lodging and board. After graduating from the McIntire School of Commerce in 1956, Breeden taught math for two years back in Richmond before entering the business world.

He founded The Breeden Company in 1961. Over the succeeding decades Breeden turned the company into a national developer of over 6,000 apartments, two million square feet of commercial shopping center and office space and 1,700 residential homes.

In 2023 Breeden and his wife Lucy announced a $50 million gift to support the future of business education and athletics at the University. Matching funds push the total impact to $75 million.

Breeden long credits his UVA education with being foundational to his business success:

“UVA is the heart and soul of my education. It was truly the pinnacle of my education. The McIntire School prepared me to go toe-to-toe with Ivy League graduates. UVA’s business school didn’t just teach me about business practices, the school also taught me to have the confidence to speak. I learned how to be actionable in business because of my time at McIntire… In addition, I am an avid fan of many sports and believe they play a crucial role in teaching and promoting camaraderie.”

Per Director of Athletics, Carla Williams:

“The Virginia Athletics Master Plan will redefine how UVA educates student-athletes. Ray’s transformative gift helps us accomplish our mission to provide world-class facilities and support for our students as they study to achieve academic excellence, develop the necessary skills to become citizen leaders for tomorrow and train to compete for championships. He truly understands what it takes to provide the very best accommodations for our students.”