Alvin E. Nashman, government contracting executive, George Washington University honorary degree recipient and longtime friend and supporter of the university, died earlier this month. He was 92.
Mr. Nashman received an honorary doctoral degree from GW in 1986 and also served on the board of the Virginia Science and Technology Campus.
In 2015, Mr. Nashman and his wife, Honey W. Nashman, a longtime GW professor, made a gift to the university to endow the university’s Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service.
“The gift that Honey and Al gave to establish the Nashman Center has really been helpful in allowing us to expand our work and to do our work better,” said Amy Cohen, executive director of the Nashman Center. “One of the things that has been wonderful about their gift is having their warm support and advice as well.”
Through the Nashman Center’s 70 service-learning courses and numerous co-curricular programs, thousands of GW students and other university community members provided 759,891 service hours last academic year alone.
“Not only was Al lauded for his business and scientific abilities but also for his strength in connecting with people and that is one of the legacies we want to hold onto at the Nashman Center,” Ms. Cohen said.
For 27 years until his retirement in 1992, Mr. Nashman headed the multi-division systems group of Computer Science Corporation, which under his leadership experienced growth in its federal practice in excess of $1 billion. He was also a founding director of James Monroe Bank, which was later acquired by PNC, and served as director from 1997 to 2006.
Mr. Nashman received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the City College of New York and held an honorary doctorate from Pacific University. He also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he was stationed on Treasure Island in San Francisco to teach courses in radar after receiving a perfect score on his military classification entrance exam.
In 2009, Mr. Nashman was inducted into the Greater Washington Government Contractor Hall of Fame, where he was praised as a pioneer in the federal information technology industry and mentor to many.
Gregory D. Squires, a professor of sociology and public policy and administration who worked alongside Honey W. Nashman for years, said Mr. Nashman was the kind of person you want to seek out in any setting.
“He was warm, friendly, engaging and the type of person who was fun to speak with,” Dr. Squires said. “The Honey W. Nashman Center is the perfect tribute. GW is lucky to have something like the Nashman Center.”
The Nashman family has a strong connection to GW.
In addition to Honey Nashman’s 43-year tenure at GW as director and professor of human services and social justice and co-founder of the University Office for Community Service, the couple’s three daughters were born at GW Hospital and all of them attended GW. Two of them met their husbands at the university. All but one of their four grandchildren attended GW.
The Nashman family has requested that donations in honor of Mr. Nashman’s memory be made to the Nashman Center.
