West Virginia University President David C. Hardesty Jr. will make his final State of the University Address on Capitol Hill at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, June 26, at noon.

Each year, the National Capital Area Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association hosts the event for West Virginias congressional delegationSen. Robert C. Byrd, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, Rep. Alan Mollohan and Rep. Shelley Moore Capitoas well as alumni and friends of WVU .

In his speech, President Hardesty will offer attendeesinsights gained and lessons learnedduring his tenure as president and will introduce a special video that highlights the successes of WVU students. Hardesty will retire as WVU s longest permanently appointed president in September.

The State of the University Address, which is celebrating its 29th year, is a highlight of the WVU calendar thanks, in large part, to the efforts of the National Capital Area Alumni Chapter.

“We are pleased to bring together our congressional delegation, alumni and friends for this event,”said Scott Bosley, president of the National Capital Area Chapter.This is a unique opportunity for those of us living in the DC area to learn more about the exciting things happening at WVU .

The support and involvement provided by corporate sponsors is important to the events success, notes Bosley. This years event sponsors include: Bailey&Glasser, Chesapeake Energy, Foundation Coal, GolinHarris International, Information Manufacturing Corporation, Key Staffing Solutions, Nevin Communications and Toyota.

In addition, nearly 20 WVU colleges and units have provided sponsorships for the event.

Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the John F. Nicholas Jr. National Capital Area Chapter Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to students in the D.C. Metro area attending WVU , as well as the new alumni center building campaign. To date, more than $98,000 has been raised for the fund making it the second largest scholarship fund provided by a WVU Alumni Association chapter.

“The State of the University is one of our signature events,”said Steve Douglas, president and chief executive officer of the WVU Alumni Association.”Each year, this event brings WVU to the Washington, D.C., metro area so that we can share the exciting story of our university. We are very appreciative of the support and time that our National Capital Area Chapter puts into this event. It is a great success story.”

The State of the University Address will be held in the Grand Ballroom at the Washington Court Hotel located at 525 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, visithttp://www.washingtoncourthotel.com/.

The WVU Alumni Association, chartered in 1873, represents more than 170,000 University graduates residing in every county in West Virginia, every state in the union and approximately 60 foreign nations. With more than 70 registered chapters and constituent groups, the Associations 28,000 dues-paying members support Homecoming Weekend, the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni, the Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund, Student Alumni Association, and dozens of other social and philanthropic programs. For more information about the WVU Alumni Association, visithttp://alumni.wvu.edu