Anyone who has attended a St. John’s seminar knows that the conversations continue beyond the seminar table. They flow onto our benches and into stairwells; they linger in our dorms and in our dining hall; and they are reignited over cups of coffee with a tutor and a nearby chalkboard. Architect Richard Neutra intended for Mellon Hall to meet that need, but it has reached the limits of what it can effectively provide.

Space for small-group gatherings and even one-on-one collaboration is severely limited. The space we do have is structured in a way that makes it inflexible—and ill-suited for any kinds of arts programming.

Because Mellon Hall is such an important part of who we are, and because it provides so much that is important to St. John’s—our Mitchell Gallery, our planetarium and pendulum, our connection with an intellectual giant in modern architecture—we are not replacing Mellon Hall; rather, we are refreshing it, and making it the social hub that Richard Neutra wanted it to be.

With your support for the project, students will have access to:

• outdoor terrace for events
• cozy, comfortable areas for informal gatherings
• black box theater
• music rehearsal room
• flexible spaces for performing arts
• gender-inclusive restrooms
• ADA-compliant accessibility

Gifts from alumni and friends to the Freeing Minds campaign will fund the project in combination with a $5 million matching grant from the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA).

Every four years, schools can apply to MICUA for money to support capital improvements. For example, the last grant St. John’s received went toward the renovation of McDowell Hall. The current grant, however, stipulates that St. John’s raise matching funds to support the project.

Our portion of the match will come from alumni and friends, who support the Freeing Minds campaign, and from bond investors, who will have to be paid back. The more that our alumni and friends invest, the less likely it is that future students will wind up paying the bill.

In keeping with our commitment to investing campaign gifts wisely, these plans are not overly grand. Indeed, our peers might call them modest. Compared with what is taking place on other college campuses, they are.

The most profound way to leave your mark on Mellon Hall, and on the residential student experience, is through a gift of direct support for the renovation. We would love to have a conversation with you about how you can help meet this need—and how the college can meet yours.

Please reach out to us at development(at)sjc.edu or visit our contact page. Our development team can share a variety of options that will help you have the impact you want.

St. John’s will offer a limited number of opportunities to personalize your gift by naming select areas of Mellon Hall, including the lobby and the Fishbowl, both of which will be wonderfully refreshed.

These changes will enhance the St. John’s experience for generations, and your named gift will do no less. Such a gift can benefit from a deeper discussion with a member of our development team, who can help you understand what is required and what you can expect.

Please reach out to us at development(at)sjc.edu or visit our contact page. We would love to talk with you.

Since the launch of Freeing Minds in 2018, campaign gifts have already made possible a number of improvements that are being enjoyed by St. John’s students. For example, our 300-year-old McDowell Hall was updated to keep it in good shape for classes, campus events, and the occasional waltz. It is also home to a much cozier coffee shop, which serves as the site of so many impromptu seminars.

Another iconic building, Randall Hall, has also received much-needed attention. The dining hall now features a brand-new servery that blends modern convenience with our wonderfully traditional dining space. On the upper levels, an anonymous campaign gift is funding an energy-efficient HVAC system that will cool the dorms with less cost to the budget—and the environment.

There is still work to be done, however, and gifts to the Annual Fund are an excellent way to further these projects. Your gifts, especially your gifts to the Fund for St. John’s, allow the college to do whatever needs to be done, right now, to carry out the Program and care for our students.

If you think your circumstances will allow you to do something extra-special for the Annapolis campus, please talk to us. We can plan something wonderful together.

An anonymous alumni couple funded our Santa Fe sustainability projects with a combined $3.2 million gift to Freeing Minds. Those same two donors also made a gift to the Annapolis campus that will be used to renovate the Randall Hall dorm rooms and add energy-efficient air conditioning units.

The work that began with their generosity will not end with it. Achieving our sustainability goals will require an ongoing commitment to regular repairs and maintenance. For this the college depends on income from our endowment and from generous gifts to our Annual Fund, particularly the Fund for St. John’s.

Regular, ongoing maintenance will be essential, which makes your gifts to the Annual Fund, and especially the Fund for St. John’s, just as essential.

While students were studying remotely throughout much of 2020, St. John’s was actively preparing our Santa Fe campus for their return. The college undertook a number of important repairs, from roofs, railing, and sidewalks to our beautiful, earthy adobe.

This is only the beginning. Further improvements are a priority for St. John’s, with a focus on enhancing the residential experience and creating spaces that foster connection and conversation. Some of these projects are currently in the discussion phase and will require the generosity of those who are able and willing to take things to the next level. If this sounds like a possibility for you, please talk to us.

If you are contemplating a gift that goes beyond your regular level of support for the Annual Fund, please reach out to us. We can work together to ensure your vision is part of our blueprint for the future.

Including the campus in your will is another powerful way to make a difference. You can leave your gift unrestricted, so it can be used where it’s needed the most, or you can restrict it for the benefit of the Santa Fe campus. Our gift planning site is a great resource for learning more.