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Build For The Future

Give Now

  • Annapolis Campus Improvements

    • Completed

      Mellon Hall

      Mellon Hall has undergone a transformation that re-establishes this multipurpose building as the academic, social, and creative heart of the Annapolis campus.

    • In Progress

      Student Residences

      Our Annapolis residence halls are cherished and often historically significant spaces—but time has taken its toll on many of these buildings.

    • Ongoing

      Sustainability in Annapolis

      The Annapolis campus participates in a number of initiatives and partnerships that help to ensure our natural spaces endure for future generations of Johnnies.

    • Ongoing

      Preserving History in Annapolis

      Our improvement plans in Annapolis are being undertaken with an eye to respecting the rich history of our campus while also meeting modern standards of comfort and safety.

  • Santa Fe Campus Improvements

    • Completed

      Solar Campus

      By 2024, the electricity needs of the Santa Fe campus will be met almost entirely through solar energy, thanks to a Freeing Minds gift from two anonymous alumni and an energy audit supported by the Class of 2019.

    • In Progress

      Pritzker Center

      Work has now begun on a major renovation that will reinvent the Pritzker Student Center (formerly the Peterson Student Center) as the social heart of the Santa Fe campus.

    • Ongoing

      Sustainability in Santa Fe

      The Santa Fe campus is leading the way in green initiatives, from solar electricity to energy-efficient upgrades.

    • Ongoing

      Preserving History in Santa Fe

      Recognized by architectural digest as the “prettiest college campus in America,” the cohesive aesthetic vision of our Santa Fe campus also helped earn it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mellon Hall

Mellon Hall Lobby

Funded by a generous capital grant from the state of Maryland and gifts from the Freeing Minds campaign, Mellon Hall has undergone a transformation that re-establishes this multipurpose building as the academic, social, and creative heart of the Annapolis campus.

Signature elements of Neutra’s iconic design remain intact, but the lobby of Mellon Hall now opens into a welcoming commons area, and the Winiarski Conversation Room has been greatly improved in both acoustics and ADA accessibility. The popular student gathering space, the Fishbowl, has been upgraded to a more comfortable setting for deep discussion, private study, and faculty-student meetings. New additions include a beautiful light-filled studio theatre for the performing arts, located backstage of the auditorium, and an adjacent music rehearsal room, both outfitted with state-of-the-art acoustics.

Read more about the Mellon Hall project here.

Student Residences

Our Annapolis residence halls are cherished and often historically significant spaces—but time has taken its toll, and many of these buildings need considerable attention. We took an important first step through the Freeing Minds campaign with improvements to Fielding-Rumore Hall (formerly Randall).

Now the college is nearing completion on a stunning renovation to Edensword Hall (formerly Campbell) that has turned our largest residence hall into a mixed-use social hub with a bookstore and cafe, modernized infrastructure, better accessibility, and improved housing options for students. This timely renovation complements the recently restored Mellon Hall and will make the west side of campus a destination for all community members seeking great conversation.

More work remains to be done, however. With your support for the Pritzker Challenge, the Annapolis campus is crafting a plan to repair more of our residence halls, including two beautiful 19th century structures, Pinkney Hall and Paca-Carroll House.

Sustainability in Annapolis

The Annapolis campus participates in a number of initiatives and partnerships that help to ensure our natural spaces endure for future generations of Johnnies. Our campus improvement plans are continuing this trend.

For example, over half the funding for the Mellon Hall renovation was devoted to making the largest academic building on campus significantly more energy efficient. We upgraded the HVAC and electric systems and added LED lighting, a greener alternative to fluorescent lighting. Daylight and occupancy sensors have been added to renovated spaces to reduce carbon footprint. Plumbing and restroom upgrades were also completed to help conserve one of the earth’s most valuable resources and one that is inextricably intertwined with Annapolis life: water.

Preserving History in Annapolis

Our improvement plans in Annapolis are being undertaken with an eye to respecting the rich history of our campus while also meeting modern standards of comfort and safety.

Throughout the Mellon Hall renovation, for example, the college coordinated closely with the Maryland Historical Trust and with the City of Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission to preserve and retain the historic character of this building—one of the few remaining east coast examples of architect Richard Neutra’s creations. Several original features, including the exterior planter and outward-facing walls along the north lobby, had lost original Neutra character setting design—such as the low-level plantings and expansive glass exposure created to highlight a connection between inner and outside spaces. These design features have been carefully restored in the most recent renovation.

Solar Campus

Thanks to a Freeing Minds gift from two anonymous alumni and an energy audit supported by the Class of 2019, Santa Fe has become a solar-electric campus.

In early 2023 the campus installed ground-mounted solar arrays and covered carports housing a combined total of 1,670 photovoltaic panels. Once operational, they will generate roughly all the electricity used by the campus and will eventually power 20 electric vehicle charging stations. The project is expected to yield energy savings equivalent to the annual energy use of 167 homes and make the Santa Fe campus close to carbon-neutral.

Pritzker Center

Work has now begun on a major renovation that will reinvent the Pritzker Student Center (formerly the Peterson Student Center) as the social heart of the Santa Fe campus. Students will enjoy comfortable new lounges for study and conversation, a more spacious coffee shop that connects to an expanded bookstore, and enhancements to the student-run performance venue, the Cave.

Everything that distinguishes this building, from the Territorial Revival architecture to our treasured works by designer Alexander Girard, will be wonderfully refreshed and renewed. Additionally, without a major renovation since 1964, the building will undergo important safety and accessibility improvements that will better meet the needs of our community.

Read more about the Pritzker Center project here.

Sustainability in Santa Fe

The gift that funded the solar initiative also gave us the means to install energy-efficient LED lighting, update our electrical systems, and install high-efficiency boilers. These additional efforts provide annual savings of $55,000 and electricity savings of more than 358,000 kW/h.

Building on this success, the ongoing Pritzker Center renovation incorporates multiple eco-friendly elements that enhance the building’s overall sustainability. Among these improvements are low-impact landscape design, automated temperature control, and the use of sustainably sourced materials.

Future initiatives, which depend on gifts to the Pritzker Challenge, include an all-electric campus vehicle fleet and strategies for conserving an increasingly scarce resource: our campus water supply.

Preserving History in Santa Fe

Recognized by architectural digest as the “prettiest college campus in America,” the cohesive aesthetic vision of our Santa Fe campus also helped earn it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The Pritzker Student Center in particular is a destination for architecture and design fans from around the world, thanks in no small part to our territorial revival architecture and the renowned work of midcentury modernist designer Alexander Girard.

Central to our campus improvement plans in Santa Fe is the careful preservation and restoration of Girard’s masterpieces and the distinctive architectural style of our campus.

Why St. John’s Is Building for the Future—and Why It Matters Today.

St. John’s is fortunate to have two distinctive campuses that are ideally suited for the kind of education we offer: they are intimate, immensely beautiful, and steeped in history. For all their charms, they are also in need of improvements to bring them in line with modern standards of safety and sustainability.

These issues are not confined to one campus. Both campuses have a need for more comfortable student-centered spaces. Both have a backlog of deferred maintenance. And both must face a harsh reality: aging infrastructure can turn away prospective students for whom St. John’s is the right college.

As a result of our Freeing Minds campaign, some significant projects are now complete and already enhancing campus life, most notably the new social spaces in Mellon Hall and the transformation of Santa Fe into a solar-electric campus. Much of the work we must do for our campuses, however, was beyond the scope of Freeing Minds.

The college did not anticipate being able to afford these projects any time soon—until the Jay Pritzker Foundation stepped forward in 2021 with a gift that changed everything. The $25 million Pritzker Challenge launched a ten-year building campaign, known as Building for the Future, that will allow St. John’s to pursue important projects that would otherwise have taken much longer—perhaps many decades—to accomplish.

The next ten years will be a time of renewal for our campuses, but to achieve our goals we must meet the Pritzker Challenge—and doing so requires a commitment from alumni and friends who are willing to build St. John’s for the future.

How You Can Be a Part of the Blueprint.

The most straightforward and immediate way to help St. John’s meet the Pritzker Challenge is with agift or pledge in support of campus improvements.

If you prefer to have a conversation first, please reach out to us. Some gifts benefit from a deeper discussion with a member of our development team, who can help you achieve the impact you desire.

Regardless of how you choose to give, the Jay Pritzker Foundation will match every $2 with another $1.

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St. John's College

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60 College Avenue

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-263-2371

Santa Fe

1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca

Santa Fe, NM 87505

505-984-6000

To send gifts to the college via mail:
St. John’s College, PO Box 715905, Philadelphia, PA 19171-5905

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About
History
Traditions
Rankings & Accolades
Freshman Class Profile
Leadership
Board of Visitors & Governors
Strategic Vision & Planning
Policies & Procedures
Academics
Undergraduate Program
Graduate Institute
The Great Books Reading List
Our Faculty
Libraries & Archives
Summer Academy
Lifelong Learning
Academic Calendars
Statement of the Program
After St. John’s
Career Pathways
Internships
Grad School Partnerships
Alumni Bios
Annapolis Career Office
Santa Fe Career Office
Books by Johnnies
Alumni Engagement
Annapolis
Annapolis Campus Life
Historic Annapolis & DC
Arts & Mitchell Art Museum
Athletics & the Chesapeake
Student Groups
Housing & Dining
Health & Wellness
Sustainability
Belonging
The Annapolis Cup
Offices & Services
Santa Fe
Santa Fe Campus Life
Best of the Southwest
The Great Outdoors
Arts & Performance
Athletics & Fitness
Student Groups
Housing & Dining
Health & Wellness
Sustainability
Belonging
Offices & Services
Admissions & Aid
Undergraduate Admissions
Graduate Admissions
January Freshman Program
Admitted Students
Paying for College
Visit & Connect
Give Visit Apply
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Alumni Donors Current Students Prospective Students Lifelong Learners Friends Parents & Families Teachers and Counselors Employers Job Seekers