Trustees Lead the Way in Student Center Campaign
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens is proud to acknowledge, with profound gratitude, its Board of Trustees for their pivotal leadership on the Student Center Campaign. The Trustees have collectively raised $5,497,088 to support this transformational expansion and renovation project, representing 82.6% of the $6,655,819 pledged to date. The goal of the campaign is $9.4 million, inclusive of a maintenance endowment.
The lead Trustee contributors to the campaign are three anonymous Trustees ($2,200,000, $1,000,000, and $850,000, the latter through a foundation) and Edward and Jonathan Cohen and other members of the Cohen family through the Arete Foundation ($1,000,000). This magnanimous support ensured that the School could prudently begin construction on the Student Center.
George Orfanakos, Executive Director of the American School, commended the Trustees for taking the lead in this important initiative. "The commitment of our Trustees in this effort has been nothing short of extraordinary," he said. "They responded boldly and generously and have brought the vision of the new Student Center into clear focus. I also profoundly thank the Trustees for their leadership, which has inspired many others to join this campaign. An exciting new chapter in the American School’s history is being written, and it will benefit our students and scholars for generations to come."
Other significant contributions commemorate leading scholars of the School's past. Trustees who donated to the campaign in this manner include an anonymous Trustee (Eugene Vanderpool Dining Room), Mary Patterson McPherson (Mabel Louise Lang Apartment), President of the Board of Trustees Rob Loomis (Sterling Dow Bedroom and Evelyn B. Harrison Bedroom), Robert Desnick (bedroom to be named), and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Alex Zagoreos (John Wesley Gilbert Bedroom). In addition, Trustee Jack Davis and Vice-Chair of the Managing Committee Kathleen Lynch raised funds for a bedroom in honor of alumni/ae of the University of Cincinnati, while Mark Lawall, Chair of the Managing Committee, is collaborating with other Trustees and friends to raise funds for the Virginia Grace Bedroom.
About the Student Center Campaign
The Student Center Campaign was launched in October 2018 to raise funds for expanding and renovating the three aging buildings that serve as the intellectual and residential heart of the American School: Loring Hall, the Annex, and West House. This transformative project will increase housing capacity, reduce energy consumption, add state-of-the-art features and technology, and bring the buildings up to the latest technical standards—all while preserving the complex’s historical appearance. The Student Center will remain the place where members of the community gather for meals, tea, ouzo hour, holiday celebrations, and lectures—a source of lifelong professional and personal relationships that characterize the collegial and intellectually vibrant atmosphere of the School. This modernized setting will enhance that experience and will meet the needs of the School community well into the future.
The new Student Center is expected to open in June 2021.
Support the Campaign
To learn more about how you can support this historic initiative, please contact Nancy Savaides, Director of Stewardship and Engagement, at nsavaides@ascsa.org or 609-454-6810. Naming opportunities for a variety of spaces in the Student Center are still available. Donors can choose from a wide range of gift levels to name a room or area in honor of themselves, an American School scholar, or a family member, friend, or group. Please click the links below to view the nameable spaces and options that remain:
Student Center Construction Photo Gallery
Click this link to view more photographs of the work in progress.