Innovative academic spaces supported with $10M gift to Lawrence University

APPLETON, Wis., Dec. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The addition of more than 30,000 square feet of innovative academic spaces at Lawrence University is being supported by a $10 million gift from an anonymous alum.

The gift will support new academic innovations in a four-story building that will rise on the west edge of campus, bolstering Lawrence's offerings in the humanities and its growing mathematics, statistics, and computer science programs, plus add space for the Conservatory of Music. It supports the university's goal of enhancing pathways to community and career collaborations and will provide flexibility for future enrollment growth.

The 315 E. College Avenue development, unveiled in August in partnership with the Trout Museum of Art, has an estimated cost of $38 million.

The $10 million gift from the alum and spouse is the third largest in Lawrence's history.

"The generosity of the donors is deeply appreciated," President Laurie Carter said. "It speaks to their belief in the transformative power of a Lawrence education. And it speaks to the lifelong connections our alumni have with this institution and their willingness to pay it forward for the benefit of current and future Lawrence students."

The donors are strong believers in the strategic plan developed by Carter, her administration, and the Board of Trustees.

"Our message is that now is the time," the alum said. "Lawrence will benefit more, and the gift will have more impact, if we give it now."

The building at College Avenue and Drew Street, designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners, in partnership with Boldt, features more than 100,000 square feet of space across four floors. The nonprofit art museum will be on the first floor, with state-of-the-art academic spaces for Lawrence on the second floor. The upper floors will feature market-rate apartments, space that could be converted to student housing to meet future needs.

The second floor will include teaching and co-curricular spaces and be home to the Humanities Center, an intellectual collaborative for faculty, students, and scholars-in-residence. 

Lawrence University is a liberal arts college located along the banks of the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1847, Lawrence has an enrollment of about 1,500 students drawn from nearly every state and more than 40 countries. It features a college of arts and sciences and a conservatory of music, both annually ranked among the best in the nation.

SOURCE Lawrence University