THE PHOENIX FUND PROGRESS REPORT NEWS OF THE PROGRAM TO REBUILD COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC VOLUME 3 NUMBER 1 WINTER 1987-1988 KAELBER HALL RISES FROM THE ASHES Construction Celebration Challenge of $.5 Million Draws Large Crowd Spurs Phoenix Fund Nearly 200 enthusiastic participants, including A group of anonymous donors has called on all trustees, alumni, faculty, students, and members of friends of College of the Atlantic to meet a 1:2 the Mount Desert Island community, braved brisk challenge pledge of $500,000 for Kaelber Hall. To winds on October 9 to gather at the building site to receive these funds, COA must raise $1,000,000 in "Old buildings celebrate the construction of Kaelber Hall. This great- new or increased contributions or pledges. may go down in ly needed learning resource center is the second The challenge had generated over $500,000 in flames, but academic facility to be achieved through the Phoenix matching pledges by November 30, 1987. This brings dreams can live Fund. the total Kaelber Hall building fund to $2.1 million, forever, and in Speakers representing all facets of the College leaving a balance of $900,000 to be raised to complete these walls will community-alumni, students, trustees, and faculty- the entire project. The challenge pledge and subse- come to live presented thoughtful and philosophical perspectives quent series of matching gifts were sparked by the en- again." on the Phoenix Fund Campaign as well as the thusiastic efforts of Trustee Alida Camp, who has -Elmer Beal, significance of Kaelber Hall and the Thorndike served as 1987 Special Gifts Chair for the campus from his Library. rebuilding campaign. song, Spirit of Dean of Faculty William Carpenter observed that At press time (December 28), concrete footings, the Phoenix, "the fire of 1983 was tragic but it has allowed the floors, and basement walls had been poured; the foun- composed for unbelievable generosity and creative energy that we dation had begun to extend well above ground level; October 9th see now focused upon this spot in order to rebuild." and steel posts and floor joists for the first floor were celebration An excerpt of Carpenter's address is printed on page 3. in place. The concrete walls now clearly indicate the President Louis Rabineau told the audience, "1987 perimeter of the structure, which measures approx- is a year of celebration for College of the Atlantic, as imately 200 feet long by 50 feet wide. well as the bicentennial of the United States Constitu- When completed, the Thorndike Library, which will tion. It is an appropriate time for us to reaffirm our encompass the entire top floor of the building, will belief in the College. The new Kaelber Hall will stand house a 50,000-volume collection, reference room, as a symbol that College of the Atlantic will prevail audio-visual classroom, microfilm storage and view- despite natural or other obstacles." ing room, and offices for the library staff. A reading Cont. on p. 4 1 PHOENIX FUND safety features such as fume hoods and secure chemical storage facilities have been built. HIGHLIGHTS Donald Cass, professor of chemistry and physics, designed the new laboratory, which is used for Benefit Dinner a Success teaching degree candidates and summer graduate students. It is also used for such special research proj- Nearly 300 friends of College of the Atlantic ects as acid rain and the quality of salt and fresh gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 11, water in the Mount Desert Island area. 1987 to honor Edward G. Kaelber, COA's founding president, and Elizabeth F. Thornkike, COA Trustee and long-time patron of the College and Library. The Special MDI-Ellsworth occasion was a gala benefit, which raised net pro- ceeds of $15,000 towards construction of the new Campaign Launched building complex to be named in their honor. A separate fund raising campaign aimed at the "The new Major Gift Provides Seminar Room Mount Desert Island and Ellsworth business communi- Kaelber Hall A $40,000 gift to the Phoenix Fund from an ty was initiated in September. With a goal of $100,000, will stand as a anonymous donor will be used to create a multiple- the campaign was initiated to help the College com- symbol that Col- use seminar room in the new Thorndike Library. In plete construction of the Kaelber Hall/Thorndike lege of the announcing the gift, Librarian Marcia Dworak ex- Library complex in time for the 1988 fall term. Atlantic will plained, "The seminar room will be equipped with COA trustees Robert E. Suminsby, President of the prevail despite state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, including video Knowles Company in Northeast Harbor, and Leslie C. natural or other projection and recording equipment, movie and slide Brewer, Bar Harbor businessman and a founder of obstacles." projectors, and record/cassette tape units. It is de- the College, are serving as co-chairs of the campaign. -Louis signed for regular use by small classes, as well as for Explaining the campaign, Suminsby stated, "About Rabineau special meetings and guest lectures." 15 years ago, the founders of the College raised President Chemistry Lab Completed with $50,000 in seed money from local people who wanted to establish a year-round institution on Mount Desert Special Gift Island. That initial investment has paid hefty A $40,000 gift made in memory of Bertha Palmer dividends. COA has spent over $30 million directly for Thorne has been used to complete the combined operations since then, almost entirely locally. Ten Chemistry and Physics Laboratory in the new arts and million dollars has come to the College as gifts and sciences building. The first academic structure to be grants from non-residents, and most of the remainder constructed through the Phoenix Fund, the arts and as tuition and fees." sciences building was opened in the Fall of 1985. "The goal of this special campaign is to raise This gift has made possible the acquisition of $100,000. Our objective is to enlist 200 local modern laboratory work stations with chemical- businesses to pledge $100 to $1,000 each. As of resistant countertops, sinks, and stools. In addition, December 22, twenty-six gifts and pledges ranging. PEPPERONI PROFITS. John Wert, owner of the EPI sandwich and pizza shop in Bar Harbor, joined other local businesses in the $100,000 MDI-Ellsworth campaign to raise monies for the Phoenix Fund by giving $1 to COA for each pizza sold during the month of November. Shown left, EPI pizza chef Chad Carpenter made the dough for College of the Atlantic in November-1350 pizzas and $1350. Admiring one of EPI's pizzas, while accepting the $1350 contribution, are two key members of the campaign, Frank Bean (center), Vice President of the First National Bank of Bar Harbor, and Bob Suminsby, President of the Knowles Company. 2