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 GOODWIN FOUNDATION Carolyn Dow photo 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, Carolyn Dow photo 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 from $10 to $5,000 totalled over $26,000," said We have been parking our cars where we once studied Suminsby. and exchanged ideas. Now the concept of Human Members of the campaign committee also include: Ecology will at last have a physical home. With new Elizabeth S. Russell, COA trustee and senior staff faculty members and SO many wonderful new scientist emeritus of the Jackson Laboratory; Frank students, there is a sense that our discipline is going Bean, Vice President of the First National Bank of Bar to enter a new phase of growth. It's very lucky and Harbor; Nathaniel Fenton, of the Bar Harbor law firm appropriate that we will be expanding into a new of Fenton, Chapman, Fenton, Smith and Kane; and Inge household at the same time Weber, owner of the Cadillac Motor Inn in Bar "The new Harbor. The Phoenix Fund library on cam- pus will en- courage us to Dean of Faculty William On July 25, 1983, the main building at College of the find the best Atlantic was destroyed by a devastating fire. Before words and Carpenter speaks at the ashes cooled, the Trustees set in motion plans for means of explor- the Phoenix Fund, a six million dollar capital campaign Construction Celebration ing our personal to rebuild and expand the College's facilities epic." -Lisa The following are excerpts from William Carpenter's Stage I The first new academic building ever con- Hammer '88 October 9th address: structed at COA, a 15,600-square foot building which Moderator of " What the phoenix knows is that death is houses science laboratories, art and design studios, the All Col- necessary for rebirth and SO it walks willingly and greenhouses, and faculty offices, was completed in lege Meeting proudly into the fire when its time has come. The fire September, 1985. A substantial portion of the new of 1983 was tragic but it has allowed the unbelievable facility was provided by a $400,000 grant from the generosity and creative energy that we see now fo- Pew Memorial Trust. cused upon this spot in order to rebuild. We are able Stage II The new Kaelber Hall calls for construc- tion of a three-level, 20,000-square-foot building. The entire top floor will be devoted to the new 10,000-square-foot Thorndike Library, with a capacity of 50,000 volumes-nearly three times the capacity of the former facility. It will also contain a computer center, language-music listening laboratory, an audio/visual presentation room, and kitchen and din- ing facilities. In addition, the dining hall is designed to serve as a multiple-use facility to provide for lec- tures, meetings, and other presentations requiring a large space, which the College now lacks. $900,000 remains to be raised for this critical facility: $500,000 for construction and $400,000 for equipment and furnishings. "To bring the Stage III The Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Auditorium, to library back to be named for the College's late Board Chairman and the campus is to long-time national public servant, will include a bring the heart 300-seat auditorium with a stage and a projection of the institution booth, exhibition gallery, dance/exercise area, and back into the supporting facilities. Developed for use by both the Col- center." lege and the Mount Desert Island community, the -William Gates Auditorium will fill long standing needs for a Carpenter meeting, conference, and performance center. Dean of Faculty Kaelber Hall-Thorndike Library Key Gift Bar Harbor Times photo Opportunities Reading Room 250,000 Collection Room 250,000 Student Lounge 100,000 to be doing what we're doing today because of the fire. Elevator 40,000 There can be no evolution without biological death. Computer Center 30,000 There can be no creative activity without some previ- Language/Music Listening Laboratory 27,500 ous destruction Microform Room 25,000 The new Kaelber Hall will transform the College of Student Lounge Fireplace & Chimney 20,000 the Atlantic. To bring the library back to the campus Circulation Desk 7,000 is to bring the heart of the institution back into the Card Catalog 5,000 center. The word ecology means from its roots house- Display Cases (2 @ $1,000) 2,000 knowledge. As gracious as the Turrets building is, we Total $756,500 have been in a sense houseless for the last four years. 3 Cont. from p. 1 Alida Camp, 1987 Special Gifts Chair room, opening onto a spacious porch overlooking the John 0. Biderman restored Beatrix Farrand gardens, will offer spec- Robert Blum, Life Trustee tacular views of Frenchman's Bay. John C. Dreier The first floor will feature a multiple-use dining Samuel A. Eliot area, kitchen, and student lounge, while the lower William G. Foulke level will house a computing center, language/listen- Rev. James M. Gower ing laboratory, and essential storage space. Thomas S. Hall At their annual meeting on July 11, the College's John N. Kelly Board of Trustees voted unanimously to begin con- Francis Keppel struction on the Kaelber Hall/Thorndike Library com- Edward J. Meade plex. "The overriding need for the Library and other William V.P. Newlin facilities to be brought back to the heart of the cam- Louis Rabineau, Ex Officio pus compelled us to authorize construction before full Cathy Ramsdell Sweet funding was in hand," stated Edward Blair, Chairman Maurine Rothschild of the Board, in announcing the Board's decision. Elizabeth S. Russell The total cost of the building is projected at $3 Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen million: $2.6 million for construction and $.4 million Peter H. Sellers for furnishings, equipment, and landscaping. "By Clyde E. Shorey, Jr. breaking ground in August," explained Alice Eno, Leonard Silk Chair of the Phoenix Fund, "we could have the Library Donald B. Straus completed and ready for use in the Fall Term of 1988, Robert E. Suminsby provided we are blessed with good weather, and Phyllis A. Thompson delivery dates are met. Now our top priority is to raise Elizabeth F. Thorndike the remaining $900,000 needed to complete the Charles R. Tyson building." James H. Wakelin Mount Desert Island- College of the Atlantic is the only college in the coun- try which grants as its sole degree a B.A. in Human Ellsworth Campaign Committee Ecology. Human Ecology emphasizes the interrelation- Leslie C. Brewer, Co-Chair ships of human beings and their natural, social, and Robert E. Suminsby, Co-Chair technological environments. Frank Bean Core areas of study include Environmental Sciences, Nathaniel R. Fenton Human Studies, and Arts and Design. COA's educa- Elizabeth S. Russell tional goal is the development of an ability to see the Inge Weber world as an interacting whole. Staff Encouraged to move easily between disciplines and Charles T. Hesse, Vice President for Development across traditional boundaries, COA students gain the resourcefulness and independence needed to suc- and Public Affairs cessfully solve problems and meet the challenges of Gary Friedmann, Director of Development a complex, rapidly changing society. Patricia C. Bart, Executive Secretary Board of Trustees All gifts to College of the Atlantic are tax deductible Edward McC. Blair, Chair within provisions of the Internal Revenue Service Neva Goodwin, Vice Chair Regulations. For further information, write the John Kauffmann, Vice Chair & Secretary Development Office, College of the Atlantic, Bar Har- Leslie Brewer, Treasurer bor, Maine 04609, or call 207/288-5015. Alice Eno, Chair, Phoenix Fund 4 # PERMIT Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 BAR HARBOR, ME U.S. POSTAGE PAID COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC ORGANIZ. NON-PROFIT PHOENIX FUND