THE PHOENIX FUND: A CAMPAIGN TO REBUILD COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC At 4:41 a.m. on Mon- day, July 25, 1983, a fisherman on the Bar Harbor town pier saw flames shooting into the sky above College of the Atlantic. By noon that day the Although College of the Atlantic has cent facilities containing the auditorium, fire was under con- been from its founding a community the College's summer Natural History trol, but Kaelber Hall, of people and ideas rather than bricks and Museum, and science laboratories were the principal aca- mortar, the loss of Kaelber Hall was a damaged by smoke and water. The loss demic building of the stunning blow. This building, named for sustained was estimated at several million College, was a smol- founding president Edward G. Kaelber, dollars. dering ruin. had been the focal point of life and learn- ing for the College's students and faculty But even as the fire burned, a creative during the past twelve years. vision of the College's future was emerg- ing from the ruins. A parallel was seen Formerly a summer home from Bar Har- between the ecology of a forest fire and bor's elegant "cottage era," Kaelber Hall COA's future. Fire can be a regenerative contained the 16,000-volume Thorndike force; when a forest burns many existing Library, administrative and faculty offices, trees are destroyed, but the cleared ground several classrooms, dining facilities, and provides opportunities for new seeds to informal meeting areas. By the afternoon sprout and new species to flower. College of July 25, all this was gone-together of the Atlantic now has the need and with the personal libraries, teaching and the opportunity to build the kinds of facil- research materials, and College records of ities that will better serve its educational the faculty and staff whose offices were mission. housed in the building. In addition, adja- Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert Island residents rallied quickly to help the College save valuable books, equipment and financial records. By afternoon of July No better symbol could be devised for the ated an outpouring of offers of assis- 25, the Board of fund-raising effort to rebuild the College tance, money, books, furniture, and Trustees had "unani- than the phoenix, the legendary bird who equipment from both the Mount Desert mously and enthusi- was consumed by fire and rose from its Island community and from across the astically" voted to own ashes. country. continue the summer programs in pro- Despite the losses, the Trustees, faculty, Cleanup work on the fire site was com- gress, to open on and staff realized that there were many pleted in August and long-range campus schedule for the fall things for which to be grateful. No one planning initiated to develop the most term, and to establish had been injured in the fire. Duplicate efficient and effective use of the remaining a capital campaign copies of much of the school's computer- and proposed buildings. Through the fund to help rebuild ized financial and development records generosity of the town of Bar Harbor, the the College. were in Portland. The Library's card cata- College was given the use of a building for log, microfilms, and over 4,000 books had a temporary library. Faculty and adminis- been rescued. Later, as the ashes cooled, trative staff relocated their offices in the several files containing important student Turrets, another restored summer estate on financial records and faculty research were the College property. And a trailer was recovered from the ruins, miraculously brought in to provide laboratory space for undamaged. the 1983-84 academic year. News of the fire and of the College's resolve to continue and to rebuild gener- By September 12, the seeds of a restored college were sown. | H Faculty and administra- tion moved into shared offices in the recently restored Turrets building and prepared for a new academic year. On September 12, the The Phoenix Fund now provides all dance/exercise area, and supporting facili- College opened as the College's friends and alumni with an ties. Developed for use by both the planned for the fall opportunity to support COA and the College and the Island community, the term, but its teaching truly distinctive educational concepts it Gates Auditorium will fill long standing and learning are represents. needs for a meeting, conference, and sorely handicapped performance center. by lack of space and The Phoenix Fund is a three-year intensive limited facilities. campaign to raise $5,000,000 to plan, A new Kaelber Hall complex is being build, and equip library, classroom and designed to provide classroom, kitchen laboratory, dining, and auditorium and dining, and science facilities. facilities. The funds will also provide an Although the science laboratories were initial endowment for the upkeep of these only damaged, not destroyed, by the fire, urgently needed facilities, and provide they are inadequate for the College's assistance to faculty whose offices were growing teaching and research programs in destroyed. environmental science, marine studies, and natural history. The fire halted con- The Faculty Fire Fund will help the ten struction of new laboratory space in a wing faculty members whose offices were lost to of Kaelber Hall, and a large trailer is tem- begin to rebuild their libraries and restore porarily providing some of this needed the other materials they use for teaching space. In time, the College also hopes to and research. Some faculty received partial build a permanent home for its rapidly compensation from their own insurance, growing Natural History Museum, which others none; individually and cumula- houses student-prepared exhibits and pro- tively, their losses were enormous. vides a nationally recognized outreach The Thorndike Library, named after R. program in natural history and environ- Amory and Elizabeth Thorndike, long- mental education for school children time supporters of the College and its and teachers. library, will replace the library lost in the Planning and Endowment Funds have July 25 fire. It will be designed to house an been included within the Phoenix Fund expanded 50,000 volume permanent col- campaign to insure that these new college lection of books relating to the College's facilities will be part of a carefully designed human ecology theme as well as classroom campus, and that permanent funds will be and study space, an audio-visual room, available to maintain them in the future. and a library-related computer facility. The College has retained Mr. Dan Scully, Funds for the new library also will be used principal architect with Equinox, Inc., to restore the collection and equipment working in collaboration with a nationally- lost in the fire. recognized campus planner, Denise Scott- The Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Auditorium, Brown, a partner in the firm of Venturi, to be named for the College's late Board Rauch, and Scott-Brown, to develop plans Chairman and long-time national public for the new buildings and their sites, servant, will include a 300-seat auditorium needed relocation of roads and services, with a stage and a projection booth, a and related aspects of the College's rebuilding. The Phoenix Fund (1984-86) A PROGRAM TO REBUILD THE COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC For the Faculty Fire Fund $ 75,000 For the Thorndike Library $1,100,000 For the Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Auditorium $1,200,000 For the Kaelber Hall Complex $1,300,000 For Campus Planning and Improvements $ 525,000 For Capital Endowment $ 500,000 For Costs of the Phoenix Fund Campaign* $ 300,000 TOTAL $5,000,000 Now in hand from Kaelber Hall Insurance, Gifts, Pledges $ 580,000 Total to be raised in the next three years $4,420,000 * As most prospective donors know, it costs money to run a capital campaign. Costs are usually estimated at 10% of the campaign goal. We think we can do it for less, and have budgeted less than 7% of the Phoenix Fund goal. All Gifts to the College of the Atlantic Are Tax Deductible Within Provisions of the Internal Revenue Service Regula- tions. For further information, write the President's Office, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, or Call 207/288-5015.