Following an intensive, grassroots fundraising effort, members of the Class of 1989 have pledged $30 million toward the construction of a new residence hall, a major step forward in Dartmouth's 10-year commitment to transform student housing across campus.
This is the second new hall to be announced in the current academic year, and Dartmouth intends to secure funding for several more in the coming years. The '89s' achievement is unprecedented: No other class in Dartmouth's history has underwritten a residence hall.
Inspired by President Sian Leah Beilock's ambitious plan to improve student wellness and the opportunity to put the class's name on one of Dartmouth's new residence halls, class members exceeded all expectations, securing gifts from more than 600 classmates, many of them first-time donors.
As a result, Dartmouth will name a new building, to be located on the north side of West Wheelock Street between the Connecticut River and Thayer Drive, in honor of the class—the Class of 1989 Hall.
"This is an important moment in Dartmouth's decade-long commitment to reimagine our residential life experience, and your tremendous generosity and leadership is inspiring," President Beilock told more than 70 members of the Class of 1989 in a Zoom call on Thursday.
"Each and every one of us wants to provide our students with the best housing possible. But what we're envisioning for our students is something even bolder and lasting. We are designing housing that will foster wellness, social connection, and belonging. We are creating residence halls that will anchor the entire Dartmouth experience and nurture community."
Trustee Ellie Loughlin '89, one of the driving forces behind the '89s' investment in student housing, says few class giving opportunities can have such broad impact on campus life and leave a permanent legacy.
"Housing affects every single student who comes to Dartmouth," she says. "It's so central to every element of the Dartmouth experience—academics, wellness, friendships, networking— that our class felt if we could be a part of transforming that aspect of the Dartmouth experience for future students, then we could be a part of everything that transforms the Dartmouth experience."
The Class of 1989 push to fund a new residence hall began this past June at its 35th reunion, when Beilock announced that a core group of '89s had pledged $10 million toward a new wing of a residence hall. Those classmates invited their fellow '89s to provide the remaining $5 million toward a total commitment of $15 million. Within six months, class members surpassed their goal and delivered $30 million to build a comprehensive 150- to 200-bed residence hall rather than a smaller wing.
"This project resonated immediately with our class," says Nancy Obler-Kaufman '89, a Dartmouth College Fund head agent. "It was our 35th reunion, so the energy and attendance were high. Most attendees were staying in the dorms, and they could see that although some residence halls had changed, many of them were the same as they were 35 years ago."
Class of 1989 President Jennifer Avellino says investing in the well-being of future students inspired classmates to act, as did the opportunity to connect with one another.
"People still value their class, their friendships, and the people they've gotten to know since they graduated," says Avellino. "The idea of doing something together was so important to them."
All members of the class who have pledged at least $89 will have their names featured on a donor wall in the new residence hall when it opens in 2028. Deceased members of the class will also be honored on the wall. Design for the new building will be developed over the next year, and construction will begin in the spring of 2026.
With a network of 36 class members spearheading the volunteer fundraising efforts, 609 class members have made a gift toward the residence hall to date. They include first-time donors and alumni who hadn't made a gift to Dartmouth in several years.
"Everybody on the head agent team and our volunteer giving team were really engaged. But this went beyond the usual efforts. Jennifer rallied all the class officers and our executive board," says Obler-Kaufman. "People did a huge amount of one-on-one outreach. They called, they texted, they were on Facebook. The buzz was tremendous."
The Class of 1989's successful fundraising push is the latest in a series of high-profile collective gifts at Dartmouth. Group giving, often involving hundreds of donors, has made multiple projects possible in recent years, including the renovation of Dartmouth Hall, construction of the new Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center, and the expansion of need-blind admissions to all four-year undergraduates, including international students.
Beilock announced the $500 million housing initiative in her September 2023 inaugural address. Among its many goals, the initiative will provide at least 1,000 new beds for students, faculty, and staff and strengthen the sense of community for undergraduates, which in turn will benefit students' mental health and wellness. Construction and renovation of multiple residence halls will reduce Dartmouth's consumption of fossil fuels, helping the institution meet its goal of eliminating carbon emissions by 2050.
Central features of this once-in-a-generation investment include creating an array of new residence halls on West Wheelock Street and, working with the town of Hanover, developing an attractive gateway to campus, beginning at the east end of Ledyard Bridge.
Philanthropy will provide approximately one-third of the 10-year housing investment. Alumni, parents, and friends have so far committed $67.5 million toward the $165 million goal, including a $30 million gift from Gina Russo '77 and Tom Russo '77 toward a new residence hall at 25 West Wheelock. Dartmouth hopes to secure the remaining $97.5 million over the next 18 months from community members who are passionate about the undergraduate residential experience.
Loughlin says classmates are already looking forward to their 40th reunion in 2029 and the opportunity to see the Class of 1989 Hall firsthand, adding that it's not too late for classmates to give to the project.
"I can't tell you the number of times people have said, 'Can we check out the new hall at our next reunion?'" she says. "And we will definitely check it out because we're just so proud. I have never been prouder to be an '89 than I am right now."