CONWAY, ARK. (May 4, 2009) – Hendrix College has received a $750,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich., to support the funding and ongoing operations of the college’s new Student Life and Technology Center (SLTC), currently under construction at Hendrix.
The Kresge Foundation is one of the country’s largest and most prestigious private philanthropic foundations. This award, a capital challenge grant, is the first Kresge grant Hendrix has received in more than 20 years.
“The Kresge Challenge Grant Program is a highly selective and very prestigious program,” Hendrix College President J. Timothy Cloyd said. “It is a tremendous honor for Hendrix to be selected.”
In January 2009, Hendrix completed a challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Oklahoma, after securing $20 million for the construction of the new facility. The Kresge Challenge Grant will help Hendrix reach $26 million for the project.
“The SLTC is the final and largest capital component in the College’s $100 million comprehensive campaign,” said Ellis Arnold, Executive Vice President and Dean of Advancement at Hendrix. Currently, the campaign stands at $89 million, he added.
The SLTC, which is scheduled to open in January, will include offices for the Hendrix Odyssey Program, Student Affairs, and numerous student organizations. There will also be a new dining hall to accommodate the College’s growing enrollment.
“The SLTC will be the center of life on campus and the home of programs that will further enhance the student experience at Hendrix,” Arnold said.
The Kresge Foundation was established in 1924 by Sebastian Spering Kresge, who founded a chain of five-and-dime stores that became known as Kmart. The foundation has supported libraries, community centers, schools, hospitals, art museums, food banks and other facilities in communities across the country. Kresge has previously supported other capital projects on campus, including Staples Auditorium and Couch Hall.
According to the foundation’s Web site, Kresge awarded nearly $73 million in the first quarter of 2009, the largest quarterly commitment in the foundation’s 85-year history. The 75 awards were made in 28 states and the District of Columbia, and two higher education grants were awarded to institutions in South Africa.
The challenge grant to Hendrix was the only grant awarded by Kresge in Arkansas during the foundation’s most recent cycle and one of only five awards to four-year colleges nationwide.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is among 165 colleges featured in the 2009 edition of the Princeton Review America’s Best Value Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.