Phase I

THE ALUMNI HOUSE @ DICKINSON

The Alumni House @ Dickinson would provide an ideal location for a variety of alumni-oriented activities and events and would serve as a warm and welcoming destination for alumni returning to campus. In that sense, The Alumni House @ Dickinson would serve all Dickinson alumni, present and future, as a place to come home to. Below is a partial list of programming possibilities:

Sylvia Smith

The on-campus residency of Sylvia Smith (’73) in 2014 included a public lecture, classroom visits, studio critiques and an exhibit of her architectural drawings. The Alumni House @ Dickinson could serve both as a site for salon-like gatherings related to future residencies and as the temporary home for alumni returning to campus for those residencies.

Social events

  • Networking events sponsored by Dickinson’s Center for Advising, Internships & Lifelong Career Development
  • Receptions to celebrate winners of the Rose-Walters Prize, the Morgan and Priestly lecturers, Stellfox Scholars, Cogan Fellows, Distinguished Alumni Award winners, and Rose Scholarship recipients. 
  • Trustee and Alumni Council meetings and mixers
  • A new tradition: A Post-Commencement reception on the grounds surrounding the Alumni House, where current alumni would welcome members of the graduating class, the newest members of the Dickinson alumni community
  • Senior Class (Alumni-in-Waiting) events
  • Alumni Weekend events and receptions
  • Dickinson School of Law alumni events and receptions
  • Revenue-generating event space (indoor and grounds)

Alumni Scholar-in-Residence programs. See a list of peer and aspirant schools with scholar-in-residence programs for distinguished alumni here.

2 rooms

Above: Main floor living room.
Below: Ensuite bedroom

Day-to-day activities

  • Alumni office operations
  • Drop-in area for alumni
  • Meeting rooms that can be scheduled
  • Guest rooms for overnight stays
  • Library, stocked with books authored or recommended, signed, and donated by Dickinson faculty and alumni.
  • Legacy room, where Dickinson memorabilia (see examples at right) and organizational scrapbooks are displayed.

More details on the Alumni House @ Dickinson concept can be found in the navigation bar across the top of this page:

  • MODELS: In this section we provide models of Alumni Houses and Alumni-in-Residence programs at peer and aspirant schools.
  • RUSH+: Here we discuss how development of The Alumni House @ Dickinson would honor the revolutionary memory of Benjamin Rush in several ways beyond the broader redefinition of liberal arts education sketched elsewhere on this site.
  • VISITORS: Check here for the impressive list of national and international leaders who have been hosted at the at the Historic President’s House over the years.
  • COLLABORATION: Those who have collaborated on development of this Revolutionary Challenge submission are identified here.
  • GROUNDS and INTERIOR: Check here for exterior and interior shots of The Historic Presiden’t’s House.
  • HISTORY: Here we provide a brief pictorial history of The Historic President’s House.
  • ASSETS: Other assets of the The Historic President’s House are identified here.

Alumni interviewsAlumni interviews: Over twenty Dickinson Alumni were interviewed to get a general sense for interest in, support of, and vision for the potential shape of this initiative. Interest was high across all graduating class years (how many names can you match with faces?).

  • Bill Durden ’71, President, Dickinson College (1999-2013)
  • Hon. Ed Guido ’72, Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas
  • Hon. Al Masland ’78, Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas; Alumni Council Chair (2019-present)
  • Karen Faryniak ’86, Chief of Staff; Secretary of the College
  • Laura Williams ’86, Assistant Dean for Career Services and Assistant Dean for Policy and Planning, Penn State Dickinson Law
  • Cathy Davenport ’87, VP for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions
  • David McIlnay ’87, founder and principle architect with DMArC-
  • Ken Shultes ’87, AVP for Sustainability & Facilities Planning
  • Dave Webster ’88, Associate Athletic Director; Head, Men’s Lacrosse Coach
  • Angela Fernandez Barone ’90, Director of Admissions Communications
  • Jennifer Blanck ’92, Director of Constituent Engagement, Association of American Medical Colleges
  • Becca Raley ‘94, Executive Director, Partnership for Better Health
  • Samantha Brandauer ’95, Executive Director, Center for Global Study & Engagement
  • Laura Legg ’95, Visiting Associate, Enrollment Management & Admissions
  • Elizabeth Woods Meikrantz ’95, Director, Class Giving
  • Heather Champion ’97, Director, Employer Relations
  • Laura Kilko ’01, Associate Director; Pre-Law Advisor
  • Tara Fischer ’02, Associate Dean, Academic Advising; Coordinator, Community College Partnership Initiative
  • Amity Fox ’04, Director of Internships, Externships, and Fellowships
  • Greg Moyer ’06, Assistant VP for Enrollment; Director, Admissions Recruitment
  • Liz Glynn Toth ’06, Director, Alumni Relations
  • Amy Hall ’12, Associate Director, Southeastern Recruitment; Coordinator, Admissions Volunteer Network
  • Caroline Smiegal ’18, Admissions Counselor