HAMILTON — Colgate University is gearing up to build its fifth residential commons and it recently received a large gift to kick it off. Trustee emeritus Robert Fox has donated $10 million to build Fox Hall at Colgate, the first residence hall of the university’s fifth residential commons. The gift was acknowledged by the university’s […]
HAMILTON — Colgate University is gearing up to build its fifth residential commons and it recently received a large gift to kick it off.
Trustee emeritus Robert Fox has donated $10 million to build Fox Hall at Colgate, the first residence hall of the university’s fifth residential commons. The gift was acknowledged by the university’s board of trustees during its fall meeting, Sept. 30–Oct. 1.
“Today, Colgate takes a significant step forward in its plans to fundamentally enhance student residential life,” Brian W. Casey, university president, said in a news release on the Colgate website. “It is the remarkable generosity of Bob Fox that makes it possible, and on behalf of our community, I offer him my profound gratitude.”
Fox Hall will be located between Burke Hall and the ALANA Cultural Center in an area now occupied by Gate House. The university contends the building’s “design will reflect both the careful planning and creativity that allow leading residential liberal arts universities like Colgate to foster the integration of living and learning on campus.” The new facility will also help the university in completing the implementation of the residential-commons system, a first initiative within the Third-Century Plan.
Residential commons, started at Colgate in 2015 with Ciccone Commons, serve as communities within a community, Colgate says. Each one — Ciccone, Brown, Dart Colegrove, and Hancock — occupies a series of residence halls, where first-year and sophomore students live and take courses together.
Students transition down “the Hill” on campus as juniors and seniors to live in a variety of residences on Broad and College streets, but they “retain their connection to their commons through social and intellectual programming as well as peer mentorship with incoming classes,” the release stated.
Fox, former CEO and president at companies such as Del Monte and Revlon International, has been making donations to Colgate for decades. He is the namesake of the university’s Robert A. Fox ‘59 Institute for Leadership, which offers Colgate students leadership development training through a process of self-reflection and experience. Fox also helped to establish the Mark S. Randall Jr. Endowed Chair for swimming and diving in honor of his coach and mentor. In 2015, Fox committed $10 million to launch the Fox Partnership, a financial-aid challenge that Colgate says inspired an additional $17 million in gifts from alumni and friends.
