Randolph-Macon College celebrated the success of its historic Building Extraordinary campaign on February 19, 2016 at a gala in the RMC Brock Center. More than 500 alumni and friends attended the celebration, the culmination of a campaign that holistically transformed the campus with new facilities, and provided support for the academic program and endowment. The campaign, which kicked off in 2008 with a goal of $100 million, far surpassed expectations, wrapping up with $125 million in gifts and commitments at its conclusion on December 31, 2015. Its success celebrates a record milestone for the college.

The Campaign

“Our Building Extraordinary campaign is one of the most significant events in Randolph-Macon’s history,” said President Robert R. Lindgren. “This astonishing success and incredible transformation was only made possible through the generosity of all members of the RMC family. We added a new student center, new residence halls, new athletics facilities and now a new science building. We renovated existing facilities. We boosted an already robust liberal arts curriculum with enriching programs, partnerships and new academic majors. To our alumni and generous donors, I would say, ‘you are the reason for our success. You have helped to make RMC truly extraordinary.’ On behalf of our current students, faculty and staff – and those who follow in the decades to come – we say thank you,” said Lindgren, who is in his 11th year as president of Randolph-Macon.

The Building Extraordinary campaign launched its public phase in 2011 with $67 million in gifts already committed. Following development of a comprehensive master plan and strategic plan for the college, this campaign was designed to provide important funding necessary to position the college for the next level of excellence. The campaign’s goals included upgrading and building state-of-the-art facilities; increasing the endowment to provide greater opportunities and support for faculty and students; and enhancing student outcomes through The Edge, RMC’s four-year personalized career program, which is integrated with students’ academic experiences to provide them with a competitive advantage in reaching their career and graduate school goals.

The $100 million goal was reached in early 2015 – a full 19 months ahead of schedule – and was subsequently increased by the trustees to $115 million, ending in an astonishing $125 million in gifts and pledges to the college.

“The success of this campaign has been astonishing,” said Alan B. Rashkind ’69, chair of the RMC Board of Trustees. “You can’t walk on our campus today without being amazed by the incredible transformation, which speaks to the generosity of our alumni and friends and their belief in our vision and the quality of the liberal arts and sciences education we provide. Ours is a college that’s moving forward. We’re going to continue to grow, to upgrade facilities, add new programs and support the level of academic quality that is our hallmark.”

Extraordinary Donors
Scores of donors helped make the campaign a success. Several have been extraordinarily generous:

Macon F. Brock Jr. ’64 serves as chair of the Building Extraordinary campaign. He and his wife Joan Brock have been active supporters in the life of the college through their service and philanthropy. The Brocks gave gifts totaling $27,165,279 million to support the priorities of the campaign, which included the new Brock Commons student center, the heartbeat of student activity on campus with the SunTrust Theater, a new campus store, the Birdsong Café, Greenberry’s Coffee, multiple meeting and conference spaces, game rooms and “living rooms,” and the Maeder Fire Pit. Their gifts also supported a new science building to be completed in July 2017, plus renovations to current academic buildings, scholarships, and the Macon and Joan Brock Professorship in Psychology, currently held by Kelly Lambert.

Macon Brock, chairman and co-founder of Dollar Tree, Inc., served on the RMC Board of Trustees from 1992-2009 and as its chair from 1999-2009. In 2009, Macon and Joan received honorary Doctor of Laws Degrees for their service to the college.

“Joan and I are thrilled to be part of this renaissance at Randolph-Macon,” said Macon Brock.  “It’s wonderful to see the faces of newcomers, or those who haven’t visited for a while, as our beautiful campus captivates them. These physical and programmatic changes have instilled a renewed sense of pride and school spirit in each of us and we have been forever transformed. With this incredible momentum we’re building, the sky’s the limit in what we can achieve in the future.”

Birdsong Hall, a residential facility which houses 120 upperclassmen, is named for Thomas Birdsong ’49 and The Birdsong Corporation, and construction was made possible through their $2.1 million gift. The Birdsongs have a longstanding tradition of philanthropy with Randolph-Macon. The family and corporation have supported the Birdsong Peaks of Excellence Center, the Birdsong Townhouses, the Birdsong Café, and the new science building.

Andrews Hall, a 108-bed, suite-style facility for freshmen, was dedicated in 2011 and is named in honor of Ira Andrews III ’59, RMC professor emeritus of religious studies and former dean of students who was present at the dedication ceremony. Andrews passed away in August 2012. Construction of Andrews Hall was made possible with a lead gift from Stuart and Frank E. “Pepper” Laughon Jr. ’59.

The two-story John B. Werner Pavilion at the McGraw-Page Library is named for Trustee Emeritus and Honorary Degree Recipient Dr. John B. Werner ’53. Construction of the Werner Pavilion was made possible by a lead gift from the Robert G. Cabell III and Maude Morgan Cabell Foundation.

Everette G. “Buddy” Allen Jr. ’62 and his wife Ann have given over $3.3 million to support the Buddy and Ann Allen Scholarship, the RMC Athletic Endowment, the new science building and the new football/lacrosse field.

The Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park is named for Hugh Stephens ’41, the head coach of the Randolph-Macon baseball program from 1950-1982. Construction was made possible through a generous lead gift from Carol Estes-Williams and her husband Clarence G. Williams Jr.

New Science Building
In conjunction with the campaign, the college set forth an overall goal of $22.2 million to build a new science building and a new observatory, and to renovate Copley Science Center and Smithey Hall. The renovations took place several years ago. Reaching the target of $17.5 million specifically for the new science building was particularly exciting and gratifying, says Lindgren.

“We expect to begin construction in spring 2016, with a completion target of summer 2017,” says Lindgren. “The RMC community is exceedingly thankful to our donors—alumni, friends, parents, community members—who believe in the life of this special college. This momentous achievement would not have been possible without the help of so many. To have garnered this level of private support, particularly in the challenging economic times in which we have found ourselves these past years, speaks volumes about the commitment of our donors and volunteers and the quality and resiliency of Randolph-Macon.”

Extraordinary Academics
The Building Extraordinary campaign made it possible for the college to offer students new and improved programs, including new academic majors: behavioral neuroscience, communication studies, archaeology, engineering physics, Asian studies, and a separate business major. In addition, the campaign funded co-curricular leadership and service programs—important additions to the student experience.

RMC also boosted its already strong pre-health and pre-med programs, and formed partnerships with a variety of colleges and universities: Pre-med agreements include the BS/MD Joint Degree Agreement with Eastern Virginia Medical School; the Early Selection Partnership with George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and the Preferred Applicant Track Agreement with Virginia Commonwealth University. Pre-nursing agreements include the Guaranteed Admission Agreement with the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing Accelerated Bachelor of Science program and the Guaranteed Admission Agreement with the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at GWU. Students interested in a career as a physician assistant can pursue the Early Assurance agreement with the Eastern Virginia Medical School Physician Assistant program.

RMC’s pre-med program is supported by a generous gift from the estate of Dr. Paul Wornom, a 1937 RMC alumnus. This funding provides eight full pre-med scholarships to science students who excel academically, known as the Wornom Fellows.

Extraordinary Athletics
The campaign made it possible for RMC to add state-of-the-art athletics facilities and programs to the campus.

Day Field, which now runs north and south, is home to Randolph-Macon’s football and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. It’s surrounded on the north side by Andrews Hall and by Birdsong Hall on the south side. Renovations to Day Field were made possible through the generous support of alumni, parents and Yellow Jacket fans.

The Banks Tennis Center, which sit on five acres, includes 10 courts, stadium seating, a gazebo and benches. Construction was made possible by former Board of Trustee member S. Andrew Banks.

RMC also created an Equestrian Team, which provides opportunities for students interested in competitive riding or improving their skills. The Team offers riders of all levels the opportunity to compete against other colleges in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association in hunt seat equitation. RMC also boasts an Eventing Team. Recognized by the United States Eventing Association, the Team competes against other collegiate teams at USEA-recognized horse trials.

Extraordinary Alumni
RMC has a longstanding tradition of alumni who stay connected to their alma mater in countless ways. Throughout the campaign, that involvement has increased exponentially. Alumni share their expertise with students; provide students with career advice and training; and serve as ambassadors of the college.

A remarkable 40 percent of alumni made a gift to the college during fiscal year 2014-2015—ranking RMC first in alumni loyalty in the Commonwealth and 16th in the nation among all colleges and universities.

Additionally, during the campaign:
• 92 new scholarships were created totaling $15 million
• 5 endowed professorships were created and two were partially funded
• 12,139 – total number of donors
• 33,005 – total number of gifts
• 6,416 – number of new, first-time donors to the college
• 66 % of alumni made at least one gift during the campaign
• 573 faculty and staff (current and retired) gave to the campaign

“The spirit of generosity is at the heart of our RMC community,” says Lindgren. “It is rooted in the exceptional character of our entire college family, who make investing in the quality of an RMC education a priority. Especially inspiring is the percentage of alumni who made a gift to the college this past year. The impact of our alumni loyalty ranked 16th among all colleges and universities in the nation last year, which is truly extraordinary. Their generosity throughout the years—especially during the campaign—illustrates their unparalleled dedication and loyalty to RMC.”