Donaldson Hall Update
It has been just over a year since the renovation of Donaldson Hall officially began with the installation of our new windows. Thanks to your generosity all the windows in Donaldson Hall were replaced making Donaldson much more appealing as well as energy efficient.
As a generous contributor to the Donaldson campaign, we feel obligated to update you on the progress of the campaign and renovation. As reported previously, the funds for Phase I have been raised. (Phase I includes newly installed windows, new stucco and moving the HVAC units to the back of the building. Phase II is a remodel of the auditorium and Phase III will focus on some of the unseen but vital parts of the building like the boiler and the fire retardant system.)
In light of our challenging economic times, Menaul’s Board of Directors decided earlier this year to place the Donaldson renovation on “pause” and focus on the more immediate needs of our annual campaign. While we are still accepting donations for the Donaldson renovation – and fully intend to complete the project we’ve started – our goal this year is to raise $750,000 in unrestricted gifts to help bridge the gap between the cost of educating each student and the amount of tuition collected from each student.
So where does that leave the Donaldson campaign? We look forward to completing Phase I and plan to “begin again” the campaign for Phases II & III. We are hopeful that an increased enrollment and the continued generosity of individuals like you allow us to do so by the middle of the 2009 – 2010 school year.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. And thank you for your love of and support for Menaul School! If you have any questions, or if you want to discuss this topic further, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 505-345-7727.
Blessings,
Lindsey R. Gilbert, Jr.
President/Head of School
Troy Williamson
Director of Institutional Advancement
PS – If you haven’t done so already, please consider giving to this year’s Annual Fund.
Donaldson Hall History
Today, every student’s experience at Menaul School, while unique to their time, is largely shaped by the strong ideals of H.C. Donaldson. Six decades have taken their toll on the building named in his honor and we need your help to preserve this historic site.
Donaldson Hall is the first building you come to on campus. It faces Menaul Boulevard and is easily visible from the street. It houses the majority of our middle school classrooms upstairs and administrative offices downstairs. Most importantly, Donaldson Hall is home to the school’s auditorium, where our daily chapel is held.
H.C. Donaldson
In 1916, when Dr. Donaldson assumed the position of Superintendent of the Menaul School, few could have known the greatness he would achieve. Barely older than his students, and with only a few years of teaching experience, he was truly a visionary educator, inspiring his students and exhibiting great confidence in them.
Much like his famous contemporary, Father Flannigan, he “believed in his boys”. Donaldson introduced standardized testing to the remote pueblos and plazas of rural New Mexico and he reached out to women and Hispanic students and encouraged them toward an education at the university level.
He was a true pioneer of what the modern world has come to expect in educational equity and his confidence in the youth of New Mexico is to this day a model for us.