Marietta College has received a $55 million commitment to renovate dorms and build a new graduate health sciences center, President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty announced during her state of the union address on Friday.
The pledge, which represents the largest single gift in the Ohio institution’s nearly 200-year history, comes from Joe and Linda Chlapaty, whose son graduated from Marietta in 1997. Joe later served as a trustee.
“Joe and Linda’s commitment fundamentally changes what is possible for Marietta College,” Dougherty said. “It allows us to move boldly toward a future that expands opportunities for students, strengthens our connection to the region and reflects the enduring promise of a Marietta education. It is also a powerful expression of belief—one we hope inspires our entire community to imagine what we can accomplish together.”
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The new health sciences facility will include classrooms, laboratories, simulation spaces and collaborative learning environments, allowing the college to strengthen existing programs and establish new graduate offerings, with the goal of providing more health-care professionals in rural Ohio and Appalachia.
A “significant portion” of the gift will also go toward renovating the freshman dorms, which were built in the 1950s and ’60s, the college said.
The Chlapatys’ pledge coincides with the public launch of a new capital campaign for the college that aims to raise $11 million a year for the next five years.
“Linda and I believe deeply in Marietta College and the human-centered education it provides,” Joe said. “We have seen how much the people here care about students, one another and the future of this community. These projects are about creating the places where relationships will grow, students will discover what they are capable of and lives will be changed. We want to see that impact, and we hope others will join us in making it possible.”