Current and future alumni will soon have a new place to reconnect with old classmates.
The former Delta Psi fraternity house on Summit Street will be renovated after fundraising in order to be the new Alumni House.
“Alumni House will be a place that alumni can use as a headquarters for annual events like Reunion, Homecoming and Family Weekend,” according to University Communications.
In Dec. 2007, the University purchased the 120-year-old Queen Anne property that previously housed fraternity members.
This is also the ???rst UVM project that will be ???nanced entirely by private funding, and the house has already received a gift for a new library.
“Named in recognition of a $250,000 gift from School of Business Administration alumnus Jeffrey Newton ’79, the Newton Library is expected to be a central gathering and relaxation spot for visiting alums when they arrive on campus,” according to University Communications.
Newton, who was a member of the Delta Psi fraternity, remembers the library as a central location for many social gatherings and it brings back a lot of good memories for him.
“The Delta Psi house is a perfect choice. It is beautiful, has an interesting history and is in a great location. I can’t imagine a better meeting spot for visiting alums,” Newton said.
The building will make a great addition to the Alumni experience, he said.
“Just like the Davis Center has improved the experience of UVM students, the Alumni House will greatly improve the experience of alums,” Newton said.
The Alumni House project has secured more than $2 million in commitments toward its $13.5 million goal to date, according to University Communications.
Some students said that the house is an interesting idea but that the University should focus on other things first.
“I guess if it’s being privately funded I’m OK with it,” junior Brie Timm said. “I’m not sure if we need a new one or what building is currently being used for those purposes. Not high on my list of concerns, that’s for sure. UVM has bigger issues.”
The building will serve as the portal for an enriched experience on the UVM campus for its alumni, thereby fostering and sustaining lifelong relationships with the University, the alumni website stated.
In 1924, the Wells House and its remaining lot were sold to Delta Psi Fraternity, for which it was home until 2003.
The house, once completed, will meet or exceed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standard in accordance with the University’s new building policy, the alumni website stated.
