$1M gift to revitalize Earlham’s student center

When Earlham College students return to campus this fall, they’ll have a new gathering space to connect with one another.

Jeff May and Karen Crossen have donated $1 million for Earlham to renovate Runyan Center, the campus’s central hub, according to a news release. May graduated from Earlham in 1975, and Crossen spent two years at Earlham, participating in the Intensive Spanish Program, before completing her degree at Rice University.

The donation honors May’s 50th reunion and the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. They married a month after May graduated with a geology degree.

“Runyan was the center of our non-academic lives on campus,” May said in the release. “You’d share a meal, stop by the mailroom, go bowling in the basement, hang out at the coffee shop, or catch a movie or student performance at Wilkinson Theater. There was always something going on. There was so much energy — it brought people together.”

Construction will begin this summer and is expected to be completed in August, ready for the returning students.

“We’re grateful for Jeff and Karen’s continued investment in the student experience at Earlham,” Earlham President Paul Sniegowski said in the release. “This gift will contribute to the vibrancy of campus life that has long been a hallmark of the Earlham experience, and it will be a catalyst for new points of connection for our students.”

Work on Runyan Center will focus on four areas:

• Renovations to the east and west entryways with updated landscaping, outdoor seating and public art, including a new mural.
• A courtyard with landscaping, furniture and better access from the dining hall and Runyan’s main corridor.
• An emphasis on creating an inviting first impression for prospective students and families visiting campus.
• An outdoor deck on Runyan’s south end that’s accessible from the campus cafe and is designed for gathering, dining and relaxing.

“First impressions matter,” Crossen said in the release. “When students and parents walk into Runyan, we want them to feel welcome — like this is a place full of life, opportunity and connection.”

May and Crossen previously donated $1 million to support student scholarships and help establish the May-Crossen Student Commons, a space that includes a coffee shop, performance area and gathering spots. That gift coincided with the couple’s 40th anniversary.