LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University broke ground on its $4.5 million renovation of the iconic Haupt Humanities Building at a ceremony on Friday, May 26.
The project will modernize the classroom building, which will be renamed the Carpenter Academic Center in honor of its lead donors, Pete ’64 and Marilyn Carpenter. Over the next 18 months, it will undergo a complete rejuvenation that upgrades classrooms, provides student gathering spaces and integrates cutting-edge technologies.
Every Transylvania student takes at least one class in the 57-year-old building, and the project will ensure that the spaces are advanced, flexible and sized for active learning.
“Like individuals, institutions that endure over time require moments of renewal in order to flourish,” President Seamus Carey said. “It’s time for us to focus on the heart and soul of a campus devoted to the liberal arts and sciences and refurbish a space that has been a central part of the Transylvania experience for almost 60 years.”
The donors joined other members of the Transylvania community for the groundbreaking. Pete Carpenter is a Kentucky native from Mount Vernon who retired in 2001 as vice chairman of CSX Corporation.
“My education at Transylvania left me with a desire for lifelong learning,” he said. “Institutions like Transylvania are the basis to the success some of us have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed. It’s crucial to give back to these institutions in order to help prepare and educate our next generation of leaders.”