I hope you are as proud of your alma mater as I am. We have done some marvelous things in the past decade and the accolades rightfully belong to our faculty and staff. During my tenure at Lincoln College (this marks my 20th year) I have been surrounded by an outstanding administrative team, a strong and dedicated faculty and a very efficient and caring staff. Changes are visible from the outside but the really significant changes have been made on the inside. The average ACT of our students has risen by 6 standard score points since 1982, the commuter enrollments have increased by 10 times and the total student body has tripled. The Normal campus, now offering two Baccalaureate degrees in addition to the Associate’s degree, has stabilized and is growing, despite a $60 million public community college just a mile from the campus. With the addition of the Midwest College of Cosmetology, our enrollments will approach 1,200 full time equivalent students in the fall of 2002 with a head count of almost 1,500. The campuses are technologically state of the art and student housing is second to none. In the past five years, 280 new beds have been added in Lincoln and 240 in Normal. New construction includes the residence halls but also two additions to the Johnston Center, a new Student Center, Admissions Building, maintenance shop, athletic playing fields for soccer, softball and baseball, a remodeled natatorium and new offices for student services. All existing buildings have been renovated and, in two cases, razed. Add to that list Dooley Hall and Gehlbach Hall, two new academic classroom buildings and you have a picture of the changes over the last decade.

So, what is left to do? Let me tell you. We need a new field house and an enlarged museum. Our present gym was built in 1933. It has served us well but it is time to retire it. The State of Illinois has helped us with $1.1 million to build a new museum. This addition will allow us to be a part of the new Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to open in Springfield and greatly enhance tourism in Lincoln and Logan County. The two needs have led to the development of plans for our capstone building, the Lincoln Center. The building will offer 50,000 square feet of space for a new field house seating 1,600, locker rooms and offices, a fitness center, a wrestling practice room, and a museum with 7,000 square feet of display area, a classroom and various support areas. This addition will finish the construction needs of the Lincoln campus for the foreseeable future. We do not plan to begin construction until we have the funds available to pay for it and only you can tell us when that will be. We need your help to complete the master plan of the campus. Please consider a generous donation toward this goal. This addition will solidify Lincoln College’s position as one of the finest private junior colleges in the nation. Our faculty and staff have brought us to the top of the mountain and it is now up to our alumni and friends to keep us there. I am available to go anywhere at any time to discuss this with you. There are many opportunities to commemorate a family member by providing funding for a portion of the facility. The sooner you take the initiative to give, the sooner we can start construction. Please help!