The most significant campus expansion in history at Colgate is now underway.
Through the support of a number of significant new gifts, Colgate has announced the launch of a project to create a cohesive West Campus along Broad Street. Among the contributions to the project is a gift of $50 million to The Campaign for the Third Century from Peter Kellner ’65, P’87, GP’16,’19 — the largest single gift ever made to Colgate. At the close of the semester, he increased his gift by $10 million to a total of $60 million.
In addition Jean-Pierre L. Conte ’85 has given a remarkable $25 million gift to name the building that will anchor West Campus. Further leadership support for the West Campus initiative brings total investments to $115 million, with gifts of $10 million from Becky Hurley ’81 and Christopher Hurley ’81, P’12,’12; Robert Fox ’59, GP’23,’25; and Stephen Sprague ’72.
“I offer profound gratitude for these gifts,” says President Brian W. Casey. “Colgate intends to offer the strongest residential liberal arts education in America, and the West Campus initiative is key to achieving that vision.”
Colgate’s comprehensive Third-Century Plan, launched during the University’s Bicentennial celebration in 2019, includes the completion of the Residential Commons system and the West Campus as initial priorities. Currently, first- and second-year students reside in one of four Residential Commons on top of the hill. Extending that residential life experience for juniors and seniors — ensuring that their living spaces provide the opportunity for community and for the development of independence that will serve them well after graduation — is the vital next step.
“When President Casey began working with the faculty, administration, and trustees on the Third-Century Plan, that really grabbed me — recognizing that it’s not going to be done overnight,” says Kellner, reflecting on his gift and the change he hopes it will bring to Colgate. “I wanted to do something that really would have an impact on the University.”
Different forms of Colgate student housing, built over many decades, currently line Broad Street and College Street. In spite of their proximity to campus and to each other, these buildings can seem distinct and distant from Colgate’s physical and historic core. The building program, launched with unprecedented levels of support from alumni and parents, will form an intentional campus neighborhood.
A reenvisioned Broad Street will demand extensive new construction. New residential units will be added to this part of the campus. Among the new residential units will be Fox House at 70 Broad Street and Hurley House. The new Social Center, named in recognition of Conte’s gift, will draw the community to West Campus for events, activities, and other programming.
“My Colgate experience helped me achieve my personal and professional dreams, as both a first-generation student and the son of immigrants, by providing me with an education that continues to serve me today,” Conte says. “The new Conte House will be a vital gathering place for students of all backgrounds, and supporting future generations in this way is nothing short of an honor for me and my family.”
North House and South House, two large residences, will be attached to the Social Center. Nearby, two studies will provide spaces for seminars, individual and group study, and other projects. The Walk will form a common pathway and communal place throughout the West Campus. The Park will provide a green anchor, located on an extension of Taylor Lake.
Buildings in the West Campus will be designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) and other architects, and landscapes will be designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA). Both firms have worked extensively with Colgate: MVVA is completing initial work on Peter’s Glen, also funded through a gift from Kellner, and RAMSA most recently completed Bernstein Hall, which opened in fall 2024.
Renovations to Greek and theme houses will take place alongside construction. This work has already begun at 66 Broad Street, and it will continue at 70 Broad Street this fall. The current house will be removed, and a new house will be constructed and named for Fox.
Once construction and renovations are complete, juniors and seniors will move into West Campus theme houses, fraternity houses, sorority houses, apartments, and townhouses. This renovation and construction work will ensure all future seniors will have the option to live in single rooms, if they so choose, and approximately half of the junior class will also have the option to live in singles.
“Residential life at Colgate plays an important part in the education of our students,” says Vice President and Dean of the College Paul McLoughlin. “In their first and second years, they build community with their classmates. In their junior and senior years, we want that experience to continue even as they build the skills to live independently and to be good citizens after they graduate. I am so grateful for the gifts that have made it possible for Colgate to achieve this vision.”
Now in its sixth year, the Third-Century Plan is guiding the University’s long-term development and securing its place as a leading national liberal arts institution. To support initial priorities within the Plan, Colgate launched The Campaign for the Third Century in 2022, setting a goal of $1 billion — the largest fundraising effort by a liberal arts university of Colgate’s size.
“This moment is of great significance for Colgate and will allow us to complete a 200-year-old campus,” Casey says. “These projects — and the creation of a new part of the historic campus at Colgate — will set the trajectory of Colgate for decades to come.”
The Faces of Giving
Peter Kellner ’65, P’87, GP’16,’19: Earlier this spring, he pledged $50 million — the largest single gift in Colgate history. At the close of the semester, he increased his gift by $10 million to a total of $60 million. This is in addition to past gifts that funded Peter’s Glen, faculty chairs, and more. A member of Delta Upsilon fraternity and manager of the football team, he earned an MBA from Columbia University and was the managing director of Morgan Stanley in London. He received the Wm. Brian Little Award at Reunion 2025 and a Maroon Citation in 2015. “This campaign is transformational,” he says. “It’s about bringing Colgate into where it’s supposed to be — as one of the outstanding educational institutions in the world.”
Jean-Pierre “J-P” Conte ’85 pledged $25 million to the new Social Center. An economics and international relations major and men’s club crew member, he earned an MBA from Harvard University, is chairman and managing partner of Genstar Capital, is a director of ConnectiveRx and Signant Health, and supports multiple philanthropic nonprofit organizations, including Pepperwood Preserve, 10,000 Degrees, SEO Scholars, and the UCSF Foundation. He lives in San Francisco, Calif. “Colgate has the opportunity to be bigger, better, and more relevant in today’s world,” he says. “I’m happy to be part of it.”
Bob Fox ’59, GP’23,’25 pledged $10 million for 70 Broad Street. A German major, varsity swimmer, and judiciary board member, he earned an MBA from Harvard. He held top leadership roles at Del Monte, Canada Dry, and Foster Poultry Farms, and served on the Alumni Council and Board of Trustees. Fox received a Maroon Citation in 2009, a Wm. Brian Little Award in 2019, established the Robert A. Fox ’59 Institute for Leadership in 2007, and funded the Mark S. Randall Chair in Swimming and Diving. “Colgate changed my life,” he says. “Now it is my opportunity to give back.”
Steve Sprague ’72 pledged $10 million to fund The Park and study spaces. He served as the CFO for Rafferty Holdings, treasurer and secretary at Rafferty Asset Management, and worked at Goldman Sachs. An economics major and member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, he was class gift challenger for his 50th Reunion and created a scholarship to honor his father, James B. Sprague ’37. He lives in Scarsdale, N.Y. “Colgate has had my heart for many years,” he says. “The changes we have already seen on campus are just a harbinger of what’s to come, and I can’t wait to see it all come together.”
Christopher ’81 and Becky (Bair) ’81 Hurley P’12,’12 pledged $10 million for the future home of the students associated with the Colgate Union. Christopher, an economics major and varsity football player, is managing partner at Hurley McKenna & Mertz. Becky, an international relations and political science major, is of counsel at Hurley McKenna & Mertz and senior land use advisor at The Lakota Group. She serves on the Board of Trustees and Women’s Leadership Council. They established the Hurley Family Chair in Dialogue, Deliberation, and Decision-making in 2022 and were drawn to West Campus plans that provided housing for students engaging in civil discourse. “It is essential to foster spaces where people can engage across differences with respect and reason,” Becky says. “Supporting the University’s efforts in this area reflects both our values and our hope for the future.”
Illustrations by Anje Jager
