St. Joe’s Univ. Completes $152 Mil Campaign For Merion Parcel Buy

Saint Joseph’s University announced last week that it has successfully completed its campaign to raise $152.1million—the largest amount raised in any campaign in the University’s history. The school said “gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends enabled Saint Joseph’s to meet its goal in support of the University’s physical and academic growth.”

The five-year plan, which concluded May 31, allowed St. Joe’s to double in size by purchasing the 38-acre site of the former Episcopal Academy, across City Avenue from the main St. Joe’s campus. The old Episcopal grounds are now named the James J. Maguire ’58 Campus.

The money raised supported six specific priorities, the school announced, including the renovation of the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse and Drexel Library—opened in 2009 as the Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena (site of the recent graduation ceremonies for both Lower Merion Township high schools), and the Jack Ramsay ’49 Basketball Center.

Ground was broken last October for its new technology-enhanced library, the Maryanne Hennings and John R. Post ’60 Learning Commons, scheduled for completion next spring.

Saint Joseph’s also enhanced its autism education program on the Maguire campus with the completion of its Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support in 2009.