Colby College has received a $3.35-million gift to support the forthcoming Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts. In recognition, the building’s forum will be named in the donors’ honor. The forum, at the heart of the building, will be a dynamic, flexible space designed to connect the community through a range of uses, from informal gatherings to student performances and exhibitions.

Colby has received a $30-million gift to establish the first cross-disciplinary institute for artificial intelligence at a liberal arts college. Made possible by the tremendous generosity of the Davis family and trustee of its charitable foundation Andrew Davis ’85, LL.D. ’15, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence will provide new pathways for talented students and faculty to research, create, and apply AI and machine learning across disciplines while setting a precedent for how liberal arts colleges can shape the future of AI.

The Tsiaras Family Photography Collection, gift of Colby alumni Dr. William Tsiaras and Nancy Meyer Tsiaras, further solidifies Colby’s Museum as a leading destination for American art.

The Dare Northward fundraising campaign surpassed $563 million from 22,500 donors and positioned Colby within reach of its $750-million goal, the largest in liberal arts college history. In 2019-20 11,200 donors made $86 million in new commitments and provided $72 million in cash and assets, the third highest year-end total in the College’s history. 

Multimillion-dollar gifts from Trustees Jack O’Neil ’77 and Tim O’Donnell ’87 will name the ice arena in Colby’s new Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. The 38,650-square-foot ice arena will become the O'Neil | O'Donnell Forum, and the venue’s rink will be named in honor of legendary Colby coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Jack Kelley. 

Colby has raised $1 million to designate the College’s soccer field the Mark R. Serdjenian 1973 Field in recognition of a coach who had an exceptional impact on the campus community over a 40-year career. The naming is the result of an inspirational lead gift from Trustee Marieke Rothschild P’16 and Jeff Rothschild P’16, as well as support from dozens of former players, coaches, and friends.

The Colby College Museum of Art has acquired a rare print series by Jacob Lawrence, one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Philanthropists and longtime Colby College benefactors Paula and Peter Lunder purchased and donated the prints in honor of Colby College President David Greene and Carolyn Greene.

A $2-million gift by Dana L. Schmaltz and Kate Enroth supports two of Colby’s major initiatives—arts and athletics. The gift names the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in downtown Waterville’s Paul J. Schupf Art Center and the Richard R. Schmaltz Welcome Pavilion in the new Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center.

To further advance its leadership in the humanities, Colby College has established the Margaret T. McFadden Fund for Humanistic Inquiry through a $1-million gift from Trustee Anne Clarke Wolff ’87 and Benjamin “Ted” E. Wolff III ’86. The endowed fund is named in honor of Provost and Dean of Faculty and Professor of American Studies Margaret T. McFadden, an accomplished and beloved academic leader at the College.