Honor the past
invest in the future
Harvey Mudd College’s Thomas-Garrett Hall was more than a classroom building. It was where students learned how to fly and perfected assignments, where marketing materials were produced, where high school students were set on the path toward college, and where Shakespeare productions took place. Members of the Mudd community were in attendance at a July 30, 2011 event to celebrate the building before its demolition to make room for the new teaching and learning building.
Wendy Menifee-Libey spent 11 years in the building as director of the Academic Excellence program and of the Writing Center where students received peer support for assignments. "We’re looking forward with great anticipation to the new building with its purpose-built writing center and modern classrooms with movable furniture and ample white board space," she said. "That generous, collaborative culture that thrived in Thomas-Garrett will be made that much easier to nurture and expand in the new building."
In addition to reminiscing, the event gave select participants an opportunity to remove a Thomas-Garrett wart — the protruding cement blocks that decorate most HMC building façades. Those who gave a gift — $500 (young alumni) or $1,000 — used a pneumatic drill to pry the symbolic blocks from courtyard pillars.
After removing her Thomas-Garrett wart, alumna, AABoG member and former trustee Katy Wong ‘97 reminisced about the many classes she attended in Thomas-Garrett Hall. "Part of me is sad to see it go," she said. "But you can’t have the new without letting go of the old."
What about the warts?
This is perhaps the most-asked question with regard to the demolition of Thomas-Garrett Hall. All the warts on the building were harvested before demolition; many will be saved for use as replacement warts on other campus buildings. However, a limited quantity of 500 is available to our HMC community and friends.
Wart gifts include a numbered, commemorative plaque and a naming opportunity (yet to be identified) in the new teaching and learning building. The Thomas-Garrett wart gift is $1000; young alumni who are five years out or less (Classes of 2007-2011) will receive a wart at a discounted gift of $500. All wart gifts will be directed to the new Teaching and Learning Building.
If you are interested in making a wart gift today, visit our online giving page. Contact the Office of Annual Giving at annualgiving@hmc.edu or (909) 621-8560 with questions or for additional information.