Carroll County developer and Western Maryland College trustee Martin K. P. Hill has committed a $1.25 million gift for the college's building program and provide support for the annual fund program.
Six academic buildings are undergoing extensive renovations, including Memorial Hall, the largest classroom facility at the Westminster campus, and the college plans to construct a new Science Center in the next few years.
Mr. Hill announced his gift to college trustees Sunday at a conference at the Aspen Institute to discuss the college's future plans.
He also accepted the board's invitation to lead the college in planning its first comprehensive campaign.
"You can't lead where you're not willing to go. [This gift] is a stretch, but it will pay off and I am very pleased to make it," said Mr. Hill, who will contribute $250,000 to the annual fund over the next five years.
The fund, which supports WMC's current programs, has grown 20 percent over the past two years.
"Realizing the annual fund is the college's top fund-raising priority, I wanted to set the pace for even higher levels of achievement," Mr. Hill said.
Building improvements began this summer with restoration and revamping of six historic academic buildings.
Designed by Centerbrook Inc., the antique details of these late 19th and early 20th century buildings will be restored or left intact while technical features are improved.
Included in the $7.3 million renovation program is Memorial Hall, home to the humanities and social sciences divisions. Among the Memorial Hall renovation plans are removing the hung ceiling on the first floor, a former grand dining hall, and creating two classrooms in-the-round on the main floor.
Robert H. Chambers, president of Western Maryland College, said Mr. Hill's gift affirms the institution's dedication to teaching and moves the college a long way in helping make Western Maryland "the ultimate liberal arts college of the 21st century."
"Marty Hill has made a magnificent gift, and we thank him," Dr. Chambers said. "We have been ranked by the Carnegie Foundation with the elite liberal arts institutions of the nation.
"We've always been firmly committed to teaching and scholarship, and now, with this gift, we will have facilities to enhance that commitment."
Mr. Hill is president and chief executive officer of Masonry Contractors Inc. of Manchester.
He has served various community organizations, including the Governor's Task Force on SPECTRUM Housing for Economic Growth, the Carroll County Affordable Housing Task Force, the Governor's Radon Task Force and the Carroll County General Hospital Advisory Board.
A member of the board of directors of the National Association of Home Builders and the Carroll County Chapter of the Home Builders Association of Maryland, he also provides leadership to St. George's Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Dioceses of Maryland.
Mr. Hill's relationship with Western Maryland began in 1990, when his daughter transferred to the college to study English and writing. Subsequently, Mr. Hill served on the Parents Board and as chairman of the Parents Fund, and he provided challenge grants in 1991 and 1993 for senior class gifts to the annual fund. In 1993, he became a trustee at the college.