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New buildings will be added to the campus of Marist School in 1976
as a result of Marist 75--the private schools 75th
anniversary construction fund. A library-administration building, a physical
education station and renovation of existing buildings for coeducational are
included in the plans.
Work will begin in early January, according to Father Lawrence R.
Schmuhl, SM, business manager. The educational improvements were planned when
Marists present campus on Ashford-Dunwoody Road was opened in 1962. The
coming of coeducation to Marist (1976-77 school year) has made the construction
necessary.
Parents, alumni, and friends of the school have donated more than
$30,000 to the Marist 75 fund, according to public relations director Tom
Mattingly. The bulk of necessary funds has been raised from foundations by the
Marist Lay Advisory Board. The projected cost of construction is $850,000,
Father Schmuhl said.
With this building project we are simply fulfilling what was
originally planned for Marist. The school will be able to hold more than 700
students, Father Schmuhl said. We planned the expansion long before
coeducation was decided, but coeducation brought the plans to a head, he
added. Womens athletic facilities and lavatories are included in the
building program.
The two-story library-administration structure will adjoin the
main classroom building via a covered walkway. The library-media center will
have extensive shelf and study space, an audio-visual lab, and conference
rooms, on the second floor. Spacious administrative offices, reception and
faculty areas will move to the first floor. The new building will hold 15,000
square feet of space.
The physical education station will accommodate young women as
well as young men. Located near to the Marist gym and stadium, the building
will be used for volleyball and other sports. The existing library and offices
will be converted into classrooms.
Marist 75 will give us a warm, spacious office and reception
area. We hope the library will be the center of the school and will be
top-notch. The program will free space for more than 700 students, Father
Schmuhl said. Marists enrollment is now 644.
The Marist 75 parents and alumni drive was launched in October,
according to Mattingly. Parents Chairmen Bob Hennessy and Bud Fressell wrote to
each family, requesting donations. Since then, more than 200 families (37
percent) have sent gifts or pledges. Response from alumni has also been
reasonably encouraging, Mattingly said.
The ultimate goal of Marist 75 is a total of $75,000 in
contributions. We are stressing participation by as many parents and
graduates as possible, Mattingly said. The size of the gift is not
as important as the total number of gifts.
Father Schmuhl expressed gratitude to friends, foundations,
and benefactors who have made Marist what it is today. He said that
expansion became possible when the Marist Society in Washington and Rome,
Italy, authorized it. The Lay Advisory Board then began fund-raising, which is
not yet complete, Father Schmuhl added. |