New buildings will be added to the campus of Marist School in 1976 as a result of “Marist 75”--the private school’s 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 Marist’s 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. Women’s 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. Marist’s 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.