“Jack Murdock believed in the power of education as a means to create positive change and inspire innovation,” said Dana Miller, senior program director, Murdock Trust. “We are grateful that the Pacific Northwest is home to a number of outstanding educational institutions like Carroll College that are helping cultivate the next generation of thinkers, doers, and leaders. We have been proud to support the work of Carroll College for more than 35 years, and we are excited to see this valuable transformation to the school’s library come to life and serve the needs of students for generations to come.”
The grant to Carroll College reflects the Murdock Trust’s continued investment in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2017, the Murdock Trust has contributed more than $34 million through 200 grants to nonprofits serving communities in Montana and more than $1.2 billion in grants across the Pacific Northwest region overall since opening its doors in 1975.
Founded in 1909, Carroll College is a private, four-year Catholic college located in Helena, Mont. Its Jack and Sallie Corette Library building was built 40 years ago. In 2018, the college began a renovation of the library aimed at transforming it into a living, flexible space for multiple types of student work and collaboration. The first phase of the project created a learning commons on the lower level of the two-story building, which included the installation of multimedia communication labs, a tutoring center, group study and work spaces, and smart classrooms.
The final phase of the project, which the Murdock Trust is helping to fund, is the renovation of the main floor. The work will create an open floor plan with collaborative study areas, modular seating, tables, white boards, an expanded library information and office space, and a digital innovation center staffed by two academic technology specialists. Upgrades to the technology infrastructure will also boost internet speeds and capacity, which are crucial for modern-day education. Following completion of the project, the building will also be fully ADA accessible.
“The world that we are in requires a different kind of skill set – creative problem solvers who can work in different media and different fields together,” said Amy Honchell, associate vice president for academic affairs at Carroll. “This renovation is really going to enhance all the spaces we have to foster the kind of learning and collaboration that is so important for today’s students.”
Construction is set to begin in spring 2023 and wrap up in about 10 to 12 months.
“Murdock is our capstone gift for this project, and we are just so grateful for them to help us make this possible,” said Katherine Ramirez, major gifts and planned giving for Carroll College. “We’re utilizing the funds to benefit Carroll College and our students, but other institutions have come to see what we’ve done and modeled it, so there’s a ripple effect from Murdock’s gift that extends well beyond our community.”
The partnership between the Murdock Trust and Carroll College dates back to 1985, when the Trust awarded the college its first grant. Since then, the Murdock Trust has supported Carroll College and the Carroll College Foundation with nearly $3.5 million for projects and new staffing and programs.
About M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust
The Murdock Trust, created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock, provides grants to organizations in five states of the Pacific Northwest—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington—that seek to strengthen the region’s educational, spiritual and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. Since its inception in 1975, the Trust has awarded more than 7,500 grants totaling more than $1.2 billion. For more information, find the Murdock Trust on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and on our website.