$3 million gift toward science building announced

Jamestown College has announced a $3 million gift from Margaret Thielsch, East Greenwich, R.I., toward the construction of a new science and nursing laboratory complex adjacent to Orlady Hall.

Originally from Edgeley, N.D., Thielsch is a 1943 graduate of Jamestown College and is a longtime supporter of scholarships and the Journey to Success.

"Margaret has a big place in her heart for Jamestown College and her North Dakota roots,” said Jamestown College President Robert S. Badal Monday when making the announcement. "This gift is an illustration of how years of work by our predecessors, the administration, the staff, the faculty and our loyal alumni, have helped build the relationships that contribute to making amazing things like this happen.”

Lloyd Sheldon, a member of the Jamestown College Class of 1944 from Mesa, Ariz., has contributed $1.5 million to the project.

"We’re quite excited that with these two major gifts, remaining gifts will follow, and we can bring this campaign to a close soon,” Dr. Badal said.

Construction will begin in the spring. The $9 million project calls for the addition of a laboratory complex (Phase I) and the renovation of Orlady Hall into classroom and office space (Phase II) for the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Nursing, plus equipment.

"Margaret and her family are proud of what we are doing here at Jamestown College,” said Polly Peterson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. "She wanted to help ensure this new facility would be available for our faculty and students as early as possible.”

Orlady Hall was built in 1941 with major funding coming from Mrs. Benjamin Orlady in memory of her husband, who was a member of the Jamestown College Board of Trustees. The lower level housed the Jimmie Grill and student union until Westminster Hall was built in 1960. In the 1950s, a campus radio station was also located in the lower level. The building underwent a renovation in 1989.