When Progress is Personal: Former Residents Champion New Paz '77 Alumni & Family Center
Bill '71 and Elke Durden in the garden of the Historic President's House, soon to be transformed into the state-of-the-art John M. Paz '78 Alumni & Family Center. Photo by Dan Loh.
Bill '71 and Elke Durden rally for renovation bringing new life to campus home
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
There were smiles all around as Dickinson kicked off a project to transform a 19th-century campus landmark into the state-of-the-art John M. Paz ‘78 Alumni & Family Center. For one Dickinson couple, this Homecoming & Family Weekend event was, perhaps, especially moving, because it represented a homecoming of an even more personal sort.
Bill ’71 and Elke Durden lived in the Historic President’s House for 14 years, from the time he began his tenure as Dickinson’s president in 1999 until his retirement in 2013. So their support of the renovation project is informed by their intimate perspective on the building’s past life as well as their enthusiasm for its new life to come.
Historic significance
The home was constructed in 1833 as the private residence of Judge John Reed, who introduced law courses to Dickinson and held law classes in the basement. George Reed—no relation--purchased the building at the start of his Dickinson presidency (1889) and later sold it to the college as a place to house future presidents.
The building had already served that role for well over a century by the time the Durdens moved in. Fourteen years later, they turned in their keys and moved back to their home in Baltimore with plenty of fond memories in tow. Topping that list: The many holiday parties they’d hosted there for the entire college community and dinners that brought students together with alumni and college leaders. The Durdens also fondly recall post-graduation luncheons for trustees and honorary-degree recipients, backyard gatherings for new faculty and visits with award-winners and other distinguished guests.
Stellfox Award recipients Edward Albee and Ian McEwan stayed in the residence during the Durdens’ time there—Bill particularly recalls a fascinating breakfast conversation with Albee--and a brief visit by William Rehnquist, former chief justice of the United States. More notable houseguests included faculty and students from the Middle East and Africa, who’d come to Dickinson to learn about principles of democracy through a post-9/11, grant-funded program.
Sparking new life
Back then, the Historic President’s House was, simply, the President’s House. The “historic” descriptor was added in 2017, when Dickinson purchased a smaller, more modern home for its current and future presidents. Because of the building’s rich history and its prime location at the edge of the college campus, forming a point of connection between the campus and historic downtown, the house and grounds remained an important landmark. The idea to transform it into an alumni center was first broached in a Revolutionary Challenge proposal led by Professor of Political Science Jim Hoefler, with the support of numerous alumni and students. The idea evolved into plans for an alumni & family center, funded and maintained entirely through donations.
President John E. Jones '77, P'11, speaks during a September 2022 groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future Paz Alumni & Family Center. Photo by Dan Loh.
An establishing gift from John M. Paz ‘78 has made it possible, with leadership gifts by the Durdens, Jim ’78 and Neicy Chambers, Doug ’80 and Terri Pauls, George Hager ’78, Sam Rose ’58, John ‘60 and Ann Conser Curley ’63, Julie Alexander ’80 and Bill Oldsey and Lon ’71 and Denise Haines.
Each selected an area of the building or grounds to help renovate. The Durdens chose to fund the $550K renovation of the reception area and main hallway, where guests typically congregated at the start of special events, such as the annual holiday celebrations.
“Those events brought the entire campus together. They were definitely highlights of our time there,” said Bill.
Connecting across time
Prior to the groundbreaking ceremony, the Durdens ducked into the kitchen of their former residence for a quick cup of water and a peek at the not-yet-renovated home. Then, they joined the audience on the lawn of the house, smiling broadly and joining in the cheers as the speakers took the podium.
The alumni center is far from the only project that the Durdens support through Dickinson, and far from the only project that holds personal significance for them. The couple also supports Dickinson’s Campaign for Scholarships; student research abroad; study abroad in Bremen, Germany; German visiting-scholar, writer and artist programs; and faculty development—initiatives and programs that honor and reflect his experiences as a scholarship student who studied abroad through Dickinson, their scholarship and experiences in German language and culture and her work as a German professor at Dickinson.
The alumni & family center may be even more resonant for this couple, as it will create a visible throughline from Dickinson’s storied past to their own place in the college’s history and far beyond.
“Everything in life evolves,” Elke acknowledged, “and we want the spirit of the place to keep going, so we certainly want the house to live on in whatever form is best for the college. We are gratified to know that the center will be a warm and welcoming place, inside and outside, where alumni, students and families can gather and connect, year after year--in person and through technology.”
Bill nodded. “It’s a manifestation and continuation of the kind of lifelong connection that’s found among Dickinsonians,” he added. “We also see the center as a powerful way of signaling the college’s sense of history--its sense of itself.”
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Published October 12, 2022