Dickinson Hosts Ground-Blessing Ceremony for Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples
Ground Blessing image
New Facility to Provide a World-Class Home for CFNP and Samuel G. Rose ’58 Art Gallery
Dickinson held a ground-blessing ceremony at the future site of the Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples on Saturday, Nov. 8. Thanks to a $20 million gift from Samuel G. Rose ’58, this new facility will provide a world-class home for the college’s Center for the Futures of Native Peoples (CFNP) that will greatly enhance the center’s mission and expand its reach. The new building will also house the new Samuel G. Rose ’58 Art Gallery.
The Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples will serve as a premier educational resource and a global destination for those who wish to explore Indigenous studies and cultures. This initiative will bring the CFNP out of a smaller building and into the heart of the campus. Located between the Weiss Center for the Arts and the John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & Family Center, it will feature ample space for classrooms, art exhibitions, special programming and ceremonial gatherings. It also will be a site of deep meaning for Indigenous peoples and communities connected to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (CIIS).
Construction is scheduled to begin after the 2026 Commencement.
A rendering of the new Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples.
Learn more about the Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples and Rose's gift.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published November 13, 2025