October 6, 2015
On Saturday, October 3, Joel W. Johnson ’65 P ’93 and his wife, Beth Johnson P ’93, announced to The Spectator their donation of a leadership gift to build a new wellness center, replacing the Thomas B. Rudd Health Center. The proposed 12,000 square foot building, housing both medical and counseling services, is expected to be completed by 2017 or 2018.
Johnson, the chairman of the trustee Committee on Budget and Finance from 2002 to 2013 reflected, “the Rudd facility is outmoded, outdated. It was relatively new when I was here 50 years ago….It was a fine facility in its time…but its time has come and passed.” The new facility will alleviate a number of challenges posed by the current building.
Director of the Counseling Center David Walden explained some of these drawbacks to The Spectator. “We do not have dedicated group therapy rooms, our biofeedback room is located in a closet and we don't have enough space to accommodate all of our staff in the office at the same time.” Space constraints are exacerbated by increased demand, which the Counseling Center has seen swell by 82 percent in the past four years.
Lana Gura ’16, a student who has used the Counseling Center, commented on the importance of changing the location and set-up of services, saying, “the current location makes it unquestionable that students walking a certain pathway are headed to the counseling center, which may not be a comfortable reality for those dealing with the internalized stigma of seeking mental health services.”
The new facility, roughly double the square footage of Rudd, will be two stories with counseling services on the second floor. The services would have a common entrance. A number of other features have been proposed for the new building, including a space dedicated for Hamilton College Emergency Medical Services (HCEMS), a three-season screened relaxation garden on the second floor, and a two-story atrium to let in natural light. The plan is still in the schematic stages, however, and the final details are pending. No work has yet been done in designing the exterior of the building.
According to Beth Johnson, a psychologist, the design will “focus on peacefulness and healing and comfort and safety in the building.” She explained that the new facility will emphasize education, preventative care and overall well-being beyond just treatment.
The new facility will be built in a central part of campus, probably facing College Hill Road. The College is considering the current location of Root Farmhouse, set to be demolished this summer.
The Rudd Health Center, named for Hamilton’s thirteenth president, was constructed in 1959, a decade after his retirement. An addition was added in 1972. There are no plans yet for use of the Rudd building, and it may be demolished to improve restocking access for Soper Commons dining hall.
As a Spectator editorial suggested in 2012, “the limited staff and hours at the Health Center have long been a problem for our community.” There are no specific plans to expand hours or services. However, Joel Johnson explained that a larger number of examining rooms will allow more students to be seen at once and will allow them to be treated more efficiently.
Medical Director of Student Health Services Aimee Pearce was unable to be reached for comment.
Johnson, who was named the Jeff Little ’71 Volunteer of the Year by the Alumni Association this past weekend, declined to cite the amount of the donation, noting that a budget for the project has not yet been developed. He explained that the trustees’ goal is to build the new center without any debt.
Though he and his wife had originally considered funding the construction of a new residence hall, Johnson said, “what’s important to us is what’s important to the campus…and this is the most crying need right now.” They have made many other significant contributions to Hamilton including the J.W. Johnson Family Chair in Environmental Studies in 2007 and an endowed scholarship supporting four students this year.
President Joan Hinde Stewart said of the gift, “this will mean a great deal to our students, whom we’ll be able to serve better, which is, of course, what is most important.”
This comes just days after the announcement of the 2016 senior class gift, a donation to the Hamilton College Counseling Center, which The Spectator reported on Oct. 1.
Walden reflected on the two gifts, “let me just express how grateful all of us are to the Johnsons for their incredible generosity and to the Class of 2016 for giving voice to the needs of not just their fellow Seniors but to the whole student body. Both of these gifts are so amazingly thoughtful and demonstrate how everyone in the Hamilton community is committed to the well-being of our students.”