Smittcamp legacy takes shape on campus

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Perhaps never before has one family created such a swift and meaningful legacy on the Fresno State campus as the Earl and Muriel Smittcamp family. Rapidly taking form are two landmark projects - the Smittcamp Family Honors College and the Smittcamp Alumni House - which excite no one more than the donors.

"To get a project of this magnitude under way in two years makes me delighted," said Earl Smittcamp. "I'm also pleased to see that other people are donating."

"Major gifts are always important to the campus, but the Smittcamp family gift is transformational," said Dr. Peter Smits, vice president for university advancement. "It will change the face of the campus forever. Not only will the Alumni House change the physical appearance of campus, but the Honors College will change the academic face of the campus in ways that we are only beginning to realize."

With a gift of $2 million to the university in October 1997 and another $1 million several months ago, the Smittcamps have made possible the long-discussed honors college and the much-needed alumni house.

Less than two years from the initial Smittcamp gift, both projects are far out of the planning stages and becoming a reality.

The Honors College will welcome its first President's Scholars this fall, with 50 high-achieving students already accepting an offer of admission. Providing the advantages of a small liberal arts college within the resources of a major university, the Honors College will award full tuition and an annual $200 book allowance to honors students.

Meanwhile, Alumni House construction already has reached the second floor, and move-in is scheduled for January. Located in front of the Allergy Free garden, near Shaw and Maple, the Alumni House will feature conference rooms, a library, Alumni Association offices, and a visitor's center that will provide maps and information to the public.

Both Smittcamps, and all four of their children, are Fresno State graduates.