College of Wooster receives $6 million leadership gift
Doon Foster, left, Class of 1980 and a College of Wooster trustee, and her husband John Foster have donated $6 million toward enriching residential excellence on campus.
The College of Wooster recently received a leadership gift of $6 million from Trustee Doon Foster, ’80, and her husband John toward enriching residential excellence on campus. Their gift will provide support for the renovation of Otelia Compton Hall, one of the college’s most historic residence halls.
“We are incredibly grateful to Doon and John Foster for their unwavering support of The College of Wooster,” President Anne McCall said. “Their leadership and commitment inspire us to aim higher still in our goals for our students’ lived experience on campus. With their help, we will ensure Compton Hall continues to be a place where students thrive while also setting the stage for the next phase of campus transformation.”
The first $5 million of the Fosters’ gift supports the restoration of Compton to its original beauty while incorporating modern amenities for future generations of students.
“John and I are delighted to be able to make a kickoff gift to spur the renovation of Compton Hall,” said Doon Foster, a trustee of the college for nearly 20 years and completed her degree in speech, now part of communication studies. “To bring this iconic building into the 21st century with new features and improved infrastructure, an accessible elevator, and air-conditioning is an exciting glimpse at the future of the college. We are thrilled with the plans and possibilities that this gift can unlock.”
Compton Hall will be the next in a series of construction, renovation and updates in the college’s residence halls. These include Andrews, Brush, Stevenson, Armington, Gault Schoolhouse and the completely renovated Douglass Hall, reopening in fall 2025 and featuring refreshed programmatic and community areas, an accessible entrance and elevator, new music practice rooms, air-conditioning, and increased residential capacity in the form of all new living suites on the fourth floor.
The Foster family’s commitment to the student experience also creates the path to extend this progression by providing an additional $1 million to fund an architectural study for the college’s largest residence, Holden Hall, built in 1907. By allocating a portion of their $6 million gift, the Fosters pave the way for Wooster to move forward with this project.
“As a home to so many of Wooster’s students, we know Holden Hall is a large and complex project for the college that requires concentrated planning and considerations,” John Foster said. “It’s meaningful for us to be able to provide funding that will build the foundation for the renovation’s successful progress and outcome.”