SUNY Potsdam to Dedicate Lougheed Learning Commons

The State University of New York at Potsdam will officially dedicate the College’s academic hub as the Lougheed Learning Commons, in a ceremony to be held on Friday, May 4 at 3 p.m., in the Academic Quad.

SUNY Potsdam will honor Donald (Hon. ’54) and Kathryn Kofoed Lougheed ’54 in a special ceremony during the LoKo Arts Festival, which the couple founded at the College in 2012.

The Lougheeds recently pledged a historic gift commitment of $5.25 million to support applied learning initiatives at SUNY Potsdam—the largest donation the College has ever received. In recognition of the Lougheeds’ unmatched generosity and unwavering support, the SUNY Board of Trustees and the SUNY Potsdam College Council both voted in November 2017 to name the Lougheed Learning Commons after the couple.

“SUNY Potsdam will be forever changed for the better, thanks to the generosity and vision of Don and Kathy Lougheed. Their extraordinary gift will ensure that applied learning is woven throughout the student experience at SUNY Potsdam, by tripling the amount of donor funds available to the Center for Applied Learning and nearly tripling the amount of campus funding available for faculty and curricular development in support of applied learning. Words can’t fully express how grateful we are to the Lougheeds for their friendship and depth of support,” said President Dr. Kristin G. Esterberg.

Crews recently posted large new contemporary signs on both sides of the building, reflecting its new name and the changing focus of the facility, as it has become over the years an academic crossroads for the campus.

The Frederick W. Crumb Memorial Library, housed on the second floor of the building, will maintain its name. Crumb Library is named in honor of the College’s eighth, and longest-serving, president. Campus history displays honoring Dr. Crumb and his legacy will also be unveiled during the festivities.

Dr. Crumb’s son, Peter Crumb ’64, said: “The establishment of the Lougheed Learning Commons reflects my father’s philosophy as president of SUNY Potsdam. He wanted the library to be the heart of the campus, and he believed the students should show the administrators what they need. Renaming the building does both of those things, keeping the Frederick W. Crumb Memorial Library inside the evolved heart of a campus center dedicated to student service—the Lougheed Learning Commons. As an educator from a family of educators, I’m also thrilled by the opportunities SUNY Potsdam’s faculty will be afforded by this gift.”

The Center for Applied Learning—located on the first floor of the facility—is now set to become the Donald and Kathryn Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, also in honor of the donors’ support.

In addition to Crumb Library and the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, the Lougheed Learning Commons is also home to the Center for Creative Instruction, the College Makerspace, the Honors Lounge and Minerva’s Café.

About the gift:

The Lougheeds’ new gift includes $3.12 million in an outright cash donation, plus a $2.13 million bequest, which has been codified in their estate plans. Their initial cash donation represents the largest outright gift received from a living individual in the past five years among all 13 SUNY comprehensive colleges. In order to impact the greatest number of students and contribute to the transformation of the College’s curriculum, the gift will be used to support faculty and staff activities that improve their ability to facilitate student participation in high impact and applied learning activities. Funds will also be used to directly support students’ involvement in activities that allow students to apply theoretical learning outside the classroom environment, such as internships, national and international study abroad opportunities, student research, field experiences, creative projects, service learning and entrepreneurship.

The new gift commitment is in addition to the Lougheeds’ previous giving to the College. Prior to their applied learning gift, they have donated a total of $2.3 million in support of scholarships and the Lougheed-Kofoed Festival of the Arts—better known as the LoKo Arts Festival—which they established in 2012.

About the donors:

Kathryn Kofoed Lougheed ’54 graduated from The Crane School of Music with a degree in music education, just as the new campus was being built. She went on to teach elementary and junior high vocal music in Greenwich, Conn., and Bryan, Texas, and later worked as a private piano teacher and assisted her husband with his growing business. Kathy volunteered as a docent for 28 years at the Blanton Museum of Art, located at The University of Texas at Austin, where she conducted tours of the exhibits for both adults and children, resulting in her receiving an excellent education in art history. Kathy was also a docent for the Austin Lyric Opera, and spent time visiting schools to teach children about operatic works in conjunction with educational performances.

Donald Lougheed (Hon. ’54) left Columbia University after three years to join the U.S. Air Force, where he became a flight instructor in propeller and early jet aircraft during the Korean War. After Don completed his military service, the couple settled first in Rochester, N.Y., where they raised their children, Scott and Alison, and in 1963, began a successful career building automobile and recreational vehicle dealerships in New York. During this time, Don became a founding member of the National RV Dealer Association and served as its president and later as chairman of the board. After moving to Texas, Don built three of the largest RV dealerships in the United States, in addition to developing several mobile home and RV parks. In retirement, Don enjoys building his antique car collection.

Kathy and Don divide their time between their summer home in Northville, N.Y., and spend winters at home in Austin, Texas. Since establishing the Lougheed-Kofoed (LoKo) Festival of the Arts in 2012, they have gone on to become the largest donors in SUNY Potsdam history. In recognition of his dedication, Don was named an honorary member of his wife’s Class of 1954 during Reunion Weekend 2013, and the couple was presented with the Distinguished Service Award from the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association in 2016.

For more information about the Lougheed Learning Commons at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/learningcommons.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.