Jim and Shirley Bartlett Honored at Groundbreaking

In a ceremony on June 10, WPI honored James L. Bartlett Jr. '39 and his wife, Shirley, whose generosity will enable the university to implement the first element of its new campus master plan by building a two-story, 15,000-square-foot home for the Admissions and Financial Aid offices. The Bartletts joined retiring WPI President Edward Alton Parrish, William Marshall, chairman of the WPI Board of Trustees, and Judith Nitsch '75, chair of the trustees' Physical Facilities Committee, in turning over the first shovelfuls of earth at the location of the new building, a site that is now a parking area between the Quadrangle and Beech Tree Circle.

To be known as the Bartlett Center, the building will include a spacious reception area, interview rooms, a 42-seat multimedia presentation room, and offices for staff. "This new building will dramatically change the campus visit experience for prospective students and their families," notes Kevin Kelly, associate vice president of enrollment management.

The building will also serve as a catalyst for the campus master plan vision of making the Quadrangle a more open and greener pedestrian space. The goal is to eventually remove parking from the central campus, except for spaces dedicated for handicapped access to the Quad and for visitors to the new building. The master plan, completed last winter after two years of design and discussion, will guide the development of the WPI campus over the next two decades.

Jim Bartlett holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and received an honorary doctorate in engineering from WPI in 1998. He is an accomplished entrepreneur who has founded six companies in a wide range of technical fields. With an abiding affection for WPI, the Bartletts have generously supported the university and its students for many years.

"The Bartletts are leaving a profound and lasting legacy on the WPI campus," Parrish said. "Their generosity will touch countless thousands of future WPI students and families, whose first introduction to campus will be through the building that bears their name. We are extremely grateful for their far-reaching contribution."

transformations@wpi.edu
Maintained by: webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: Sep 13, 2004, 10:48 EDT