Liechty-Taber building adds campus beauty

Giving back to one’s country, making a donation in a family member’s memory or simply because there’s a need, is one of the most selfless actions anyone can make.

During the season of giving we are made aware of Jamestown residents who have given so much for so many yet have received little in the area of kudos or praise. Any time a person needs to go to the west entry of Jamestown College administration building, (formerly known simply as Taber Hall), the journey now takes the visitor through a beautiful facade that opens onto a bilevel set of stairs and through several floors of updates and modernity that saved the traditional beauty of old wood finishes and fine architectural detail.

An elevator allows those who cannot walk up the steps access to the upper floors. It is tasteful and vitally important for physically challenged individuals. Retrofitting and additions such as those are costly. Few colleges have money sitting around without purpose, so many fine old campus stay fine old campuses.

Jamestown College, thanks to donors like Ruben and Clarice Liechty, is among the fine old campuses that have altered some of those historic structures to allow barrier-free access across the quadrangle. Some universities and colleges raze their old buildings and start over. For a campus with such a rich history in its building, such as Jamestown College, it’s a symbol of that rich tradition to save the historic buildings and retrofit even several stories of a building in order that modern conveniences can be added.

Over the years, trustees and caring donors have made changes that benefit the many, while they themselves step back and are happy to see it being used as planned. Anyone can see that love and care all over the campus, and in fact, across Jamestown itself.

Wherever there’s a plaque with a donor’s name on it, that person has selflessly given so that many others can benefit. Whether grand or small, donations to one’s own city, a local institution of higher learning, a church, a park, an art organization, Humane Society, library, or any other facility open to the public, speaks highly of the quality of life in that area, because someone cares enough to “do” and not just talk. We live in such an area.

The generosity of local donors has helped shape the green space now owned by the Arts Center, and formerly known as the Orlady building (prior to a fire that leveled it). It’s a lovely garden. The Humane Society would not be so well situated were it not for Gordon and Charlotte Hansen, whose generosity is spread throughout the JC campus and city.

Rosemary Reiland funded the beautiful Reiland Fine Arts Center and Prentice Hall would not be on campus but for the concern of Jamestown’s own Keith and Edith Prentice. We need to always remember and thank these local people for helping to make the areas we live and work, more convenient and places of beauty. Their generosity is an inspiration for all of us to make sure we provide for improvements where we live, long before we leave.

If you have an item for this column, send to Sharon Cox, PO Box 1559, James-town, ND 58402-1559.

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