Meredith College announces $3.5 million gift

Meredith College announced a $3.5 million gift Thursday, the largest in the school’s history.

The donation from Jud Ammons of Raleigh and his family honors his late wife, Jo Ellen Ammons, a Meredith alumna. The money will be used to renovate Johnson Hall and add a welcome center to the building.

The Jo Ellen Ammons Welcome Center will house admissions, financial assistance, the registrar and the business office, serving as a first stop for many visitors to Meredith.

Johnson Hall is the large domed building at Meredith, a focal point of the campus. Besides the new Welcome Center, the building will get a new copper dome. Its staircase will be moved to create a view from the front entrance through the Rotunda to the courtyard. Renovations could be finished by the summer of next year, when Meredith will celebrate its 125th anniversary.

Ammons received a degree in religion from Meredith in 1957 and served four terms on the Board of Trustees. She received the Meredith College Alumnae Philanthropy Award in 1997.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Meredith College announces $3.5 million gift."