News Release

Ohio Wesleyan Graduate Leaves $1 Million Gift to University
Bequest from Alice Klund Levy to Support Stuyvesant Hall Renovation

October 13, 2009

Stuyvesant Hall

Photo courtesy of OWU’s Office of Marketing and Communication

Among the women who lived in the new residence hall was Alice Klund, a senior selected to serve as a resident adviser. Issues faced by the all-female facility included how to effectively enforce the 10:30 p.m. lights-out curfew and whether high-heels should be banned indoors because of the echoes they created in the spacious living quarters.

Alice Klund Levy, 98, never forgot her time at Ohio Wesleyan and, upon her death, she and her late husband, Harold P. Levy, capped off a lifetime of giving to her alma mater with an estate gift of more than $1 million. Alice Levy died in October 2008, and Harold Levy died in August 1989.

Though the couple did not stipulate how their gift be used, the university has chosen to honor Alice Levy by using the bequest as the first principal gift to support the renovation of Stuyvesant Hall, which today houses both male and female Ohio Wesleyan students.

“I am always moved by the generosity of our alumni and their families, and pleased that their time at Ohio Wesleyan holds such a special place in their hearts,” said Rock Jones, Ph.D., university president. “Thanks to the generosity of Alice and Harold Levy, we’re on our way to restoring one of the most beautiful and historically significant buildings on our campus.”

Planning for the renovation of Stuyvesant Hall—one of 11 campus buildings on the National Register—began earlier this year. The total cost is not known yet, but the university anticipates needing between $10 million and $12 million in philanthropic support for the restoration. Work will include updating plumbing and heating, as well as renovating student rooms, replacing the roof, and restoring the building’s signature bell tower.

During her time at Ohio Wesleyan, Alice Levy majored in both politics and government and French. She minored in sociology/anthropology, earning her degree in 1932. She and her husband lived much of their life in Southern California. In addition to their bequest, the couple also supported Ohio Wesleyan through the Alice Klund Levy and Harold P. Levy President’s Club Endowment.

Ohio Wesleyan University is an undergraduate liberal arts college that transforms the lives of its students through a combination of rigorous academics, mentoring relationships, and real-world experiences. Featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” the private university’s 1,850 students come from 45 states and 39 countries. Visit www.owu.edu for more information.