Since he founded the Chimes Endowment Fund in 1990, Dave Walsh (C'58) has been a long and loyal – and highly valued - Library supporter. On a personal level, he has also been a mainstay of support, encouragement and inspiration for generations of Chimes. He is held in the highest esteem by many of his fellow Chimes and last fall, they came together to demonstrate their regard for him by making an extremely generous gift in his honor.
In late 2014, Dave was kind enough to make a significant gift to the Library that allowed us to kick-off fundraising to renovate Lauinger’s main reference area. University Librarian Artemis Kirk combined Dave’s gift with a number of other donations, and at the Library’s Board meeting on October 30, 2015, she announced that the Chimes had come together to raise the capstone gift of just over $400,000 to reach $1.2M (CHECK) and begin the project.
GU Library Board Chair, Tony Kerbs (C'73), joined with a core group of Chimes including Robert Flanagan (B'67), Peter Kelly (C'59), Paul Kelly (C'79) and Mark Ganz (C'83, L'86) to lead the ‘Chimes Challenge.’ This initial challenge was quickly met and surpassed - in less than six months. We are grateful to all!
With funding in hand, the reference area will be reconfigured to meet the needs of today’s users. It will be re-designed to provide consultation areas, group study rooms, soft seating and more. The new space will become The David J. Walsh Research Commons, made possible by the Georgetown Chimes. It is with enormous gratitude that the Library thanks Dave and the Chimes who honored him so enthusiastically. The Chimes’ support for the Library, which Dave Walsh has led by personal example, exemplifies the power in numbers and reflects the extraordinary bond and loyalty the Chimes have to each other, to the University and to the Library. This gift, their dedication, and Dave’s commitment, will truly benefit every student at the University ‘for generations to come.’