Alumna Virginia Phillippi Longmire ‘55 made a $150,000 commitment during the Where We STAND Matters campaign toward the restoration of the Battelle Fine Arts Center, the current home of Otterbein’s Department of Music.

“I am so happy that I have some resources to share in this way,” Longmire shared. “The restoration will dress up Battelle Fine Arts Center a bit and make it more compatible with other buildings in that part of campus. This campaign exemplifies what Otterbein has stood for over the years. It has never stepped back and become stagnant. It’s always been about being progressive.”

Built in 1929, Battelle Fine Arts Center long served as Otterbein’s gymnasium. It was converted into a music and arts center in 1979 thanks to a $1.4 million renovation project. The building has since hosted dance studios, art exhibitions, music recitals, lectures and special events. The restoration project, at an estimated cost of $400,000, called for the replacement of windows covered by aluminum panels since the energy crisis in the late 1970s. The work entailed treating Battelle’s exterior to make it more compatible with those of the Science Center and Roush Hall.

“Otterbein’s success in the academic arena makes me very proud to have been a student,” said Longmire. “The success stories I hear about many of the graduates really perk up my ears and I say, ‘I’m glad to be part of that, too.’”