Anonymous Donor Steps Forward with $1.35 Million Gift to Help Restore Belmont University

The following was submitted for publication on behalf of Notre Dame de Namur University:

Notre Dame de Namur University moved a giant step closer to meeting a $6 million challenge grant made by philanthropist Tad Taube to fund the restoration of Ralston Hall, a national historical landmark, on the NDNU campus when an anonymous donor made a $1.35 million gift to the university.

The donor, a former trustee, stipulated that the gift could be used for the restoration of Ralston Hall which was closed in 2012 for seismic retrofitting. It has been estimated that the total cost to seismically retrofit the mansion and restore it to full use for administration and classrooms, would be $20 million.

In November 2014, Philanthropist Tad Taube issued a challenge grant of $6 million to the university. The challenge required NDNU to raise a matching $6 million by the end of 2015, and Mr. Taube has also agreed to lead a campaign to raise the additional $8 million needed to complete the project. The $1.35 million anonymous gift, added to other funds raised since the announcement of the Taube Challenge brings the total challenge funds raised to $1.5 million, a quarter of what is needed to meet the Taube Challenge.

“I am more than pleased to see that the university has moved so rapidly to meet the challenge I made,” said Mr. Taube. “Ralston Hall played a significant role in the history and growth of San Francisco and the west, and deserves to be preserved both as a link with the past and as an important resource to the university and the community.”

Before its closure, Ralston Hall mansion had been the home of more than 60 faculty and staff offices and was the university’s major venue for musical performances, large meetings and conferences, as well as some community events. Built in 1868, Ralston Hall was the summer home of financier William Ralston, who used the mansion to entertain influential individuals who could contribute to the growth of California and the western part of the country. It became the home for then College of Notre Dame in 1923.

For more information about the Taube Challenge grant for Ralston Hall or to make a donation, contact: Dino Hernandez, Vice President for University Advancement, (650) 508 3512,dhernandez@ndnu.edu