Franklin College receives record $15M gift to create Charles B. Staff Center for business and pre‑law

Franklin College announced on 2026-10-05 that it received a $15 million donation from Virginia Staff Shannon, Class of 1945, to construct the Charles B. Staff Center. The school describes the center as a two‑story building that will carry the Charles B. Staff name for both the School of Business and the pre‑law studies program and will include classrooms, offices, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, a mock courtroom, a trading lab, a small auditorium and a covered patio. The college says the gift is the largest in its history and that renderings are available on the announcement page.

The college framed the gift as part of Franklin Forward: The Campaign for Franklin College, a five‑year campaign running through 2028-06-30. The announcement also noted recent campus additions and projects — including the Johnson Memorial Health Athletic Annex, the Center for Tech Innovation and work to transform the school’s oldest gymnasium into the Elwood Fitness Center — and listed new academic offerings and a multi‑year rise in new student enrollment.

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