Marietta College trustee and his wife commit $55 million, the largest gift in its history

Marietta College trustee Joe Chlapaty and his wife, Linda, are giving the Ohio college $55 million, the largest single philanthropic commitment in its history, the college announced on October 16.

President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty announced the gift at her State of the College address. It coincides with the public launch of The Campaign for Marietta College: More History to Make. We found no independent news coverage beyond the college's announcement; Inside Philanthropy's October 19 roundup summarized it.

What will the $55 million build?

The gift pays for a new graduate health sciences building and the renovation of three first-year residence halls. The college said the building will include classrooms, laboratories, simulation spaces and collaborative learning areas, and will launch new graduate programs for high-demand health care professions.

The residence halls are Marietta Hall (completed in 1965), Elsie Newton Hall (1957) and Mary Beach Hall (1959). The announcement did not give construction dates, a cost split between the projects or a payment schedule.

Who are the Chlapatys?

The couple first came to Marietta through their son, a 1997 graduate, and Joe Chlapaty later joined the board of trustees. The new commitment is far larger than their last one: in August 2025 the college announced a $4 million gift from the couple as it unveiled the strategic plan that the campaign now supports.

What does the campaign look like?

The college's announcement does not state a campaign goal. It says Marietta raised $16.1 million in philanthropic support in fiscal 2025 and more than $19.3 million in fiscal 2026. Those are college-wide totals; the announcement does not say how much of them came from the Chlapatys. The new $55 million is close to three times the fiscal 2026 total.

What did the college and the donors say?

"Linda and I believe deeply in Marietta College and the human-centered education it provides," Joe Chlapaty said in the announcement. Dougherty said the commitment "fundamentally changes what is possible for Marietta College." Jim Wilson, chair of the board of trustees and a 1969 graduate, said it "reflects extraordinary confidence in Marietta College and in the direction of its leadership."

What boards can take from it

In our view, a trustee's gift can set the pace for a campaign, but it also concentrates a small college's plans in one family's hands. A board launching a campaign around a gift like this can ask how it is documented, when it will be paid, and how new and renovated buildings will be maintained after the ribbon cutting. We have not seen the gift agreement. For another small collegeFor another small college's record gift, see#x27;s record gift, see Albion College's $10 million unrestricted gift.