$10M Commitment Names Fieldhouse, Honors President Quillen鈥檚 Leadership

April 6, 2022

When Richard (鈥淩ick鈥) Halton 鈥77 and his husband Jean-Marc Frailong made a $25 million commitment to Davidson in their estate plans, the couple was interested in supporting scholarships and other initiatives that would benefit from their transformational generosity.

Those interests remain, but after a recent conversation with President Carol Quillen and a deeper dive into campus initiatives, Halton and Frailong have decided to commit $10 million of the planned gift to the college鈥檚 athletics facilities project,

This gift will name the Game Changers Fieldhouse, in honor of Quillen鈥檚 11 years of leadership at Davidson, including the wildly successful Game Changers: Inspiring Leaders to Transform the World campaign that raised more than $555 million for the college.

鈥淪ports have never been my thing, really, but I am inspired by all Carol has accomplished at Davidson and her vision for the college鈥檚 future,鈥 Halton said. 鈥淭hrough our conversation, I understand better now the important role athletics plays on campus and what our scholar-athletes contribute, both as students and as alums. Exceptional athletics facilities mean we can recruit even more of these talented students, who might be looking elsewhere, to Davidson.鈥

Halton looked elsewhere and ultimately chose Davidson over a host of other top institutions. While he is grateful for what he learned at Davidson, he says the college was a very different place 45 years ago. He is proud of the ways in which Davidson has changed and how the college prepares students for the world they are entering today.

鈥淐arol鈥檚 many contributions will continue to shape Davidson after her presidency,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hese new facilities will be a great addition as they welcome all the devoted alums who come to campus to cheer on the Wildcats.鈥

The fieldhouse is part of an overall facilities project that includes a new stadium for football and lacrosse, a track and field complex and more. The project has raised nearly $38 million toward a $49.5 million goal, and construction could begin as early as this summer.

One of the spaces within the Game Changers Fieldhouse will be Gallery 18, which also honors Quillen鈥檚 leadership as the college鈥檚 18th president. This multi-use room will serve as a hospitality, classroom and meeting space that will highlight the many non-athletic accomplishments of the college鈥檚 exceptional scholar-athletes. Quillen has been a steadfast champion for doing athletics right, as students pursue excellence on the field, court or pool, while achieving excellence in the classroom.

3d mockup of a room with wooden floors, tables and chairs, two black screens, and people sitting around talking

Gallery 18, named in honor of President Carol Quillen, will be a multi-use space for athletic and other gatherings, including classes.

To date, more than $3 million has been raised for Gallery 18, including leadership support from Sonoko and David Barnard 鈥79, Pam and David Sprinkle 鈥66 and Cheryle and Joel Williamson 鈥67. David, David and Joel serve as members of the Board of Trustees.

To learn more about contributing to the overall facilities project or to Gallery 18, specifically, contact Brandon McCladdie, director of athletic development, at bmccladdie@davidson.edu or 704-894-2657.