Despite the long hours many students have spent in Tutt Library over the years, the building itself is not remembered as warmly as the camaraderie fostered there.

“Tutt was our go-to place when we needed to crank out work,” says Laura Jenney Roe ’91, who is serving on her class’s 25th reunion committee. “It was our sole resource for academic research, and it provided a shared space for collaborative endeavors. Who can forget the endless slabs of concrete, the crowded tables, the lack of sunlight, the lifeless décor, or that creepy tunnel?” asks Roe.

Alumni reunion committees have established class giving goals and pledged their support in honor of their reunions, which took place during Homecoming in October. When Roe and her classmates discovered they could play a role funding the renovation of Tutt Library to create CC’s library for the future they stepped forward. By creating the Class of 1991 25th Reunion Library Renovation Fund and asking classmates to contribute to it, the class is bringing the library renovation, which began in May 2016, to life.

When completed, the renovated library will boast more than twice as many seats, seamlessly infuse technology throughout the building and in areas of special focus, provide collaborative and individual study spaces, and will include a full-service café. The new library, which is being designed and modeled as a Zero-Carbon Building, is expected to open in Fall 2017. The building will produce zero annual net carbon emissions with zero net energy consumption.

“Tutt’s metamorphosis will provide Colorado College with a facility uniquely designed to meet the needs of the Block Plan itself,” says Roe. “The Class of 1991’s gift to the renovation will be a token of our appreciation of our shared experiences at Colorado College.”

By Dec. 31, 2016, the Class of 1991 raised $504,518, exceeding its goal of $500,000 and is currently considering options for naming a space within the renovated library.

1991 Class Gift
Class Gift Goal: $500,000
Class Gift Progress: $504,518
Participation Goal: 25% or 125 donors
Participation Progress: 30% or 148 donors*
*as of 12/31/16