By Jordan Mann
Last Thursday February 18, Jim Miller, President and CEO of the Concordia University Chicago Foundation explained how funds to rehab Mary Martha north and to build a new dorm were being raised.
The function of the foundation is to raise money for the university, to honor the wishes of the donors and to invest the money properly. As Miller put it “some call it a three legged stool, one leg you’re raising it, the other is you’re managing it, and the third is you’re giving it away.”
This project started with the Trusheim family. Dr. H. Edwin Trusheim ’48 met his future bride Ruth (Campbell) ’51 while they were studying at Concordia. The Trusheim family offered a $750,000 challenge and will donate $750,000 to the university if another $1.25 million is donated by fellow alumni and friends for a total of $2 million. So far 80% of the goal has been met.
The two million dollars will be used to renovate Mary Martha north. Mary Martha Hall is two buildings. The north

building is the brown brick structure and the south building is the white brick structure. When the north building is refurbished, it will be renamed Trusheim Hall, and the south building will remain Mary Martha Hall. The new dorm will be built on the east side of the newly refurbished Trusheim Hall, just south of the Parking Structure.
The new dorm has not yet been named
“If someone steps up with a three million dollar gift they’ll have their name on it” said Miller.
The time table for the rehab and new building is: step one, hit the $2 million Trusheim challenge, step two, raise another $1.5 million for the new dorm. So, another $1.9 million needs to be raised. The balance will be covered by loans , a mortgage that will be paid by the dorm fees. It took about a year to raise the $1.6 million already in the bank.
Investment opportunities abound. Would you like to have your name immortalized forever at CUC?
The Lounge $250,000.00
Patio $100,000.00
Floor $100,000.00
Suite $50,000.00
Room $25,000.00
Your name could be one any of these.
Coming up next, details on the renovation of Mary Martha north (soon to be Trusheim Hall) and the new dorm.