On November 4, Dartmouth College announced the construction of Alumnae Hall, a new residence facility set to house 95 upperclass students and funded entirely by donations from women graduates. The project represents a key milestone in President Sian Leah Beilock’s campus housing initiative, which aims to build 1,000 new beds for students, faculty, and staff by 2033.
Alumnae Hall will be located on West Wheelock Street, connecting directly to Shonda Rhimes Hall, and forming a new western entry point to campus. Alongside the residence hall, the College also plans to develop a four-acre Riverfront Park that will include walking paths, an accessible waterfront, landscaped greens, and a new granite Dartmouth welcome sign.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and be completed in time for the 2028–29 academic year. The building will include three- and four-bedroom apartment-style units with kitchens, private bedrooms, and shared cooking and patio spaces. It will also feature a treehouse reading room overlooking the Connecticut River. In line with Dartmouth’s institutional sustainability goals, the facility will meet high-performance energy-efficiency standards, contributing to the College’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The hall is named in honor of Dartmouth’s more than 35,000 women graduates and is being funded by $27 million in donations from 27 alumnae, each contributing $1 million. According to a Dartmouth press release, the naming acknowledges both the global impact of alumnae leadership and their service to the College. Trustee Liz Cahill Lempres ’83 TH’84 publicly introduced the project in Hanover, highlighting it as the first residence hall in Dartmouth’s history to be both named and financed entirely by women.
“This gift reflects a growing shift in higher education philanthropy, where women are taking the lead,” said Lempres. “We’re seeing alumnae shape the future of Dartmouth in meaningful ways.” The fundraising campaign for Alumnae Hall remains open to additional alumnae donors.
The announcement received positive responses from students on campus. Clara Schreibman ’27 said the project reflects progress toward female representation at Dartmouth, which began admitting women in 1972. “It’s a great step in inclusivity and in helping women feel more included and represented,” she said.
Mikaela Browning ’26 called the initiative inspiring. “It’s incredible that we have gotten to a point that we can have a collection of female alumni donate,” she said. Reah Donohue ’26 echoed the sentiment, saying it’s “awesome” to see women supporting Dartmouth’s growth. “It’s super awesome that Dartmouth is taking us seriously,” she added.
President Beilock, the first woman to lead the College, emphasized the central role of housing in campus life. “Housing is the key to enhancing so many parts of the Dartmouth educational experience and is core to the community we make here,” she wrote in the announcement. The president has also announced plans to expand ROTC and veteran support at Dartmouth. “I am moved to see Dartmouth alumnae leaders come together through an innovative approach like this.”
Alumnae Hall is the fourth new dormitory announced along West Wheelock Street since 2024, following the Class of 1989 Hall, Shonda Rhimes Hall, and Russo Hall. Together, these developments mark a significant step in the College’s broader effort to address long-standing housing shortages and provide updated living spaces for students.
As construction plans move forward, the alumnae-led funding of the new hall stands out as both a practical response to growth and a symbolic gesture of recognition. With Alumnae Hall, women donors are not only shaping Dartmouth’s built environment but also leaving a lasting mark on the institution’s evolving identity.
