Redlich Hall Dedication Marks Historic Moment in Residential Life
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PHOTOS BY WENDY CARLSON
cold drizzle didn’t put a damper on the Redlich Hall dedication ceremony, held on Bissell Common on Sept. 30. The new dormitory, which opened last summer, was made possible by Christopher R. Redlich Jr. ’68, whose contribution to fund the construction is the largest single gift in the history of the School. During the dedication, Board of Trustees President Jeannie Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18, expressed deep gratitude for Redlich’s generosity and vision for the future of residential life at Hotchkiss. “As a boarding school, our residential program is at the heart of a student’s experience,” Rose said. “And so revitalizing our residential program is one of our highest and most urgent priorities as a community. We are currently developing a new residential life curriculum, new training programs for dorm faculty, and new residential spaces for our students and faculty to live and grow together. The construction of Redlich Hall is both the centerpiece and the catalyst of all these vital initiatives.”
Redlich Hall joins Flinn and Edelman Halls on Bissell Common, newly renamed in honor of the School’s founder, Maria Bissell Hotchkiss. The 60-bed girls’ dormitory also contains four faculty residences, each dedicated to faculty members whom Redlich revered during his time at Hotchkiss: Richard Gurney, Dave and Sam Coughlin, Peter Beaumont, and Bob Hawkins. With its brick facade and white columns, Redlich’s design echoes the aesthetic of the other dormitories
on the Common, unifying that part of the School’s campus. Head of School Craig Bradley praised Redlich for his contribution to the mission of the School: to foster learning in community. “In his great wisdom, Chris expressly wanted to provide comfortable, welcoming, and purposeful faculty residences in Redlich Hall, residences that would accommodate growing faculty families and would allow for some of our most experienced and talented faculty to remain on dorm,” Bradley said. Three senior proctors — Elodie Marran, Sarah Engs, and Emilia Game — also participated in the dedication ceremony, reading an acrostic poem that captured their experience in Redlich. Following the proctors’ presentation, Chris Redlich, along with several friends and family members, cut the ceremonial ribbon in front of the main entryway. A plaque honoring Redlich hangs in the foyer, inscribed with his words: “Value those who can draw on the vast complexity of the world and come to revealing conclusions.”
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