Bates is embarking on a $45 million project to update two key athletic facilities and construct a new fitness and well-being center to serve the full campus community. With a major gift of $10 million from a couple who met at Bates, Jon W. Brayshaw ’90, P’25 and Jocelyn Stoddard Brayshaw ’88, P’25, the college is a vital step closer to that construction, and has a name for the new facility: the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center.
“Thanks to the wonderful generosity of Jon and Jocelyn Brayshaw, our goal of a new center to support our students as they pursue their personal health and fitness goals is within reach,” President Garry W. Jenkins said in a joint announcement with Vice President for Student Affairs Rosanna Ferro. “This facility will be transformative in strengthening Bates’ commitment to overall student well-being.”
While today marks the public announcement of the new facility, fundraising for the project has been underway for over 18 months and support has come from more than 50 leadership donors. With the Brayshaws’ gift, Bates is within $4 million of its fundraising goal of $31 million. The college is investing alongside its donors to renovate and update infrastructure in the beloved Alumni Gymnasium and the Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building, underscoring the importance of fitness and well-being to the entire Bates community.
An architectural rendering of the future Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center, designed by internationally acclaimed Sasaki Associates Inc., the same firm that gave Commons its distinctive look and created the vision for Alumni Walk. The new 8,500 square foot center will look out on Ladd Library Quad. (Rendering courtesy of Sasaki Associates Inc.)
“We have a holistic approach to engaging students around well-being and this new facility will allow us to elevate and celebrate that,” Ferro said.
The Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will double the amount of fitness space available to the campus community. Designed by internationally acclaimed Sasaki Associates Inc., the same architectural firm that gave Commons its distinctive look and created the vision for Alumni Walk, the new Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will bridge Alumni Gym and Gray Athletic Building. With its striking windows and expansive architecture, it will open up onto a dynamic and vibrant Ladd Library Quad in the heart of campus.
The Stoddard name is a tribute to Jocelyn’s parents, Donald and Judith Stoddard, who both died in 2021.
“For us, this gift is deeply personal,” Jon Brayshaw said. “Don and Judy taught us that true well-being comes from intentional living — nourishing the body, staying active, caring for one’s inner life, and making choices that honor long‑term health. Seeing their names associated with a space dedicated to fitness and holistic wellness feels like a natural extension of how they lived and what they valued most.”
Vice President for College Advancement Eric Foushée P’22, P’26 expressed deep gratitude to the Brayshaw family. “This gift puts us close to 90 percent of our goal to break ground on this exciting and much-needed project,” Foushée said. “I know the Bates community will join me in thanking the Brayshaws for this resounding commitment to the college’s future.”
“Athletics was at the center of our Bates experience,” Jon Brayshaw said. It’s how the couple met: “We were both part of a group of students that helped start the Bates College Rowing Association.” The Association has since transitioned to varsity status at the college, fielding some of the most successful men’s and women’s rowing teams in the country.
Even at that time, Jon and Jocelyn were conscious that Bates’ interest and belief in fitness and well-being was bigger than what the physical campus could support.
“Although most of our time was spent out on the water, we remember how challenging it was to find adequate facilities on campus for off-season or inclement weather workouts,” Jon Brayshaw said. “When we learned that the college was interested in building a facility to expand fitness and wellness offerings and to also modernize and enhance Alumni Gym, we both saw a great opportunity to address this longstanding challenge for Bates student-athletes and others who would benefit from greater access to state-of-the-art fitness facilities.”
A studio for activities such as yoga and pilates on the second floor of the future Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will look out on the Ladd Library Quad. The center will support students’ personal health, wellness, and fitness goals, allowing for improved workouts for all. (Rendering courtesy of Sasaki Associates Inc.)
In addition to Bates’ 31 varsity teams, there are many club and intramural athletes on campus, as well as many fitness, strength training, yoga, and pilates enthusiasts. Some may be students pursuing wellness activities for the first time in their lives. An average of 450 students use the Davis Fitness Center in Underhill Arena daily. “We’ve maxed out that space,” said Director of Capital Planning and Construction Chris Streifel. Factoring in faculty and staff, the number of Bates community members using these facilities potentially tops 2,600. “We’re more than ready for this additional facility,” Streifel said.
The hope is for a spring groundbreaking on May 1. “A gift like the Brayshaw family’s is truly a game-changer,” Foushée said. “At the same time, we know we have work to do to spread the word about the significance of this project and meet our critical fundraising goal.”
“This facility will be transformative in strengthening Bates’ commitment to overall student well-being.”
President Garry W. Jenkins
The scope of the project is considerable, encompassing improvements to Alumni Gym (originally opened in 1928) such as necessary infrastructure upgrades and renovations to lounges and other vital spaces. The restoration and reopening of a viewing balcony in Alumni Gym will enhance the vibrant atmosphere of this much-loved athletic facility. A new practice basketball court will be added to Gray Cage.
The project will provide new and newly renovated locker rooms for 11 teams: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s alpine skiing, women’s alpine skiing, men’s Nordic skiing, women’s Nordic skiing, men’s soccer, softball, and volleyball. There will also be a new space for sports medicine.
The Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will be home to new coaching offices and program spaces. The center will support students’ personal health, wellness, and fitness goals, allowing for improved workouts for all — from varsity and club athletes preparing for their next big competition to students integrating physical activity for balance in their lives. A breathtaking second-level studio for yoga and pilates will overlook Ladd Library Quad, and the facility will also be home to a number of spaces to support well-being.
Director of Athletics Stacey Bunting said the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center represents the physical embodiment of what she’s seen of Bates students’ passion for holistic well-being since she joined the college in July 2025.
“This facility will have a tremendous impact on the student-athlete experience, but its reach extends far beyond athletics,” Bunting said. “The Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center creates a modern, dedicated space where every student can define and prioritize their own well-being. That shared experience across the entire campus is what makes this project so powerful.”
To learn more about the vision for the project, and to view architectural renderings and videos, visit these pages. Individuals interested in furthering momentum for the project through additional philanthropic support are encouraged to contact Vice President for College Advancement Eric Foushée P’22, P’26 or Director of Leadership Giving Seth Williams.
Eric Foushée | efoushee@bates.edu | 207-755-5985
Seth Williams | swilliams2@bates.edu | 207-755-5988
