Hawken's New Urban Campus Opens Doors

An estimated eight hundred guests gathered on Sunday, August 29 to witness the opening of Hawken’s new urban campus, The Sally and Bob Gries Center for Experiential and Service Learning – the newest of 42 member institutions that comprise University Circle, Inc. Under sunny skies, the crowd gathered to honor Hawken’s past and celebrate its future, as the new extension campus brings Hawken back to its geographical roots in University Circle to fulfill the school’s mission of “forward focused preparation for the real world through the development of character and intellect.

The Grand Opening events began on Saturday evening with a private reception honoring Sally and Bob Gries and other major donors; the celebration continued on Sunday, beginning with a keynote address by Barbara Snyder, President of Case Western Reserve University. Following a proclamation by Chief of Education Monyka Price of Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson’s office, Sally and Bob Gries cut the ribbon, signaling the official opening of the doors to the Gries Center.

Outside, the atmosphere was celebratory: confetti filled the air and the crowd cheered amidst live music, carnival entertainers, and festive fare. Inside the beautifully renovated Gries Center, the tone was equally energizing but eminently more cerebral and academic. Visitors admired the carefully restored and preserved historical and architectural details of the house and engaged in conversation with faculty, students, and representatives from 39 University Circle partner institutions about current and future collaborative endeavors with Hawken students.

Head of School Scott Looney commented after the event, “Pride in Hawken is bursting at the seams. We owe it to the next generation to make this effort as exceptional as the promise it holds. I look forward to watching the ways in which our faculty's passion, dedication, and vision move this school to the forefront of independent schools throughout the country.”