For more than 60 years, the Hopkins Center for the Arts (affectionately known as the Hop) has served as the heart of creativity at Dartmouth—a laboratory for music, theater, and dance—and a central social space for our community. The front page of The New York Times heralded the center's innovative approach to integrating the arts into the student experience when the Hop opened in 1962. The design intentionally created chance encounters for students to experience the arts by housing the mail room, serving as a walk-through to core areas on campus, and offering popular dining options. As such, the Hop became a beloved place for generations of students at Dartmouth and a powerful shared memory for our alumni. When Dartmouth began researching the approximately $90 million Hop renovation, it became evident that the alumni community had strong ties to the Hop mailroom, known as the “Hinman Mailroom,” which would be replaced as part of the renovation. For most of the Hop’s history, Dartmouth students were assigned a “Hinman Box,” where they received mail and care packages, and most alums still remember their lock combination. We responded by creating the Hinman Box campaign, in which alumni could make a nominal gift to the renovation and receive one of about 3,500 Hinman boxes as a stewardship gift. The response to the campaign was beyond expectation, with fundraising exceeding $260,000. More than 2,000 Hinman boxes were sent to alumni, who now have a treasured piece of Dartmouth’s history.
From the Judges
Creative campaign and great tie to the history of the school. Well executed overall!
