Hannah Alumni House nears grand opening
September 25, 2025 — The transformation of a 107-year-old house into a place that will welcome alumni back to Grinnell College is nearing completion.
The Hannah Alumni House – located at 1527 Broad St. – will commemorate the exceptional legacy of Grinnell alumni while providing a warm, comfortable venue for events, meetings, and lodging. While generous alumni and donor support will bring the renovation close to completion in October, opportunities for investment and recognition remain available.
“There has not been a central location or meeting space for alumni as part of the campus landscape until now,” says Jessica Stewart, senior associate director of alumni and donor relations. “Hannah Alumni House creates this space, and it will be grounded in memories with the passion and accomplishments of the alumni community.”
Numerous exterior renovations were made to Hannah Alumni House in anticipation of its November opening.
The Hannah Alumni House dedication is planned for Thursday, Nov. 6 with a ribbon-cutting and community open house starting at 4:30 p.m. The house will be open for meetings, events, and guest room reservations starting in mid-November.
A $1 million gift from M.E. Hannah ’58, DL ’82 helped make the house renovations possible and led to the house naming. Hannah was a trailblazer in higher education, becoming the first female vice chancellor in the history of Minnesota State University System and first women to head a public 4-year campus in the state of Wisconsin. She also stayed active as an alumna serving in various volunteer roles.
Exterior renovations have taken place over the last year. For example, an ADA accessible ramp was added to the front and back of the house and the underlayment (the cover under the tile roof) is currently being replaced. With philanthropic support from Trustee Karmi Anna J. Mattson ’97, landscaping work also has taken place to transform the backyard from a private residential garden into an accessible and expansive event space.
Interior renovations aim to preserve the historic character and charm of the house while bringing in modern finishes to enhance guest comfort.
“It will be nice to have a place that’s really dedicated for alums where they can stay or hang out,” Mattson says. “I think of my time on the Alumni Council, when we spent a lot of time just hanging out at the Comfort Inn or the Country Inn because that’s where we all stayed. It’s more fun to be closer to campus, though, and be a part of the College experience.”
Extensive interior remodeling is also close to completion. On the first floor is a meeting room, accessible bathroom, living room, a three-season porch, dining room and kitchen. Upstairs are four guest bedrooms, bathrooms, and another guest lounge. Early investments from a handful of passionate alums have helped make these renovations possible.
Dick Metzler ’65 is one of the alums who has helped bring this project to life. He named the Metzler Family Lounge, a comfortable space on the second floor.
“The lounge honors the important role Grinnell has played in the Metzler family and celebrates the values of a liberal arts education and community service,” Metzler says. “It is the hope of our family that those who enter this space will enjoy vibrant conversation and peaceful reflection that calls them to lives of purpose and change-making.”
A refurbished bedroom upstairs in the Hannah House is ready for alumni stays.
Jayn Bailey Chaney ’05, assistant vice president of alumni and donor relations, is thankful for alums’ generosity in making gifts and donating items to make Hannah Alumni House a warm, inviting place for alumni to visit and relax when they return to Grinnell.
“We think it will be a special place, and we can’t wait to show the house off later this fall,” she says.
Once the renovations are complete, the final step is to fill the house with Grinnell relics and memories.
“It’s a beautiful, old house with a lot of great character that we, along with the designers, have lovingly enhanced,” Stewart says. “All of the fixtures and furniture have been chosen to bring out the beauty and charm of the existing space. And we’re collaborating with Archives to fill the space with beautiful relics of the student and alumni experience across time. I think people are going to be really excited about seeing it. It will shine as a space full of alumni accomplishments and alumni success.”
—by Jeremy Shapiro