A new residence hall being built on the corner of Dean Nicholson Boulevard and Wildcat Way now has name following a $1.2 million donation made to the university from William “Owen” Dugmore, a former professor of psychology who passed in January.

This donation is reportedly the largest donation received by the university in recent years. Dugmore passed on January 17, 2018 and left CWU as the sole recipient of his estate.

“Professor Dugmore was a generous supporter of Central Washington University throughout his lifetime,” CWU President James Gaudino said in a press release. “He greatly cared about his students and believed he could learn as much from them as they could from him.

“Dugmore Hall,” the new hall, is currently being constructed on 9 acres of land where the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute once stood. Currently, fences and over a dozen construction vehicles rest on the land. Dugmore Hall, expected to open Fall 2019, is projected to cost $40 million and will house 402 students.

Dugmore’s donation will go towards financial support for scholarship endowments in the music and psychology departments. It will also assist funding for the counseling center.

Of the $1.2 million, $500,000 will be going towards music department scholarships, according to Nikolas Caoile, acting chair of the music department. Caoile said that Dumore’s donation will help ensure CWU’s music program retains its reputation for excellence.  

“We are grateful for any donation to the music department, but we are especially appreciative of this donation from Owen Dugmore’s estate,” Caoile said.

Professor of psychology and Department Chair Stephanie Stein said that the department is not currently aware of how much of the donation will be allocated to the psychology department, but that they will most likely be use it for scholarships, at his request.

“We know he cared very deeply about students and that’s where he’d want us to [use] it,” Stein said.

Stein also said that she knew Dugmore, was aware of his legacy on campus and was surprised when she heard about his donation.