Majestic Endowment Campaign Tops $5 Million Goal

Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater celebrated its 94th birthday on Thursday, Nov. 14 with the announcement that its Centennial Endowment Campaign had raised $5.3 million. The campaign went over the top when the theater received three additional gifts including a $1 million estate provision from a local couple who wish to remain anonymous. The $5 million campaign was launched on the theater's 90th birthday in 2015 to raise dedicated funds to bring in bigger stars, and expand the diversity of its world-class programming in music, dance, theater, and film.

"My heart is full of gratitude for the generous support of more than 200 community donors who have contributed to our campaign," beamed Jeffrey Gabel, the Majestic's Founding Executive Director. "Our loyal patrons truly value how the 2004-05 restoration and expansion of the Majestic has transformed the cultural life of downtown Gettysburg, and they want to assure its programming remains relevant and vibrant for generations to come."

The Majestic Theater endowment is invested as a separate fund within Gettysburg College's pooled endowment, and is managed under the stewardship of the College's Board of Trustees. The endowment will provide perpetual, and eventually, significant financial resources to enhance the Majestic's programming.

Assisting Gabel in the four-year fundraising campaign was Jean LeGros, a long-time Gettysburg resident and retired development officer at the Gettysburg College who had staffed the original $16.5 million capital campaign. "It was my joy and privilege to work with donors from our community and Gettysburg College alumni to establish the Centennial Endowment Fund for our beloved Majestic," said LeGros.

The campaign was wisely advised and generously supported by community leaders who served on the Majestic's Centennial Endowment Committee including Betsy Diehl, Suzanne Flynn, Wayne Hill, Daniel Konstalid, Wayne Lau, David LeVan, Bill and Sharon Monahan, Dr. Cleveland Null, Julie Ramsey, Danny Sebright, David Sites, Dora Townsend, and Tonya White. "The Centennial Endowment Committee did an outstanding job sharing their passion for this community treasure, and inspiring incredible generosity," enthused Betsy Diehl, Interim Vice President of Development, Alumni and Parent Relations at Gettysburg College. "Thanks to this visionary leadership and philanthropy, the Majestic will continue to play a starring role in the community for generations to come."

Gabel is the Immediate Past Chairman of the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) which has some 350-member theaters across the United States who are dedicated to saving, renovating and operating historic theatres from towns even smaller than Gettysburg, all the way to legendary theaters on Broadway. "Over the years, dozens of my LHAT colleagues have visited Gettysburg and toured the Majestic," Gabel proudly recalls. "They universally salute the Majestic as 'a national model for small town theaters' because of the beauty of its architectural restoration, the quality and diversity of our programming in all three theaters, no mortgage, and the unique partnership between the college and the community."

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