Nichols family members to attend groundbreaking for new Miller Nichols Library and Learning Center

Officials at the University of Missouri-Kansas City are planning to announce a significant philanthropic gift to the university at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Miller Nichols Library and Learning Center.

Jeannette Nichols and Kay Nichols Callison are scheduled to attend the groundbreaking, scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at the library, 51st and Holmes streets in Kansas City. University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe and UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton are also scheduled to attend the event.

“This will be a campus resource like no other. This will be a place where students and community members will come for instruction and advice; where they can study and write and collaborate; where our fundamental values of teaching, learning and scholarship are practiced – and revered,” said Gail Hackett, executive vice chancellor and provost of UMKC. “Adding much-needed space for both classroom learning and individual study demonstrates this university’s commitment to our number-one goal: student success.”

The $18 million project will include a new classroom building and a new south-facing entrance foyer for both the new building and the existing Miller Nichols Library. The building will add a total of 950 new classroom seats to the university.

A University of Missouri System bond initiative, approved by the Board of Curators in 2010, is funding the addition. The transformation of the library through the addition of Roobot the Robot and the ongoing renovation of the affiliated spaces is an example of the power of public and private partnerships. The university remains grateful to the Nichols family and the Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation for its ongoing advocacy for the library and all who use it.

About the University of Missouri-Kansas City

The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.