SALISBURY — The latest philanthropic donation to Livingstone College comes at a time when the Blue Bears are welcoming a larger-than-anticipated incoming freshman class and preparing to unveil two newly-renovated residence halls. President Anthony J. Davis Jr. said it’s only the beginning. 

Late last month, Livingstone College announced receipt of a $10 million donation. The source of the donation requested to remain anonymous, but it was confirmed that it was the same donor who had given the school $7 million since last October in the form of a series of $1 million installments.

The $10 million donation is the greatest gifted sum that Livingstone College has ever received. 

“This is an incredible moment for Livingstone College,” Davis said. “Our anonymous donor has truly believed in our mission and the transformative power of education. This $10 million donation will ensure that we can complete phase one of our construction projects and move directly into phase two, all from a debt-free position.”

Davis and Livingstone College are calling that mission “The Miracle on Monroe Street: Livingstone College Re-imagined.”

Livingstone College began renovating two on campus residence halls, Dancy and Harris, last year. Those two projects got underway in the summer of 2023 and are nearing completion. While those two halls represent a significant portion of phase one of the Miracle on Monroe Street, there are other components of the initial phase. 

An update to the on-campus dining hall, Aggrey Cafeteria, has always been in the works. That project has included expanding capacity, opening the layout, repairing restrooms and updating the flooring and lighting. As the primary food service on campus, Davis said they wanted to have it wrapped up by the time students begin arriving on campus. 

“We wanted to make sure that we did not take the cafeteria off line,” Davis said. “We are serving students right now with take out.”

Turning his attention to the future, Davis said, “With phase 2, I would like to move into two more residence halls on campus, Tucker and Babcock.

“If we do a male residence hall, we will do a female residence hall as well. Every time we embark upon this, it will be two residence halls at a time. We want equity.”

Thanks to the $10 million donation, the school can transition seamlessly into the next phase. 

“Our last gift will enable us to move into phase 2 expeditiously,” Davis said. “Not only do we have all of what we need to complete phase 1, we can move right into phase 2.”

For Davis, that means keeping his vision on track. 

“We are actually addressing the campus infrastructure and really upgrading our facilities to make us more competitive and our students more comfortable,” Davis said. “If you come to Livingstone College, I want to make sure you have a comfortable residence hall free of hazardous materials and a cafeteria. I’m looking at where you eat and where you sleep.”

Davis acknowledged that the bones of the body matter, and so do the brains. With work currently underway, he is optimistic about what it means for the student body. Incoming student data reflects an upward trend Davis hoped for when he took over at the college.  

“The academic profile of students coming to Livingstone College has been enhanced,” Davis said. 

According to Davis, the marker for first-generation college students at Livingstone College used to be nearly 75 percent. Meanwhile, this year’s incoming class is 50 percent. 

The incoming class also has 114 presidential scholars, students with GPAs of 3.7 to 4.0, and an additional 85 students with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.6. 

“Think about that with a projected freshman class of 500,” Davis said. “Thirty percent of our class is coming in as academic scholars. It’s a different Livingstone College.”

The Miracle on Monroe Street appears to be becoming a selling point for potential students. 

“Livingstone College is an institution founded by the descendants of freed slaves who gave birth to an audacious idea,” Davis said. “I challenge men and women to consider this — you don’t have to go where you are tolerated, you can go where you are celebrated.”