ISS Receives $2 Million Joint Gift To Name New Academic Center
Indian Springs School has received a $2 million gift in memory of former ISS parent, grandparent, and Board member Leo Kayser, Jr., from his family—alumnus Leo Kayser III ’62 of New York, alumnus parent Deborah K. Strauss of Birmingham, and alumnus Kayser Strauss ’96 of New York—for the completion of a new academic center that will celebrate their appreciation for the “warm and generations-long relationship between ISS and the Kayser family.” The gift is among top gifts in the school’s history.
The Leo Kayser, Jr., Academic Center will unite the school’s Academic and College Advising Offices, Technology Center, Library, and Research Services at the heart of campus and feature an open-air gathering porch overlooking the ISS Lake. Part of the $20 million Campaign for Springs Eternal, the largest capital campaign in the school’s history, the center and 18 new classrooms will open in August 2015.
“This extraordinary gift is a momentous occasion for Indian Springs School,” says Director Gareth Vaughan. “It represents the deep commitment that our devoted alumni and alumni parents make to the school as well as the lifelong love that ISS families carry with them long after graduation. We are grateful to the Kayser-Strauss family for choosing to honor the memory of their father by investing in the future of Indian Springs.”
Leo Kayser, Jr., who served on the ISS Board from 1970 to 1973, served his country during World War II as an officer in the Army Air Corps. Known for his optimism and generosity, he headed investment banking at Kayser & Company for 60 years. He died in October 2013 at age 95.
“Indian Springs School has been important to the Kayser family for more than 55 years,” says Leo Kayser III. “Our father, who supported the school as an active parent, grandparent, and Board member, held the school in extremely high regard, and we are delighted to be able to honor his memory with what we believe is a fitting tribute to the warm and generations-long relationship between ISS and the Kayser family.”
The joint family gift brings total Campaign contributions to date to $18 million. Vaughan and ISS trustees and administrators will formally announce and celebrate the new academic center at a gathering hosted by Leo Kayser III ’62 in early December at the Yale Club of New York City.
The Campaign was created in response to the school’s new Campus Master Plan, which seeks to maintain the spirit of the extraordinary 350-acre campus while replacing aging classrooms dating from 1952, when the school opened its doors. Prepared by internationally recognized architects ArchitectureWorks, LLP, of Birmingham and Lake|Flato Architects of San Antonio, the plan impacts a large portion of the school campus and comprises three phases: a) new classrooms to accommodate emerging technologies for greater flexibility and global connectivity; b) a new dining hall that includes an outdoor dining area, new appliances, and flexibility to accommodate groups of various sizes; and c) a new arts center that features art studios, an art gallery, and an outdoor art yard. The ISS Board of Governors will finalize the timing and details for the arts center and dining hall phases as fundraising continues.
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The Leo Kayser, Jr., Academic Center will unite the school’s Academic and College Advising Offices, Technology Center, Library, and Research Services at the heart of campus and feature an open-air gathering porch overlooking the ISS Lake. Part of the $20 million Campaign for Springs Eternal, the largest capital campaign in the school’s history, the center and 18 new classrooms will open in August 2015.
“This extraordinary gift is a momentous occasion for Indian Springs School,” says Director Gareth Vaughan. “It represents the deep commitment that our devoted alumni and alumni parents make to the school as well as the lifelong love that ISS families carry with them long after graduation. We are grateful to the Kayser-Strauss family for choosing to honor the memory of their father by investing in the future of Indian Springs.”
Leo Kayser, Jr., who served on the ISS Board from 1970 to 1973, served his country during World War II as an officer in the Army Air Corps. Known for his optimism and generosity, he headed investment banking at Kayser & Company for 60 years. He died in October 2013 at age 95.
“Indian Springs School has been important to the Kayser family for more than 55 years,” says Leo Kayser III. “Our father, who supported the school as an active parent, grandparent, and Board member, held the school in extremely high regard, and we are delighted to be able to honor his memory with what we believe is a fitting tribute to the warm and generations-long relationship between ISS and the Kayser family.”
The joint family gift brings total Campaign contributions to date to $18 million. Vaughan and ISS trustees and administrators will formally announce and celebrate the new academic center at a gathering hosted by Leo Kayser III ’62 in early December at the Yale Club of New York City.
The Campaign was created in response to the school’s new Campus Master Plan, which seeks to maintain the spirit of the extraordinary 350-acre campus while replacing aging classrooms dating from 1952, when the school opened its doors. Prepared by internationally recognized architects ArchitectureWorks, LLP, of Birmingham and Lake|Flato Architects of San Antonio, the plan impacts a large portion of the school campus and comprises three phases: a) new classrooms to accommodate emerging technologies for greater flexibility and global connectivity; b) a new dining hall that includes an outdoor dining area, new appliances, and flexibility to accommodate groups of various sizes; and c) a new arts center that features art studios, an art gallery, and an outdoor art yard. The ISS Board of Governors will finalize the timing and details for the arts center and dining hall phases as fundraising continues.
190 Woodward Drive, Indian Springs, Alabama 35124
Phone: 205.988.3350
Indian Springs School, an independent school recognized nationally as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.
© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.