How a 3.4 Million Dollar Donation Led to a New Area for Veterans

Photo by Ian Murphy

This Spring, Elmhurst University will see a brand-new gathering area for veterans in the new Health Sciences Building, made possible by what EU is calling ‘the largest donation’ it has received from ‘living donors.’

According to a press release by EU “Two brothers with multi-generational ties to Elmhurst University are giving the University $3.4 million to implement a comprehensive initiative that will introduce more STEM students to careers in the military while also supporting student veterans on campus.”

The donation was made by Robert and Tim Jans, who graduated from EU in 1974. Their parents attended Elmhurst College in the 1940s, so they felt they needed to give back to the community they said has given them so much. The brothers created a mobility limited transportation company “Cook-DuPage Transportation Company, Inc.” after Robert completed military service and Tim was completing his final year at EU.

The donation that the two brothers made will go to a scholarship in their name, a new position titled “The Jans Director of Military and Veterans Affairs,” and a new area on campus aptly named, “The Jans Military and Veterans Center.” The center is scheduled to open to students with the new Health Sciences building in the fall of 2026.

Jacob Hill, a professor, librarian, and veteran at EU said he’s looking forward to the new Veterans center and that he draws inspiration from other student spaces for ideas.

“Working with student veterans, and having been one myself, I think the student veterans value the same things that other students do, so I look to other student spaces for ideas. Plus, we’ve had 2 years of experience in our current temporary Veterans Lounge in the Frick Center…so, amenities such as snacks, light kitchen facilities, couches to relax, and entertainment between before or after classes (like game consoles and things to watch) are very popular. I’d love to have more room for student storage lockers, isolation study spaces, more workstations, and a meeting room. Right now we have virtually no storage for event stuff like promotional materials, so that’s top of the list.”

According to Kurt Ashley who is the vice president of Operations and Technology at EU and is heavily involved in the project, “The project was originally conceptualized as part of the new Facilities Master Plan that was developed in 2018, and I helped in the development of that plan. Planning for this project to move forward started in March 2022.”  Ashley also said, “At this time, the project is on schedule.”