Siebert Lutheran Foundation grants $50,000 toward chapel renovation

Thank you to the Siebert Lutheran Foundation for the generous grant of $50,000 for renovations to Carthage’s A. F. Siebert Chapel!

The chapel is Carthage’s center of interfaith worship and our largest musical performance space on campus. The A. F. Siebert Chapel hosts over two dozen choral and orchestral performances annually and the spectacular Christmas Festival, which performs to a total of 5,000 people every year.

The chapel is dedicated to Albert F. Siebert, founder of Milwaukee Tool and the Siebert Lutheran Foundation, who originally gifted the College $500,000 in 1970. A. F. Siebert was an early booster of the College and friend to former Carthage president Harold Lentz, who presided over the move from Carthage, IL to Kenosha, WI in the 1960s.

David Timmerman, provost and executive vice president for operations, says “The chapel is the architectural and spiritual heart of campus, it looks out on Kissing Rock and our best friend Lake Michigan. On every trip across campus, its beauty and inspiration is impossible to miss.” According to Provost Timmerman, the plans for renovation “will begin with HVAC, audio engineering, and lighting for the chapel.” The rest of the renovation plans will be put into action soon after these are completed.

The Siebert Lutheran Foundation’s grant will add to a $4M campaign to renovate and upgrade the A. F. Siebert Chapel in order to bring it into alignment with the needs of a modern musical venue and restore its original grandeur and purpose as a place of worship. With the grant from the Siebert Foundation and a lead gift from local philanthropist Grace Kolakowski, Carthage is more than a third of the way toward that goal. “Generous gifts are making our plans for revitalizing the interior come to fruition and once again the Siebert Foundation is a vital part of the effort,” says Provost Timmerman.

The Siebert Lutheran Foundation has been a long-time supporter of several Carthage programs. These include the Dual-Degree Program, which enables high school students to earn credits toward a Carthage degree, the Urban Teacher Preparation Program, music programming for the chapel, and previous capital campaigns.

Learn about the Light that Travels campaign

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

Carthage College

For more information, contact:

Katharine Keenan, Sr. Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations.