by Janice Scull

    Before SAIC students jump ship for summer, they might want to take a last look at the letters that spell out "Champlain" on the face of 37 S. Wabash. When they return in the fall, that name may just have been replaced by a new one.
    The new moniker will memorialize Alice Sharp, who after her death in 1997 left a generous bequest to the school and the museum.
    "We wanted to find something to honor this extraordinary woman," said SAIC President Tony Jones. When Sharp died in April 1997, she left behind a bequest of about $5 million, which Joel Schaffer, head of gift planning, called "the largest one-lump sum we've ever received."
    SAIC wasn't the only school to receive such a donation. Sharp and her husband John Sharp had several trust agreements leaving money to four other institutions. "If you met her you would never guess that she had the money that she did," said Schaffer. "She just lived modestly."
    As far as the building is concerned "Champlain" was never actually its official name. According to Tony Jones, "the name was just added on in the 1930s and stuck." It originally went by its address alone. So, wanting to honor Alice Sharp and apparently having a nameless building, the school decided on "Sharp" for 37 S. Wabash.
    The decision to change the name of the building was made about a year ago. The facility itself will first be undergoing a series of face lifts which will include new windows. This is expected to be finished sometime after August.