Olin Nafziger

Ida Noyes Hall.

University President Paul Alivisatos announced in an email on March 23 that Ida Noyes Hall will undergo a modernization funded by a $50 million donation from
Board of Trustees Chair David Rubenstein (J.D. ’73).

According to the announcement, the plans for Ida Noyes’s modernization entail preserving its historic aspects “while enhancing its infrastructure, accessibility and sustainability.” More information about the renovations, such as a project timeline or detailed plans for the modernization, has not been made public.

The renovation will inaugurate a rolling modernization initiative to “preserve the beauty and meaning of our historic buildings, while updating them to serve
generations of faculty and students yet to come,” Alivisatos said. Dean of the College Melina Hale said the project will “create inviting spaces where students can gather, connect with one another or find a comfortable place to study.”

In a statement to the Maroon, a University spokesperson said that “[a]ll new architectural elements and the expanded set of activities and programs will be known as David M. Rubenstein Commons, while the existing building will continue to be named Ida Noyes Hall.” The spokesperson did not share specific information about the modifications to Ida Noyes or how student activities and organizations currently housed in the building would be impacted.

The spokesperson also stated that an architectural firm for the project has not yet been selected and that the “University will partner with the selected architectural firm to design a process to collect feedback from across the University community.”

Ida Noyes Hall was built in 1916 following a gift from Chicago inventor La Verne Noyes and named after his late wife, Ida. Originally built to provide women with facilities similar to those offered exclusively for men at Hutchinson Commons, the Reynolds Club, and Bartlett Gymnasium, Ida Noyes Hall included a pool, a gymnasium, and social spaces at the time of construction..

The Ida Noyes gymnasium was converted into the Max Palevsky Cinema, which hosts Doc Films, in 1987, and the pool was converted into study spaces for Booth School of Business students in 2008. Today, Ida Noyes hosts academic and extracurricular events for the University. It also provides office space for RSOs and University services including the Major Activities Board, Career Advancement, and the Center for Spiritual Life. The Maroon’s office is also located in Ida Noyes. The Pub, a private bar serving those affiliated with the University, has been located in the basement since 1974.

Doc Films was not made aware of the modernization plans before the public announcement, according to Joan Bahnfleth, its general chair.

According to the University spokesperson, “[t]here are no plans to move the Pub or the Max Palevsky Cinema. While some spaces will need to be relocated during the renovations, the University anticipates that the David M. Rubenstein Commons will house both Career Advancement and Campus and Student Life spaces. More details will be shared once design plans are developed.”

The spokesperson did not provide a specific answer when asked what will happen to student organizations housed in Ida Noyes or whether Doc Films and the Pub will be able to continue operations in their current locations during the renovation process.

The new gift is the most recent of Rubenstein’s philanthropic contributions to the University. In 2010, he established the Rubenstein Scholars Program, providing full-ride scholarships to approximately 10 percent of Law School students. As of 2025, Rubenstein has contributed over $61 million to the program, making it the largest scholarship program in Law School history.

In 2014, another gift by Rubenstein funded the construction of the David M. Rubenstein Forum, which opened in 2021 and hosts conferences, academic symposia, workshops, and other special events.

Rubenstein has served as chair of the Board of Trustees since May 2022 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden in 2025 in recognition of his “patriotic philanthropy” and support for landmark restorations and cultural institutions in Washington, D.C.

The Maroon reported last month that Rubenstein met and directly corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.