Hemenway Laboratories to be renamed: Professor Emeritus Thomas Eames and Joan Eames donate $2 million to College of STEM

By Dylan Pichnarcik Associate Editor

Hemenway Laboratories is to be renamed Professor Thomas and Joan Eames Laboratories in recognition of a $2.22 million endowment given to the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by the Eames’.

Notification of the award and the renaming of Hemenway Labs was sent to faculty and staff on Sept. 5 by President Nancy Niemi.

The name change was approved at a meeting of the Board of Trustees by a unanimous vote on Sept. 18 and was subsequently sent to the Board of Higher Education for approval.

Each year, 5% of the total endowment will be given to the College of STEM beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, according to Eric Gustafson, vice president of Development and Alumni Relations.

For the first year, $100,000 from the total endowment will be dispersed to the College of STEM.

As the endowment grows yearly, more funds will be dispersed.

Niemi said the yearly allotment “goes directly to students, to faculty, to the work of what the college does. We aren’t at the whims of a state grant or another grant saying, ‘These are the parameters.’”

“It’s just such a rich and wonderful way to give to an institution and to see the immediate effect,” Niemi added.

According to Niemi, use of the funds will be determined by Provost Kristen Porter-Utely and STEM Dean Lauren Nolfo-Clements.

According to Porter-Utley, plans for the funds are still being determined.

“These funds to support the College of STEM will be truly transformative for students, staff, and faculty. The funds will ensure we have state-of-the-art resources available for educational and scholarly work in the College,” she said.

Porter-Utley said she believes renaming Hemenway Laboratories in honor of the Eameses is an appropriate way to honor their legacy.

“Professor Eames dedicated his professional life to Framingham State University, and I am excited to honor his work at our institution,” she said.

Thomas Eames, 81, is a professor emeritus of chemistry and food science, having worked at FSU for 40 years, according to Niemi.

Eames received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 1966 and a Ph.D. from Northwestern in 1971.

Eames said it is an honor to have a building named after him on campus, something he did not expect to happen.

“FSU is truly dedicated to serving students, educating students who would otherwise have to work many hours or not even be able to attend college. A Framingham State education provides opportunities that they would not otherwise have been able to obtain, such as jobs

and further education,” said Eames.

Eames said he hopes the gift will go toward “helping students financially so they can concentrate on their studies instead of having to work at an outside job or even drop out.”

While working at FSU, Eames “cared deeply” about students and was passionate about advising the Student Government Association, Niemi said.

Eames said he recalled many fond years working with SGA, including working with the late Donna Bourasa, a former SGA President.

According to Eames, during the presidency of Paul Weller, he was offered an administrative role. “I was greatly honored, but did not accept. My place was with my accomplished students in the FSC labs.”

Eames said, “We are most grateful that our contribution will benefit the STEM program, and provide some financial assistance for the benefit of students.”

Niemi said this is the first gift given to the University that she has stewarded during her presidency.

In her role, she works with Gustafson to foster relationships with alumni and donors who may provide financial support to the University.

Niemi said it was “an important learning experience about how [she can] serve the University well, from my role in terms of making sure that we can have other people do the same thing.”

She said during the process of securing potential donations to the University, she is briefed by Gustafson about members of the community who could provide financial support.

Niemi said in addition to reading the briefings, she also meets with community members frequently.

She said she spends time getting to know members of the community and to hear what is important to them prior to securing a donation.

“It could feel so much like you're just after their resources, and that is never, ever my

mindset,” Niemi said.

“We never, ever talk about, ‘So how much do you think you can afford?’ It's not like a public radio fund drive. It's about building a relationship. So my job is to understand that that is what I'm doing. I'm being respectful of people who care deeply about this institution and to give them the best of my presence as we learn about them,” she said.

Gustafson said he had previously worked with the Eames family to establish an endowed scholarship to support students within the Chemistry and Food Science Department. He said the Eames later decided to make a larger contribution to the University in the form of the gift to the College of STEM.

“We’re deeply grateful to Tom and Joan [Eames] for this investment they’re making in the University - it's a phenomenal boost to our STEM program,” Gustafson said.

Hemenway Laboratories is one of three buildings named after famous Boston-area philanthropist Mary Hemenway, according to Gustafson.

Hemenway Hall and Annex will continue to be named after Mary Hemenway. The laboratory portion of the building was completed in 2016 after three years of construction and renovation to the Hemenway building complex, according to Gustafson.

Hemenway Hall was completed in 1963 and initially served as the home economics building on campus. Hemenway Annex was built in 1973, according to the Framingham State University website.

Junior Merlin Clive said they think it is wonderful that the College of STEM has been given

this gift by the Eames.

Clive said renaming Hemenway Laboratories makes them “a little sad because it’s been Hemenway since I came here two years ago. I always joke around that I live in Hemenway. … I’m excited to see what they do, but it is a bit of a bittersweet feeling knowing the building name I’ve been so accustomed to is going to change.”

Sophomore Jordan Lyon said she was happy to hear about the award. Lyon said she thought it was “really sweet that [Eames] became so successful and decided to donate that much money back to the place where he started teaching.”

Senior Zachary Sorel said they are “all for” any donations that support education.

Sorel said they did have concerns about the cost associated with renaming a building.

“People don't always realize how much money that can be. So off the top of my head, signs in the building between the annex and labs will all need to be replaced. All the door signs that say labs will need to be replaced,” they said.

Niemi said for Eames “to have his name on a place where students are and where great learning [happens], I think, is a wonderful thing to do.”