Hillsdale College plans to build an educational center in California following its purchase of nearly 1,200 acres of property in Placer County in December, according to Hillsdale Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. 

“This will help Hillsdale further radiate its curriculum in the state of California and across the country,” Péwé said. “Overall, this land afforded to Hillsdale College in California greatly furthers Hillsdale College’s interests and longstanding mission.” 

The site is not a satellite campus, but is rather intended to be another center dedicated to spreading the college’s mission, similar to the Blake Center in Connecticut, according to Provost Chris VanOrman. Van Orman said Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn has wanted to start the project for a while. 

“Dr. Arnn wants to start up an educational center,” Van Orman said. “He’s talked in the past about being a nuclear reactor, and we want to radiate everything that we do. Part of the agreement was to have a more permanent facility in the future. Now, initially the idea is to educate people who are interested in the mission of the college.”

The college plans to sell portions of the property, which is near Sacramento, to raise funds for the center, as well as for other operations of the college.

“The funds would be allocated for a diverse range of needs, not just specifically for the development of the center,” General Counsel Bob Norton said.

According to Norton, a 13-acre parcel may serve as the site of the multi-use educational center, while the remainder of the property will be sold and developed. 

“The center is years in the making,” Norton said. “It is still a loose vision. For now, we are focusing on the land that we can sell for development.”

Arnn and his office spearheaded the project, but Norton, along with Vice President of Business Development Doug Banbury, Vice President of Finance Pat Flannery, and Chief of Staff Mike Harner also contributed to the project.

According to Norton, the college was first approached about four years ago by the University Development Foundation’s chairman, Kyriakos Tsakopoulos, who flew out to Hillsdale. The foundation is attached to the Tsakopoulos family, who are prominent land developers of the Sacramento area. UDF searched for a college to partner with for some time, and found a potential match in Hillsdale.

“It was a wintery, snowy day sometime before Christmas, and Mr. Tsakopoulos came out and offered the site,” Norton said. “He also brought a beautifully calligraphed copy of the college’s charter, which now hangs in Broadlawn. At the time we thought, ‘This is crazy!’” 

This meeting was followed by more of UDF’s board members’ visiting Hillsdale, who were all committed to making Sacramento a leading center of education, according to Péwé.  

As discussions of a land donation in Placer County intensified, Pewe said “Hillsdale became more familiar with its citizens and local officials, who have always been friendly, accommodating, and supportive.”

Péwé also noted the location’s appeal.

 “Placer County was a great location because Sacramento is the capital, while on its own California would be the fifth largest economy in the world,” he said. “Placer is the fastest growing area in California and the college has a great deal of support for its mission in California, especially in the Sacramento area.”

Despite the local support, reaching an agreement with the foundation and county was not a quick process according to Norton, taking multiple months of careful review and communication.  

“It took a few years of traveling back and forth, communicating with various people, reviewing the land and resolving some legal issues involving the property before we could be sure that this was something Dr. Arnn really wanted to do,” Norton said. 

The college is excited to work with such a supportive community and see what it can offer Placer County, Péwé said.

“Dr. Arnn wants to reach as many people as possible,” VanOrman said. “If there’s a way that we could help educate them and make them better citizens of the world, then that’s a worthwhile endeavor.”