Dustin Hoffman to Announce $24.8 Million SMC Capital Campaign.

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1999--

Two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, a Santa Monica College alumnus, will announce today (Oct. 13) the SMC Foundation's $24.8 million capital campaign, which is expected to create an even more stimulating learning environment at an institution already recognized for its academic excellence.

It is believed to be the largest single capital campaign ever launched by a community college in California.

"Santa Monica College provides extraordinary opportunity for students to pursue their professional, academic and personal interests in an open and supportive environment," said Hoffman, honorary chair of the capital campaign. "SMC is the foundation for exploring and realizing one's own potential."

The announcement, at a private residence in Santa Monica, will officially launch a two-year campaign for which more than $7 million has already been raised of the Phase I goal of $12.4 million.

"This capital campaign will help us achieve the goals of our Master Plan, designed to transform this college educationally, technologically and aesthetically so that our students will excel in the 21st century," said SMC President Dr. Piedad F. Robertson.

Hoffman, who attended SMC in 1955-56 originally intending to study music, credits his acting teacher at the college for sparking his career. In 1989, the SMC Board of Trustees awarded an honorary degree to Hoffman, calling him "one of the great dramatic actors of America."

Known for taking on wildly varying and challenging roles, Hoffman won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1979 for "Kramer Vs. Kramer" and in 1989 for "Rain Man." He also garnered Oscar nominations for his roles in "The Graduate," "Midnight Cowboy," "Lennie," "Tootsie," and "Wag the Dog."

He is also the producer of the 1999 critically acclaimed "A Walk on the Moon" (Miramax) and "The Devil's Arithmetic" (Showtime). Earlier this year, he received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

SMC's capital campaign funds have been earmarked for a wide range of projects:

-- A 500-seat performing arts center at SMC's Madison campus.

-- Renovation of the SMC Main Stage, site of the college's

acclaimed theater and dance productions.

-- A screening room and state-of-the-art equipment for SMC's

widely praised Academy of Entertainment & Technology.

-- Cutting-edge research equipment for the new Science Complex.

-- Equipment and resources for SMC's Center for Environmental

Studies, headquarters of a thriving academic program and an

ecological demonstration model ("Eco House") for the community.

-- A new Child Care Center for the children of SMC students.

-- Establishment of endowed chairs, called "Chairs of

Excellence," to foster faculty research and special projects.

-- Replacement of the Liberal Arts Building, which was severely

damaged in the 1994 earthquake.

-- A new running track, which has been completed but funds for

which are still needed.

-- Scholarships.

-- Library modernization.

-- Facilities to accommodate growth in SMC's acclaimed Emeritus

College for older adults.

-- Creation of a Main Quad and "Boulevard," with meandering

walkways, benches, and lush trees and plants.

"Through this extraordinary effort, Santa Monica College will continue to reach out and provide education, training and resources for thousands of people," said Susan Barrett, chair of the SMC Foundation's Campaign Cabinet. "This bold and challenging venture will ensure excellence in education at the college."

SMC is a public, two-year community college with an enrollment of approximately 29,000. Opened in 1929 with 153 students, the campus has become known for its academic excellence. It is the No. 1 transfer institution to the University of California, University of Southern California, and other institutions. Rolling Stone magazine in 1998 named SMC one of the 10 best community colleges in the nation.