GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Thiel College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Olympus Athletic and Recreation Center at 3:30 p.m. May 9 near the end zone of Stoeber Field at Alumni Stadium.
The planned facility is estimated at $10 million and will expand on-campus recreation and wellness offerings for students, including additional locker room space, a multipurpose basketball court, a walking and running track, fitness areas, and collaboration and meeting spaces. Fundraising is ongoing with the goal for the project to be fully funded by donors.
The Olympus Athletic and Recreation Center is designed to support student life, intramural and recreational activities, and the College’s athletics programs while enhancing campus infrastructure.
Scheduled speakers for the ceremony include Robert D. Burns, M.D. ’74 H’22, chair of the Board of Trustees; Susan Traverso, Ph.D., president; Michael McKinney, Ed.D. ’02, vice president for enrollment, student life, and athletics; John Hudson H’23, co-chair of the Join the Journey Campaign; and James Pedas ’50 H’89, Emeritus Trustee. Pedas and his wife, Wanda, contributed the $5 million lead gift for the project.
“The Olympus Athletic and Recreation Center represents an important investment in both our campus and the broader community,” McKinney said. “At a college our size, the demand for quality athletic, fitness and recreational space is significant, and this project will help address that need by expanding opportunities for students to train, compete and engage in healthy activity. We are deeply grateful to James and Wanda Pedas and to each of the donors whose generosity is making this facility possible. Their support ensures that Thiel can continue to provide spaces that bring people together and enhance the student experience.”
Construction is slated to begin this summer and be complete by 2027. The new facility is expected to provide expanded space for fitness, training and student engagement, supporting both academic and co-curricular experiences.
About James Pedas ’50 H’89
James “Jim” Pedas ’50 H’89 and his brother, Ted, had a long history in the entertainment industry. In the 1950s, he and Ted established Colt 45 Records, a recording company that launched the musical career of Don Covay (who wrote “Chain of Fools” and “Mercy Mercy” among others). The Pedas brothers later partnered to acquire several drive-in movie theatres. Later, with another partner, they bought a film distribution franchise and never looked back. They have been involved in numerous film ventures over the years including owning the Circuit/Showcase theatre circuit; owning a small part of Cinema 5 Ltd.; forming their own distribution company, Circle Releasing Corp., and forming their own production company, Circle Films, which was one of the foremost backers of 1990s American independent cinema. Among their most noted productions are the Coen brothers’ debut and sophomore films, “Blood Simple” (1984) and “Raising Arizona” (1987). They also formed Circle Management Company to oversee their investments in real estate and commercial development and Circle Parking to operate parking facilities in the Washington, D.C. area.
The Farrell, Pa., native earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from Thiel College and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Professional Accomplishment in 1980. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Thiel and was named trustee emeritus to the Board of Trustees. He has received many awards for his work including Washingtonian of the Year (1973) and the American University’s Award for Contribution to Film Culture (1985). He is a supporter of many philanthropic endeavors, including establishing an Intellectual Property Chair at George Washington Law School. He has served as a director of the National Capital Bank of Washington since 1973.
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