KU CONNECTION

Pinet House to be renovated

Two KU alumni who funded a community center for University scholarship hall residents have now donated funds to renovate another historic Lawrence home.

Tom Rudkin, c'73, knows how important it is to have a place to call home when studying—or teaching—abroad. As a KU student nearly 40 years ago, Rudkin spent his junior year studying in France.

Now, Rudkin and his wife, Jann Crawford Rudkin, c'73, are making it possible for the University to establish a house near campus, where visiting international scholars and their families can live during their stays at KU.

The Rudkins have made a $250,000 gift to KU Endowment to provide funds to renovate a historic two-story house at 704 W. 12th St., near the corner of 12th and Oread Avenue. KU Endowment acquired the property in 2001 from the Frank Pinet family. Pinet, g'42, g'47, PhD'55, was a longtime KU distinguished professor of business, and five of his six children earned KU degrees.

The Rudkins' earlier gift created the Wilna Crawford Community Center through the renovation of the former home of Juanita and Reginald Strait.

The gift for the home includes funds to maintain the property and cover operating expenses during its first year of use. Work on the house is expected to take two to three months.

The Rudkins, who live in Los Gatos, Calif., have long been interested in living abroad. In 1985 the couple and their daughter Heather combined work and travel when they spent the summer living in a Parisian apartment. Twelve years later, while in college, Heather spent a summer in Paris studying architectural history.

Tom Rudkin said his year studying abroad was the most important part of his education.

"Being in a place for nine months, you get a chance to start seeing things with a local eye," Rudkin said. "And you begin to have an understanding of stories in the news from that perspective."

Diana Carlin, dean of the KU Graduate School and International Programs, said the house and its location would be ideal for visiting scholars and their families.

"It really will create an international presence on campus that we don't have right now," Carlin said.

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