High Point University (HPU) in North Carolina has announced a $30 million gift from John and Lorraine Charman in support of a new library.

Slated to be complete in 2025-2026, the $80 million, four-story, 150,000-square-foot library that will include textbooks, digital databases, private study space, and a gallery featuring historical artifacts and displays of HPU’s expanding collection of artwork. It will feature the Library of Congress Classification System and become the main library, supplemented by several existing satellite libraries across campus. In recognition of the gift, the facility will be named the John and Lorraine Charman Library.

John Charman is a recently retired executive officer for Sompo Holdings, Inc., where he served as the CEO and executive chairman of the board of directors from 2013 to 2021. The Charmans’ daughter, Olivia, is a student at HPU.

“Helping build a state-of-the-art library at HPU is the perfect opportunity for us to share our passion for books with the HPU community,” said Lorraine Charman. “It is our sincere hope that this library creates another environment on campus for students to learn, grow, and challenge themselves.”

“John and Lorraine Charman are a wonderful couple who stepped up with faithful courage to invest in our library and in several other important projects on campus,” said HPU president Nido Qubein. “They are planting seeds of greatness for HPU students like their daughter Olivia. It is a blessing to have the advocacy and trust of people like John and Lorraine who share our passion for a values-based education, and the lasting impact that a library will make on our students.”

(Photo credit: High Point University)