WEST PALM BEACH — The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago has announced a $250,000 grant to Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Warren Library. The café in the new library will be named in honor of MacArthur, who was well known for running his real estate and land development empire from the coffee shop of the old Colonnades Hotel in Palm Beach Shores, not far from the University.

The MacArthurs have a long history of support for Palm Beach Atlantic. Their generosity established the Catherine T. MacArthur School of Continuing Education in 1989, to serve the educational needs of non-traditional students, who work full-time and study in the evenings and on weekends. Degree programs include the Associate of Arts in General Studies, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management, and Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. The school was renamed the Catherine T. MacArthur School of Leadership in May 2006 to better reflect the curriculum, which focuses on leadership and management of organizations. In addition, Catherine T. MacArthur Hall, built in 1989, houses classrooms, science laboratories and offices for science and mathematics faculty as well as faculty in behavioral sciences.

John D MacArthur was introduced to Palm Beach Atlantic by his physician, Dr. Donald E. Warren, who is the University’s founding trustee chairman. The University’s new 83,000-square-foot library is named in honor of Dr. Warren and his wife, Bebe, who have been at the heart of the life of PBA since its inception in 1968. The Warren Library will have space for 350,000 library book holdings, an increase from the current holdings of 110,000. The new construction, which will open in early 2007, will be followed by the second phase of the project – renovation of the historic octagon-shaped building on Olive Avenue into a reading room that will be attached to the new library building.

Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private, independent university offering undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees, with campuses in West Palm Beach and Orlando. The University is dedicated to the integration of Christian principles to prepare students for lifelong learning and leadership.