The $40 million Franklin Forward campaign has three components:

• The $9.5 million capital portion of the campaign will support the restoration of the newly named Elwood Fitness Center, completing its renovation from an outdated, underused facility into a modern, inviting center for sports training, fitness and recreation.
• The $30 million endowment portion of the campaign will expand Franklin College’s $110 million endowment, allowing the College to shift its economic model from one based primarily on enrollment income to one that gains a greater share of its revenue from endowment growth. A mix of restricted and unrestricted gifts to the endowment will allow donors to support specific experiences, academic programs and student opportunities while also providing the College with the flexibility to use the funds as future trustees believe is best. Overall, a larger endowment will equip the College to prosper in a changing higher education marketplace and allow it to be less susceptible to the ebb and flow of enrollment numbers.
• The $500,000 operating support portion of the campaign will provide current and direct support as Franklin College implements the Franklin Forward vision.

The Wonder Five

Originally constructed in the early 1900s and expanded in the 1920s, the Elwood Fitness Center was once a central hub for campus athletics and student life. It famously hosted the Franklin Wonder Five basketball team, which won the national championship in 1923 and brought widespread recognition to the College. In 2020, a state historical marker was installed outside the facility — one of only a handful in Johnson County — commemorating the team’s legacy. In January 2025, a portion of campus, including the Elwood Fitness Center, was designated as a National Register Historic District by the National Park Service. The 19,425-square-foot building historically housed a pool, athletic offices and the entire physical education department until the opening of Spurlock Center in 1975.

The renovation project, expected to be completed in early 2027, will restore the building’s historic façade while transforming the interior into a modern, multifunctional facility for students. It will include spaces for personal fitness activities, recreational and intramural sports, and athletic offices, locker rooms and support services for the football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s lacrosse teams.

Four generous families have played a pivotal role in launching the project. Franklin College Trustee Amber (Robbins) Elwood ’99 and her husband, John, of Columbus, served as lead donors, with their gift renaming the facility the Elwood Fitness Center. Roger and Jan Johnson of Scottsdale, Arizona, provided a gift naming the basketball floor on the main level the “Wonder Five Court.” Trustee Jim Napolitan (HD ’12), Ph.D., and his wife Sandy (Mock) Napolitan ’60, Ph.D., provided funding to name the lower level of the facility the Drs. James and Sandra Napolitan Athletic Complex. Jerry ’67 and Faye Petro of Franklin provided a gift naming the Jerry ’67 and Faye Petro Aerobic Fitness Area.

Dignitaries at the groundbreaking for the renovation of the Elwood Fitness Center at Franklin College.