Ball Honors House Expansion Supports Record Growth in Ball State Honors College
A paved walkway and garden anchor the home’s redesigned outdoor gathering space for reflection, conversation, and honors programming.
Privately funded improvements to the historic Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Honors House add classrooms, offices, and collaboration space to support the Honors College’s largest enrollment in its history.
When honors students step through the front door of the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Honors House, they’re walking into more than a beautifully restored home—they’re entering a space that continues to grow alongside Ball State’s Honors College.
This Fall, the University celebrated a major expansion of the historic house at 1707 W. Riverside Ave., adding new classrooms, offices, and collaboration spaces while preserving the character of the former Ball family residence.
The project adds about 1,750 square feet of new educational space and renovates another 840 square feet. The expansion includes a modern classroom, three new faculty offices, and a student collaboration area with soft seating, a display case, and a donor recognition wall. Outside, a redesigned gathering space—anchored by a paved labyrinth and garden—offers a quiet setting for reflection, conversation, and honors programming.
Funded entirely through private support, the project was made possible by more than 30 donors. The principal donors are Rich and Linda Berthy, whose lead gift supported the expansion and established the new Charles J. and Erika A. Berthy Wing, named in honor of Mr. Berthy’s parents. The Edmund & Virginia Ball Foundation also provided a $100,000 grant toward the renovation and expansion. Philanthropic support accounted for the full cost of the project, totaling more than $1.5 million.
Philanthropic support from more than 30 donors—including lead donors Rich and Linda Berthy—accounted for the $1.5 million cost of the Ball Honors House expansion.
“I am grateful to all of the donors to this project, especially Rich and Linda, for making this expansion possible,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “The enhanced Ball Honors House strengthens our University’s mission to provide our students with fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. These modernized spaces will foster collaboration, inspire creativity, and deepen connections among students, faculty, and the broader community.”
The expansion comes at a pivotal moment for the Honors College. Building on years of steady growth, the college recently welcomed about 620 new freshmen, bringing total enrollment to more than 1,600 students—the largest in its history. The Ball Honors House is also home to the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships, which serve students and alumni from across campus.
“With more students and programs than ever before, this expansion was essential to meet the needs of our growing honors community,” said Honors College Dean Dr. Jim Buss. “The additional classrooms, offices, and collaboration spaces provide the environment our students deserve to pursue academic excellence and innovative research. We are grateful to our alumni, friends, and donors who supported this vision.”
Honors students now study, write, and meet in rooms that once hosted a different kind of gathering. The two-story colonial structure was the longtime home of Edmund F., LLD ’67, and Virginia B. Ball, HHD ’86, whose philanthropy helped shape Ball State and the Muncie community. In 2009, following a $1.3 million renovation supported in part by the Edmund & Virginia Ball Foundation, the house was transformed into the headquarters of the Honors College, preserving its architectural character—gracious center hall, white spindle stairway, and arched doorways—while adapting it for academic life.
Today’s project extends that legacy. As part of Our Call to Beneficence, Ball State’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, enhancements to the Ball Honors House and the development of an Honors College Student Success Hub have been identified as key priorities for supporting high-impact learning and student success.
New collaboration space inside the expanded Ball Honors House gives honors students more room to meet, study, and connect.
The expanded house will help the Honors College continue to serve as a campus crossroads—linking high-achieving students with faculty mentors, national scholarship opportunities, creative inquiry projects, and community-engaged learning. It also strengthens the college’s physical connection to the nearby Village revitalization efforts along Riverside Avenue and McKinley Avenue.
For current and future students, the result is a space that feels both historic and forward-looking—a house built by one Ball State family, renewed by the generosity of many others, and dedicated to helping honors students imagine what’s possible in their own lives.
“This house began as a family home, and in many ways, it still is,” Dr. Buss said. “Thanks to our donors, we now have the space to welcome even more honors students into our community and give them a place where their curiosity, character, and ambitions can flourish.”
