Montgomery College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building on Sept. 19 at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.
State and local elected officials, educational leaders, and the college community attended the opening of the $104-million Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building with a guided tour featuring the planetarium, greenhouse, Math & Science Learning Center, Cybersecurity Center, and anatomy and physiology labs.
The three-story building replaces Falcon Hall and Science South, offering collaborative workspaces and learning facilities such as the STEAM Innovation Hub, Cyber Lab, and the Math and Science Learning Center, where students engage directly with technology and STEM activities. A reception inside the Math & Science Learning Center and planned building tours concluded the event.
“The Leggett Building will provide an unparalleled educational experience for students in preparation for scientific roles in the knowledge economy,” Dr. Jermaine F. Williams, MC president, said.
According to Williams, the Leggett Building’s name reflects the Leggetts’ philanthropy in supporting the college and its students. The Leggetts have supported MC through philanthropic ventures by establishing scholarships and donating to the Montgomery College Foundation.
In disclosing how the Leggetts will continue contributing to students’ education, President Williams stated that their generosity will provide scholarships for more students to take advantage of mathematic and scientific opportunities that lie within a building that now carries their name.
According to Ike Leggett, the first African-American Montgomery County executive, he agreed with MC former president DeRionne P. Pollard that the Leggett name would be permissible only if his and his wife’s names would be included. The Leggetts waited until the ribbon-cutting ceremony to enter the building.
Ike Leggett said, “I’m sure we’re going to have engineers, scientists who are going to come out of the facility. I’m delighted for this.”
For Catherine Leggett, senior vice president for human resources at ICMA-RC and former first lady of Montgomery County, she expressed her gratitude for the commemoration and reflected on the legacy that the building will carry.
“We are incredibly thankful for the building’s naming,” Catherine Leggett said. “To have thousands of students go through and acknowledge the history with that name is just heartfelt.”
