The University of Cincinnati has just cut the ribbon on a new chapter of campus amenities, thanks to a unique gift from an alum with deep family ties. Dorothea "Thea" Langsam, granddaughter of the university's 21st president, Walter C. Langsam, after whom the Langsam Library is named, has spearheaded the creation of a dedicated nursing room designed to support mothers in the UC community. The new space, equipped for both nursing and pumping, was made possible through Langsam's philanthropic vision and determination over a three-year effort.
In an October unveiling, the nursing room was presented as a discreet, yet warm sanctuary for those in need of a private space to care for their infants. Complete with amenities like warm and cold running water, a refrigerator, counter, table, and a plush chair, the facility is the first of its kind to be permanently sponsored and carry a donor's name on campus. Langsam, whose professional role is deputy general counsel for Fifth Third Bank, identified the nursing room project as personally and practically important. "Every mother deserves a private, dignified space to nurse or pump," Langsam said, according to a University of Cincinnati News article. "UC is a place that supports that."
Long engaged with the UC Libraries, serving on the Dean's Advisory Committee, Langsam has advocated for modern, inclusive spaces. Her work with the nursing room intertwines her family's legacy with her commitment to fostering environments of comfort and belonging. The new nursing space provides a dignified alternative to the bathrooms, cars, or lengthy trips home that nursing students and staff may otherwise resort to. "It's a small room that makes a big difference," she emphasized in the UC announcement.
With multiple nursing and pumping rooms scattered across UC's campus locations in buildings like the Medical Sciences Building and Tangeman University Center, the Langsam Library space sets a new standard for potential donors. It showcases how targeted giving can result in tangible, beneficial spaces on campus. "Sponsoring a nursing room is remarkably achievable," Langsam noted in the UC announcement, hoping to inspire others to consider such contributions in support of the UC family, according to the same source.
