Hope through action: Meehan Family Fund established at MIT to support public programming and K-12 outreach activities

Dean Hashim Sarkis of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning is pleased to announce the establishment of the Meehan Family Fund at MIT, created through a generous gift of $1 million from Terence Meehan MArch’83 and Montie Mills Meehan.

This donation will make possible ambitious public programming at the future home of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, the historic Metropolitan Storage Warehouse—an iconic structure sited along the strongly reconfigured western axis of campus. With construction in progress, early work has begun to develop exhibitions, lectures, conferences, and other events to animate the varied public spaces—the Met Commons—including a gallery, an auditorium, and community spaces throughout the building.

Terry Meehan is Chairman and CEO of Azimuth Trust, an asset management company based in New York. He and his wife, Montie Mills Meehan, a clinical psychologist, are noted philanthropists with a special interest in hunger alleviation, education, healthcare research, and the environment. They were drawn to support this innovative new presence on campus by its potential to inspire young learners to make the world a better place.  

“Our motivation stems from a shared belief that great buildings serve as more than architectural achievements—they house the ever-evolving tools and resources that empower education and innovation,” says Terry Meehan. “This is why we chose to focus on funding programming: to provide teachers with more runway to develop creative and impactful curricula that extend beyond the traditional classroom. Most importantly, we want to reach young children.”

The Met Warehouse, an imposing brick storage facility dating from the turn of the twentieth century, is being reimagined by SA+P with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro as a vital hub for education and research in architecture, urban planning, design, real estate, and the arts. With its prominent location on Massachusetts Avenue, the Met will offer a lively public face to Cambridge, Boston, and beyond, spotlighting the activities of faculty, students, and staff.  

“With this far-reaching gift, the Meehans have ensured that exhibition and event programming at the Met will be vibrant, accessible, and of value to educators,” says Dean Sarkis. “We are grateful for their engagement with us in envisioning inspiring activities for these remarkable new spaces, with the potential for wide impact. It is especially exciting to consider how we can meaningfully engage young people in the incredible work of the MIT community to address pressing global challenges for the benefit of humanity.”

At a time when our society is grappling with a range of urgent issues, the aspiration for the programs supported by the Meehan Family Fund is to inspire “hope through action” for future generations. This aim is at the very heart of MIT’s motto of “mens et manus,” including but not limited to the Institute’s commitment to educating future leaders and advancing path-breaking research. 

The MIT community has had longstanding engagement with K-12 programming. Whether through the Lifelong Kindergarten program, the RAISE initiative, or collaborations with the Cambridge Science Festival—to name just a few activities—faculty and students are dedicated to educating and inspiring young people. The Meehan Family Fund will empower SA+P to advance this vital work in its new public-facing spaces. 

Adds Terry Meehan: “We hope this effort will resonate beyond MIT, reaching and inspiring a broader community to think differently about how education can shape the future.”  

For more information, please contact Selby Nimrod, Director of Exhibitions and Commons, MIT School of Architecture and Planning: spnimrod@mit.edu.