BISMARCK—Forum Communications Co. Chairman Bill Marcil Sr. and his wife, Jane, have donated $1.5 million to the University of Mary’s Vision 2030 Capital Campaign, the university said Tuesday, Sept. 5.

The Marcils are the lead donors to Founders Hall, which

the university describes as a “new preeminent community gathering space and stateroom that seats over 600 banquet guests and over 1,000 people for special events with the best Lewis-and-Clark-view in North Dakota overlooking the Missouri River Valley.” The hall is inside of the Lumen Vitae University Center, “a new, soon-to-be-opened campus centerpiece and student hub for activity and social gatherings,” the university said.

Bill Marcil Sr. was the publisher of the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead for 41 years before stepping down in 2010, handing the reins to his son, Bill Marcil Jr.

“For us and our family it’s all about building community,” Marcil Sr. said in a statement. “Founders Hall and the Lumen Vitae University Center truly represent a gathering space where students from all walks of life, faculty, alum, people from across the state and region can come and enjoy each other’s company at one of the premier hospitality venues.”