Whittier

Whittier College has exceeded its Second Century Fund goal of $15 million, and officials have now set their sights on raising $25 million by 1987, the college’s centennial year. The private college, which depends almost entirely on donations, was founded in 1887 by the Society of Friends, seeking to establish a Quaker settlement in the West. Four years ago the college established the Second Century Fund, and last month the fund-raising effort hit $15.2 million, prompting college officials to raise the goal to $25 million, according to college trustee Charlotte Fusco, fund chairman.

The fund will be used for a series of campus and academic improvements, including construction of an $8-million Performing Arts Center with a 500-seat theater, a drama education center and classrooms. In addition, officials are planning to renovate the college library and convert several existing buildings into faculty offices and student study halls known as scholar centers.