Franklin & Marshall College

Mehlman Center for Strength, Conditioning, Wellness and Performance

In 2025, F&M Trustee Ken Mehlman ’88 made a historic $7.5 million gift in support of athletics and wellness, the largest of its kind in College history. The Mehlman Center for Strength, Conditioning, Wellness and Performance will be an innovative new facility home to strength training, fitness and performance-centered growth.

The Mehlman Center will boast more than 20,000 square feet of new athletic and wellness space and include more than 10,000 square feet of renovations and improvements to the existing Alumni Sports & Fitness Center. Groundbreaking will take place in early 207.

A Game-Changing Investment for Diplomat Athletics

To compete at the highest levels of their sports, Diplomats require significant investments in space and equipment. The Mehlman Center makes possible both of those critical needs.

More than 650 of F&M's students are varsity athletes on one or more of our 28 teams, and an additional 600 play intramural sports. The Mehlman Center will include new power rack and weight stations, cardio stations, a 50-foot sled turf, a training annex, a nutrition education station, a recruiting suite, and strength and team coach offices.

Performance and Wellness for Every Student

The Mehlman Center provides a benefit for the entire F&M community and each of our students.
 

Significantly expanded facilities mean that some of F&M's largest teams can train as a group, freeing time and space for individual and small-group workouts. This more welcoming and accessible environment fits students’ busy schedules and supports fitness alongside academics, research, internships, leadership roles and campus life.

Meet Ken Mehlman ’88

Ken Mehlman ’88 serves as vice chair of the Franklin & Marshall College Board of Trustees. He earned his bachelor's degree in government at F&M, where he credits experiences with professors like Stanley Michalak and service as fraternity president of Phi Kappa Tau for shaping his views on leadership and performance. Mehlman graduated from Harvard University School of Law.

Mehlman is a partner at global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), where he is the global head of public affairs and co-head of KKR global impact. Prior to his current role, he served a number of positions in government and politics, including White House political director, campaign manager for the 2004 re-election presidential campaign of George W. Bush, and as the 62nd chair of the Republican National Committee. Mehlman also served in policy positions in the US Congress and as a council member for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial.
 

A staunch supporter of F&M, Diplomat Athletics and our students, Mehlman is among the college’s most generous philanthropists. In 2025 and 2026, Mehlman made gifts to launch the development of the Mehlman Leadership & Performance Institute, an initiative he sees as closely aligning with the goals of the Mehlman Center.

A Look Inside the Mehlman Center

Join Our Momentum

In nearly 150 years of varsity athletics, F&M has secured more than 150 conference championships in addition to four national championships. Today, approximately 40% of F&M students participate in at least one of the College’s 28 varsity sports, and approximately 40% participate in intramural sports.

To continue our incredible momentum, F&M seeks leadership philanthropists for this historic initiative. To learn how you can be part of this critical moment for F&M students and provide necessary resources to enhance their performance and wellness, contact Katie Croew Wood, director of parent and athletic advancement at 717.358-4834 or katie.wood@fandm.edu.