To the Deerfield Community:

In 1965 Mr. Boyden launched his final campaign in support of the Academy, at that time the largest and most ambitious in the history of American independent schools. “No fine educational institution,” he wrote, “can afford the luxury of standing still. To do so is to lose touch with the very world we are trying to understand.”

Today, there are unprecedented challenges facing American boarding schools, and even the strongest schools face powerful crosscurrents. It would be naïve—and short-sighted—to assume that the future won’t bring additional and unexpected challenges. Some of these have already arrived, and Deerfield is in a unique position to meet them. 

Deerfield is, I believe, unique among American boarding schools—distinctive in its commitments and its character, and grounded in values that are more relevant, more consequential, and more important now than ever before. Today, we are in a position of strength, with a clear sense of our values and priorities, fortified by a long and proud heritage and buoyed by the goodwill, generosity, and support of the extended Deerfield family.

However, these are not reasons to stand still, and I invite you—alumni, parents, and friends—to join us now in our worthy endeavor—to take part in what we have identified as a simple yet profound task to ensure that the vision and values entrusted to us continue to grow in strength and relevance. This is no time, as Mr. Boyden wrote, “to sit back satisfied with what we have and complacent with things as they are.” Rather, it is a time to contemplate what it means to be worthy. It is a time to build for the future.

Together, we will ensure that Deerfield remains Deerfield for generations to come.