From the President
In a recent meeting with a new 鶹ýվ member, I was reminded of a quote attributed to Seamus Heaney (paraphrasing Václav Havel): “Hope is not optimism, which expects everything to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for.” As I reflect on the past year, I believe this passage captures the spirit of the 鶹ýվ. Immense challenges like political polarization, inequality, and climate change will not improve with wishful thinking. However, when we combine the vast intellect, diversity, and creativity of 鶹ýվ members with the sort of hope that ignites action, we will make positive change.
I am deeply grateful for the commitment of so many members who participate in the 鶹ýվ’s work. As you review the progress detailed in these pages, please join me in thanking them for the time, effort, and expertise that make these important initiatives possible.
I also want to acknowledge that even the best ideas and intentions stall without the fuel to drive them forward. This year, the 鶹ýվ passed a major milestone by completing the Campaign for the 鶹ýվ and Its Future. The primary goals of the campaign were to support the work of the 鶹ýվ today and to provide a more financially sustainable future. We have done so. The Campaign raised over $110 million, 10 percent over the goal, and six months ahead of schedule. As you will read in the pages that follow, this funding made the important projects, publications, and convenings that we have undertaken over the past seven years possible. It also increased the size of our endowment and established a deferred giving program that will help provide for the future aspirations of the 鶹ýվ. We are grateful to the many members and foundations who contributed so generously to this effort. We are also indebted to Louise Henry Bryson and David M. Rubenstein, whose leadership as Campaign cochairs set a new standard for what the 鶹ýվ can accomplish.
Thank you for all you do to support the American 鶹ýվ of Arts and Sciences.
David W. Oxtoby