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About NMH The Future
Letter to the Editor
Letter to The Recorder,
Greenfield, Massachusetts
January 27, 2004*
To the Editor:
We read your January 23 editorial with interest and
appreciate its sentiment. We did prepare the leaders and residents of Northfield
and surrounding communities for possible change at the school, including the
one-campus option. We could not be certain ourselves of the outcome of the
January 17 board of trustees meeting.
Leading up to their decision, the NMH Board of Trustees
engaged in extended and thoughtful studies, with the primary focus on the
educational needs of students both today and in the future. The board is
confident that the restructuring will serve the students well and will provide
NMH with the resources it needs to continue to deliver its outstanding and
distinctive program in a close-knit campus community.
At that same meeting, I was named president of NMH. One of
my key responsibilities will be to oversee decisions regarding appropriate and
exciting new uses for the Northfield campus to honor the legacy of our founder,
Dwight L. Moody. Buildings and sites directly related to Mr. Moody, such as the
Birthplace, Homestead, Auditorium, and his and his wife’s resting place at Round
Top, will remain part of NMH. We will work closely and deliberately with members
of the Northfield community as we move forward with our planning.
Our entire school community and its very loyal and
interested alumni are united in our pledge to treat the Northfield campus with
great care and respect. The school has committed the income support from a
portion of its endowment to the maintenance and operation of Northfield
facilities during the transition period until new uses grow to support the
operating expenses.
Our community has already begun to produce a wealth of
ideas for the campus, and we welcome participation in this process. We are
establishing an advisory committee that will include representation from the
town of Northfield. Some of the purposes suggested include the education of
younger students, transition-year training for international students,
continuing education or residential retirement programs for alumni and others,
summer schools, and many other uses. Contrary to what some may have heard, we
have not put our campus up for sale, advertised, or reached any agreements with
anyone. We have already heard from a number of organizations, mostly
educational, that have expressed interest in exploring options with us. In the
meantime, NMH will be going ahead full-throttle during this academic year and
the next.
I invite any resident of the region to share ideas and
concerns with us about the future of the Northfield campus. Please know that
this special place, with its history, rolling lawns, and architectural gems, is
near and dear to the hearts of all of us at NMH. We will do everything in our
power to keep it vibrant and to ensure that it is used in a way that fulfills
our institutional mission. The town of Northfield and our friends in the Pioneer
Valley will be important partners with us.
You may submit comments via a form on the website
or by mail to Carol D. Lebo, Office of the Head of the School, Northfield Mount
Hermon School, 206 Main St., Northfield, MA 01360. I look forward to continuing
our dialogue with our neighbors.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Mueller ‘62
Head of the School
Northfield Mount Hermon School
*Published in The Recorder on Tuesday, February 3,
2004
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