About NMH The Future

Boston Globe Article

Letter to The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts

February 19, 2004

To the Editor:

The Globe’s recent article on Northfield Mount Hermon portrayed many of the school’s unique qualities, including its diverse student body, public-spiritedness, emphasis on spiritual and ethical inquiry, and educating for global citizenship. The article missed key points about how NMH reached an historic decision to become a smaller school.

This decision was arrived at carefully and deliberately. Our board of trustees, most of whom, myself included, are NMH alumni from as early as 1950, engaged in intensive discussions about strategic issues for three years. During that time, they, along with school leaders, talked with planning experts and studied financial data. They considered the views of hundreds of alumni and conducted a detailed alumni poll. A study group of faculty and staff added their educational conclusions to the mix. Last September, NMH sent a letter to its nearly 30,000 constituents explaining that the board was considering strategic directions for the school, including positive reasons to become a smaller institution. Our October alumni magazine described our educational priorities and specifically referred to the option of being on one campus.

NMH’s trustees made their decisions about the needs of future students with one overriding purpose: so NMH can continue its founding mission of providing an outstanding education to students from all backgrounds and means. It is a mission that transcends all else.

This is a wonderfully unique school that will continue to be so and do what it does best for the next 125 years and beyond.

Sincerely,
Richard W. Mueller ’62
Head of the School
Northfield Mount Hermon School

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