"Welcome Home!" is how Hammy Bissell '29 greeted returning Exonians of all generations. I think Hammy, an Academy graduate as well as a long-time teacher and administrator, recognized that Exonians are united, regardless of their year of graduation, by the knowledge that it is here that they were most challenged. In returning to campus, they are coming home to a family who has shared that unique experience.

Over the past several years, our Academy family has been actively engaged in the challenge of developing and articulating a plan for Exeter's future, a strategy for preserving what is best about our school while simultaneously focusing attention and resources on areas where we have discovered that we can do more. That Academy master planning process has resulted in a set of initiatives, a blueprint for the Academy as we move ahead to build Exeter for this and future generations on the firm basis of our 223-year history.

Described in detail in this issue of Non Sibi, these initiatives are the result of several years of research, reflection, discussion and healthy debate. At the heart of each are Exeter's people—students, teachers, administrators, staff. Broadly, the initiatives address four areas of our school enterprise—student financial aid, faculty recruitment and retention, curriculum, and community life. Specific objectives in each category will ultimately enhance living, learning and working for the people of Phillips Exeter Academy.

In order to implement these key initiatives, the trustees have just voted to launch the Academy's first comprehensive fundraising campaign in more than 20 years. Guiding us as we work to achieve our ambitious goals for the people and programs of Exeter will be a group of devoted and generous alumni/ae and parents who will serve on a Campaign Steering Committee. These men and women bring knowledge and experience to our enterprise, and we are grateful for their early and ongoing involvement. At the helm of the steering committee is Chuck Harris, a member of the class of 1969 and current Exeter trustee.

While the campaign will be an exciting, indeed historic, new fundraising effort, it will also be a continuation of momentum that has been building here at Exeter for some time. In fact, a great deal has already been accomplished to advance our vision. We have made significant progress in raising funds for financial aid and have endowed our first Distinguished Professorships, which will help improve compensation for faculty. We have fully gutted and renovated three of the Academy's large brick dormitories (Cilley, Amen and Peabody), built four new faculty homes alongside the Academy's tennis courts, and refurbished a number of other campus buildings. Through our landscaping master plan we have begun to restore the Academy's once lush tree canopy and to make the entire campus more pedestrian-friendly. Over the course of the coming months I'll be sharing more about our progress and plans for the official campaign launch.

The collective work and input of many people, both here in Exeter and beyond, have helped us reach this important juncture in our history. Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni/ae, parents and friends have contributed countless hours to the master planning process, each, in his or her own way, helping to push Exeter to new levels of excellence. In all my years in education, I have never witnessed such commitment, nor such thoughtfulness and honesty. It makes me profoundly honored to be part of the Exeter family—and excited for the journey ahead.

Thank you.

Non Sibi is published twice a year by the office of alumni/ae affairs and development at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Editor
Kristin Fogdall

Associate Editor/Writer
Melanie Sage

Staff Assistant
Maxine Weed

Photography
Academy Archives
Business Week Magazine
   November 17, 1951
Dan Courter/
Courter Photo Grafx
Brian Fallon Crowley
Art Durity

Design
Brown & Company Graphic Design Inc., Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Comments, questions and suggestions should be addressed to:
Melanie Sage
Phillips Exeter Academy
20 Main Street
Exeter, New Hampshire 03833-2460
(603) 777-3536
msage@exeter.edu

Non Sibi  is a registered trademark of Phillips Exeter Academy.