SUMMER READING
I’m a reader—always have been and hopefully always will be—and I’ll read pretty much anything, although I do confess a particular fondness for historical novels. This past summer I settled in with some of Mrs. Boyden’s correspondence, and I was captivated. Unlike those of you lucky enough to have known the Boydens personally, I only knew Mrs. Boyden through old photographs and pithy comments: “Other fools have done it, and so can I . . .” Her letters, however, provided a third dimension—they were my passport into her world and into her life— and I am happy to share some of them with you in “Woman of Letters,” which begins on page eight. A little further along (page 18) “Line of Scrimmage” tackles the subject of specialization on the playing field and in other venues. I’m guessing Mrs. Boyden wouldn’t have been a fan; a paradox of conformity and flexibility, I think she would have something to say about “putting all your eggs in one basket.” In fact, in 1962 Mrs. Boyden wrote an article about the study of chemistry for the Deerfield Alumni Journal, and her final paragraph could easily be inserted into our modern-day feature: It is our sincerest hope that each boy comes out from his course with an expanded concept of the universe in which he lives, with an increased capacity for enjoyment, with a mind trained in the scientific method, better able to attack, with analytic and impersonal approach, all the problems of his life. These are the by-products of a well-balanced education . . .
What Mrs. Boyden didn’t write much about was fundraising —that was Mr. Boyden’s purview—but in the instances when she did mention it, her tone was both grateful and pleasantly surprised . . . as if she was slightly in awe of “her boys’” devotion to Deerfield. We, too, remain grateful for the continued generosity of alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of the Academy, and beginning on page 30 have a story to share with you about recent fundraising efforts. As September and the deadline for Deerfield Magazine loomed, I finished the letters. So what did I learn about Mrs. Boyden’s world? Many things, actually, but a few stood out: By simply living her life Mrs. Boyden laid the groundwork for traditions that are a fundamental part of Deerfield’s landscape today; she loved her home in the Pocumtuck Valley, but her extensive travels brought a worldly perspective to her classroom; both master teacher and perpetual student, she was an original model of lifelong learning. And the sense of community the Academy is so well known for? I think it may have originated from letters that were signed: Affectionately, Helen Childs Boyden.
—Jessica Day, Managing Editor
Director of Communications
Managing Editor
Support Specialist and Contributing Writer
eCommunications Specialist
Art Director
Production Coordinator and Contributing Writer
David Thiel
Jessica Day
JR Delaney
Danaë DiNicola
Brent M. Hale
Anna Newman
Editorial Office: Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA 01342. Telephone: 413-774-1860, communications@deerfield.edu Publication Office: The Lane Press, Burlington, VT 05402. Third class postage paid at Deerfield, Massachusetts, and additional mailing office. Deerfield Magazine is published in the fall, winter, and spring. Deerfield Academy admits students of any race, color, creed, handicap, sexual orientation or national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or available to students at the academy. The academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, handicap, sexual orientation or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship, or any other programs administered by the academy. Copyright © The Trustees of Deerfield Academy (all rights reserved)
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Fall 2013 : Volume 71, No. 1