President’s Message – January/February 2023

Gala Behind Us. No Days Off.

Dear English Alumni,

With our historic 200^th Anniversary Gala partially in the rear-view mirror, let’s revisit the highlights you might have missed. I’d like to thank all the attendees, as well as those who generously donated to our 200^th Anniversary Campaign. And a special thanks to all who helped to make it such a fantastically successful and memorable evening. The Association could not have done it without so many from the alumni community pulling together for months leading up to the Gala. As Dr. Frank Cullen’68 and Stockholm Prize winner in 2021, said on the phone the other day, ‘Everything was done first class. It made alums feel proud’.

If you were not able to be at the Gala you can still enjoy the event when you view this video recap. Including all the highlights below:

Dr. Jill Biden’s Video Tribute
Robert Kraft attending to receive our inaugural Legends & Legacy Award, remembering his dad, Harry Kraft, class of 1927
EHSA elder statemen: 99-year-old Frank Bellotti ’42; 96-year-old Enoch Woodhouse ‘44 our Lifetime Service Award recipient.
Farthest distance traveled: Dave Haley ’59, came 3059 miles from Tacoma, WA.
Biggest surprise was our rival, Boston Latin School, table of alums as well as their $5,000 Anniversary pledge!

All told, a great time was had by alums, friends, families, school staff and students who supported and celebrated with us. Thanks so much again!

Black History Month
When the curtain falls, the fundraising, day-to-day operations and overall communications do not take a vacation…..NO DAYS OFF. So, in February, we turn our thoughts to Black History Month and the countless English alumni who have made their marks on society in this country and beyond. In this month’s newsletter, we’ve highlighted many famous and successful African American alumni. But we recognize this list is, by no means, complete. Take a look at our tribute here.

Special kudos to two alumni our Board of Directors celebrate as members. Both happen to be Brigadier Generals: Enoch Woody Woodhouse II ‘44 and Joe Carter’73. Both have been worthy recipients of awards too numerous to mention. You can read more about them on the EHSA website.

A New Way to Support English High Students with Monthly Giving
I also wanted to introduce a gift-giving approach which might appeal to those not capable of a larger gift each year. Today, we announce our Monthly Gift Program. This widely-used way to give is easier on the bank account—and the donor doesn’t need to remember the regular donation. This giving method allows for smaller monthly gifts. We hope this program will appeal to younger alums who may like the convenience of giving monthly. All that’s needed is online access through your computer, tablet or mobile phone, and a generous heart to help with student scholarships.
To sign up for monthly giving visit our website

Tell all your alumni friends to join our English Alumni community.
It’s easy to sign up and join the mailing list through our website. Keep your eyes peeled as we will have several event announcements in newsletters and on our website and social media.

Big News!
Last year you helped us raise a half-million dollars !

In 2022 we raised $500,000 toward our $3MM goal over three years. Not bad considering, we only focused on major fundraising starting in July. Our goal for 2023 is to raise $1MM in support of school enrichment programs.