A letter from Herbert Kessler, President of the Medieval Academy

Dear colleagues:

You will be receiving your membership renewal request this week and, when you do, I hope that you will consider increasing your commitment to the Academy. Because of careful monitoring by the elected officers, the prudent guidance of the Finance Committee, led by our Treasurer, Barbara Shailor, and Executive Director Paul E. Szarmach's success in securing indirect costs recovery for the NEH seminar he and Chris Kleinheinz directed, the Academy's budget is, in fact, in good shape. But as we go into the next year, we will need additional resources to maintain and expand our programs, especially to expand and refine our website presence and to provide access to new technological resources, following the recommendations of a committee headed by Grover Zinn.

Even modest increases make a difference to the Academy. If you are an Active Member, please think about becoming a Contributing Member in 2010; if you are a Contributing Member, perhaps you will enhance your commitment by becoming a Sustaining Member. Additional donations to the Academy will help greatly. In addition to raising your membership rank, you might also consider making a gift to the Academy, for instance, by contributing $250 to honor a great teacher, as I myself did last year as a way to recognize Beat Brenk.

There are also other ways to help the Academy. The Academy's fund to provide scholarship and travel money for graduate students assists a number of students each year. And if you would like to consider joining the Legacy Society by including the Academy in your will, I shall be happy to provide you with information.

Despite the economic downturn, the Medieval Academy of America is stable and growing. We need your help to secure and assure its future.

See you in New Haven,

Herbert L. Kessler

President